Dr. Irena Kalhousová is Head of The Herzl Center for Israeli Studies and an Assistant Professor at Charles University. Before joining the faculty, Irena was an analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, a researcher at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya in Israel, a chief analyst at the Prague Security Studies Institute, and Head of the Middle-Eastern programme at the Association for International Affairs in Prague.

Irena specializes in Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and in relations between Central European countries and Israel. Her current research is at the intersection of foreign policy and memory politics with a special focus on how traumatic events affect international relations of European states and Israel.

Irena is the author of articles and book chapters focused mostly Israel and relations between Central European countries and Israel. She regularly appears as an expert on Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Czech and international media.

  

• CURRENT POSITIONS

2019 Assistant Professor, Department of International Studies and Department of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, CZ

2019 Head of the Herzl Center for Israel Studies, Charles University, CZ

- Direct an internationally recognized, university-wide research and teaching center focused on modern Israel and relations between Israel and Central European countries. Teach and design both graduate and undergraduate courses. Moderate and organize academic workshops and public discussions. Responsibility for the Center’s further development, PR, and fundraising.

2020 Research Fellow, Peace Research Center Prague: Center of Excellence Focused on the prevention, management, and transformation of conflicts in world politics, Charles University, CZ

- Write academic papers and analyses on Israel and Europe-Israeli relations. 

2003 Live Media Commentator, TV, Radio, and Printed and Electronic Media

- Provided live commentaries covering Israel, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and current Middle Eastern affairs for Czech and international media; wrote commentaries (49 live appearances in 2020, 56 in 2021, 46 in 2022, 170 in 2023).

• RESEARCH GRANTS

2022-2026 PRIMUS: A four-year research grant, Charles University, CZ

Interdisciplinary research at the intersection of foreign policy and memory politics focused on how traumatic events affect international relations of European states.   

- Primary Investigator: Lead an international, seven-member research team.

- Topic: “The Past is Present: The Use and Misuse of Traumatic Historical Events in Foreign Policy.”

- Budget: $490.000

2020-2023 e-NOTE: European Network on Teaching Excellence, funded by the EU’s Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Framework

Research focused on “teaching excellence” in Higher Education in the EU. In cooperation with six universities across Europe.        

- Research Fellow: Develop best practices in the field of online and offline teaching

• AWARDS

2024 Miloslav Petrusek Prize for Presentation and Promotion for long-term development of the third pillar of the university through activities in the media, participation in public discussions and lecturing activities in high schools, Rector, Charles University.

2023 A Special Recognition of the Dean for commentaries on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the media, Faculty of Social Science, Charles University

2024, 2023 & 2021 Golden Course Faculty Teaching Award for the best undergraduate course, Charles University, CZ

• EDUCATION

2014 - 2019 Ph.D. London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

Department of International Relations

Thesis Title: Our Jews, our Israel: Origins of the Foreign Policy of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary Towards Israel, Supervisor Dr Federica Bicchi

2006 - 2007 M.Phil. University of Cambridge, UK

Department of International Relations and European Studies

Thesis title: EU-Israeli Bilateral Relations, Supervisor: Prof Christopher Hill

2001 - 2005 B.A. Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel

Department of Political Science

• ACADEMIC TRAINING

2020 Teaching with Impact, The Israeli Institute, USA

A three-day workshop designed for scholars who teach about modern Israel.

2015 – 2016 Postgraduate Certificate (Associate Level) in Higher Education,

London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.

Modules completed: Developing Teaching Practice, Supporting Students Learning, Course Evaluation and Quality Frameworks

2016 ECPR Winter School in Methods and Techniques, Bamberg, Germany

Course attended: Comparative Historical Analysis

• FELLOWSHIPS

2022 (one week) An Academic Exchange mission to Israel and the Palestinian Territories

Fellow

2021 (one month) Summer Institute for Israel Studies, Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, Brandeis University, Boston, USA

Visiting Scholar

2018 (three months) European University Institute, Florence, Italy

Visiting Fellow

2013 (six months) Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel

Masaryk Distinguished Chair

• WORKING EXPERIENCE - TEACHING

2015 - 2018 Graduate Teaching Assistant, London School of Economics, Department of Government, UK

Course taught: Political Systems in Europe

2007 - 2012 Lecturer, Anglo-American University, Prague, CZ

Courses taught: The EU-Israel Relations, The Arab-Israeli Conflict, The History of European Integration, Institutions of the EU

• WORKING EXPERIENCE - ANALYTICAL

2013 – 2014 Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv, Israel

Research Fellow: Writing of analysis and research papers on the Middle East and security.

2010 - 2013 Prague Security Studies Institute, Prague, Czech Republic

Chief Analyst: Writing of analysis and research papers on the Middle East, security and transatlantic relations for, e.g., Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior; managing research projects; organizing and chairing conferences; teaching and tutoring securities studies students.

2009 - 2010 Association for International Affairs, Prague, Czech Republic

Head of the Middle East Program, Analyst: Managing projects on the Middle East and the foreign policy of the EU; writing of analysis and research papers.

• WORKING EXPERIENCE – MISCALENOUS

2009 – to date Foundation Forum 2000, Prague, Czech Republic - Founded by Václav Havel

Member of the Program Committee: organizing and chairing the panels.

2008 - 2009 Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Prague, Czech Republic

Project Coordinator: Performing conceptual and organizational preparation of the activities and publications of the HBS during the Czech presidency of the European Council; reporting about the political development in the Czech Republic.

02/2005 - 07/2005 Holocaust Museum Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel

Processing Pages of Testimonies that commemorate those who perished during the Shoah.

• PUBLICATIONS

Journals (peer-reviewed)

- 2024, Kalhousová, Irena & Emmanuelle Blanc, “Conceptualizing the Foreign Policy Roles of States dealing with Historical Trauma: The Case of Israel,” European Journal of International Relations.

https://doi.org/10.1177/13540661241278305

- 2024, Kalhousová, Irena, Eugene Finkel & Jiří Kocián, “The Traumatic Past is Back: Historical Analogies and European Responses to the War in Ukraine,” International Affairs.

https://academic.oup.com/ia/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ia/iiae228/7824588iiae228

- 2024, Kalhousová Irena, Sarah Komasová, Tereza Plíštilová, Michal Smetana & Marek Vranka, “Elite-Public Gaps in Attitudes towards Israel and Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: New Evidence from a Survey of Czech Parliamentarians and Citizens,” East European Politics.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21599165.2024.2415641

- 2021, Kalhousová, Irena, „Ženy v izraelské společnosti,” [Women in Israeli Society] Nový Orient, 74(3), pp. 50-60.

- 2020, Kalhousová, Irena & Stela Rubínová, “The Visegrád Group and Its Voting Patterns on the Israeli-Arab/Palestinian Conflict in the UN General Assembly,” Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, 14(3), pp. 457-475.

- 2015, Kalhousová, Irena, “Relations between Israel and the Czech Republic: From Sentiment to Pragmatism?” Strategic Assessment, 18(3), pp. 93-104.

- 2013, Kalhousová, Irena, „Íránský jaderný program: nástroj domácí a zahraniční politiky,“ [Iranian nuclear programme: A domestic and foreign policy tool] Vojenské rozhledy, 22(54), pp. 42-57.

Book Chapters (peer-reviewed)

- 2024, Kalhousová, Irena, “Israel and Central Europe,” In: Routledge Handbook on Israel’s Foreign Relations, Eds. Peters, Joel and Rob Geist Pinfold, Routledge. ISBN 9780367499761.

- 2021, Kalhousová, Irena, „Írán: skryté soupeření a hybridní operace,“ [Iran: hidden rivalries and hybrid operations] In: Vzestup a podoby hybridní války, Eds. Kurfürst, Jaroslav a Jan Paďourek, Academia, ISBN: 978-80-200-3237-9.

- 2016, Kalhousová, Irena, “Unwilling to Succeed: The Czech Position on U.S. Missile Defense – Between Strategy and Public Political Debate,” In: Arms Control and Strategic Stability in the Middle East and Europe, Eds. Landau Emily & Anat Kurz Tel Aviv.

- 2013, Kalhousová, Irena, „Nahý v trní: aneb pozice Izraele v proměněném arabském světě,“ [Israel after the Arab Spring] In: Arabské revoluce: Demokratické výzvy, politický islám a geopolitické dopady, Ed. Beránek, Ondřej, Academia, ISBN: 978-80-200-2298-1.

Working papers (peer-reviewed)

- 2020, Kalhousová, Irena, Láska či pragmatismus. Vztahy České republiky, Polska a Maďarska k Izraeli, [Pragmatism or Love? Polish, Czech, and Hungarian Relations towards Israel] New Directions.

- 2017, Kalhousová, Irena, „Idee a praxe české zahraniční politiky,“ [Ideas and Practices in the Czech Foreign Policy] In: Maximum možného? 25 let samostatné české a slovenské zahraniční politiky, Eds. Dostál, Vít & Grigorij Mesežnikov, Kultbüro Sachsen e.V.

- 2009, Kalhousová, Irena, “The Hopelessness of the Middle East Peace Process,” The New Presence (2).

Work in progress

- Kalhousová, Irena, Our Jews, Our Israel! Origins of the Foreign Policy of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary towards Israel [Book manuscript R&R – Cambridge University Press].

Writings for general public

BOOK

- 2024, Kalhousová Irena and Ondřej Kundra, Izrael ve stínu 7. října (Israel in the shadow of October 7th), Respekt Publisher, Praha.

ARTICLES

- 2024, Kalhousová, Irena, „Israel’s Struggle for Peace at Home,“ Australian Oulook, 7.11. https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/israels-struggle-for-peace-at-home/

- 2024, Kalhousová, Irena, „Izrael rok po útocích: Země zůstává rozpolecena, ale Netanjahu získává zpět podporu“ Hospodářské noviny, 8.10.

- 2023, Kalhousová, Irena, „Hamásu se povedlo rozbít i to málo důvěry mezi Izraelci a Palestinci. Trauma z říjnového masakru přetrvá po generace,“ Hospodářské noviny, 29.12.

- 2023, Kalhousová, Irena, „Izrael v politické krizi: hrozí, že z něj bude nedemokratický, náboženský a výlučně etnický stát,“ Hospodářské noviny, 7.3.

- 2022, Kalhousová, Irena, „Páté předčasné volby v Izraeli jsou tu. Přežije je izraelská demokracie?“ Hospodářské noviny, 1.11.

- 2022, Kalhousová, Irena, „Izrael se zlobí na Lavrova. Ale myslet bude hlavně na to, jak se vyhnout konflikty s Moskvou,“ Hospodářské noviny, 5.5.

- 2022, Kalhousová, Irena, „Proč je Izrael tak opatrný v podpoře Ukrajiny a odsouzení Ruska?“ Hospodářské noviny, 9.3.

- 2021, Kalhousová, Irena, „Populista Netanjahu – jedna z příčin současného konfliktu,” Hospodářské noviny, 18.5.

- 2020, Kalhousová, Irena, „Referendum proti Netanjahuovi skončilo patem,” Deník E15, 5.3.

- 2020, Kalhousová, Irena, „Kdo rozumí Izraeli ví, že není jen zlý nebo hodný,” Hospodářské noviny, 27.5.

- 2020, Kalhousová, Irena, „Palestinci přicházejí o jedno z posledních es,” Hospodářské noviny, 17.8.

- 2020, Kalhousová, Irena, „Na Blízkém východě možná vzniká koalice proti politickému islámu,” Hospodářské noviny, 6.11.

- 2017, Kalhousová, Irena, “What Should Bibi Know before Landing in Budapest for the V4 summit?,” Visegrad Insight, 11.7.

- 2015, Kalhousová, Irena & Pavlína Schulz, “The Wingmen: A Story of Czechoslovak Pilots and Air-Force Technicians in the Service of Israel.” The Times of Israel, 20.4.

- 2014, Kalhousová, Irena, „Izrael v proměnách času,“ Prostor, 103/104, pp. 155-175.

• CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

2024 Association of Israel Studies & European Association of Israel Studies, Prague, Czech Republic

Conference Paper: How Do States Regain Ontological Security in the Wake of Trauma? The Case of Israel after October 7

2023 European International Studies Association, Potsdam, Germany

Conference Paper: Conceptualizing the Foreign Policy Roles on Traumatized States: The Case of Israel

2023 ECPR, Praha, Czech Republic

Conference Paper: The Traumatic Past is Back: Historical Analogies and European Responses to the War in Ukraine (with Jiří Kocián)

2023 Association for Israel Studies, New York, USA

Conference Paper: “Conceptualizing the Foreign Policy Roles on Traumatized States: The Case of Israel”

2023 International Studies Association, Montreal, Canada

Conference Paper: “The Past is Back: World War II and European Responses to the War in Ukraine”

2022 European Association for Israel Studies, Oxford, UK

Conference Paper: “Czech Attitudes towards Israel: Public Opinion vs Foreign Policy.“

2022 Association of Israel Studies, Bar Ilan, Israel

Conference Paper: “Dissident Past and Divergent Present: How Dissident Legacy Influences Diplomacy with Israel.”

2021 European International Studies Association, via Zoom

Conference Paper: Populist Politics of Memory and Foreign Relations: Polish-Israeli Relations through a Theoretical Lens.

2019 European Association for Israeli Studies, Charles University, CZ

Conference Paper: The Visegrad Four and Israel – Much Ado About Nothing?

2019 Association of Israeli Studies, Kinneret College, Israel

Conference Paper: Polish and Hungarian relations towards Israel: From an Admiration of a Start-up Nation to respect for an Ethnic Nation?

2018 Council for European Studies, Graduate Workshop, University of Chicago, USA

Paper: The Meaning of Israel in the Foreign Policy of Central European Countries: A Theoretical Outline

2016 ECPR Graduate Student Conference, Tartu, Estonia

Conference Paper: A Representation of the Historical Legacy in the Polish Foreign Policy towards Israel

2016 European Association of Israel Studies, Graduate Workshop, SOAS, London, UK

Conference Paper: Strange Bedfellows? History and Foreign Policy Analysis

2016 Association for Israeli Studies, Jerusalem, Israel

Conference Paper: A Representation of the Historical Legacy in the Czech Foreign Policy Towards Israel

Courses taught in the academic year 2024-5:

- Israel: Politics and Society (winter & spring terms)

- The Israeli-Arab/Palestinian Conflict (winter term)

- Israel’s Foreign Policy (spring term)

 

Email: