Leumi is an Israeli bank, established in 1902 as the Anglo-Palestine Company, closely connected to the Zionist movement. After the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, Bank Leumi served as the central bank and issued the country's first banknotes. Throughout the 20th century, Leumi played a significant role in the Israeli economy and is today one of the largest corporations in the Middle East.
In a CMES Research Seminar on 6 February, Hebatalla Taha presented her latest research on Bank Leumi, focusing on the bank's historical role in the colonization process of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. By studying Bank Leumi advertisements from the months following the 1967 Six-Day War, she examines corporate imaginaries, particularly their link to colonialism in Palestinian territories.
About Hebatalla Taha
Hebatalla Taha is an Associate Senior Lecturer at Lund University's Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies and the Department of Political Science. Her work lies at the intersection of political economy and security in the modern Middle East, particularly Israel/Palestine. Her doctoral work analyzes the role of Palestinians in Israeli capitalism, focusing on everyday encounters and non-conventional sites of contestation, such as high-tech firms and shopping centers.
CMES Research Seminars
The CMES Research Seminar is the main collective seminar at the Centre. LU researchers and invited national and international leading scholars present ongoing research and analyses of a broad range of exciting topics of relevance for the Middle East.
See all upcoming CMES Research Seminars here.
Download the CMES Research Seminar Spring 2025 Program here.