In October, 2023 war once again erupted between Hamas and the Israel; this was the latest – and perhaps most horrific – round of bloodshed in the more than century-long conflict between Palestinians and Jews in the strip of land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. The horror reverberated far beyond Israel-Palestine. The world has been divided into opposing camps, with some describing the conflict as an existential war of survival, and others, as a genocide. College campuses, online communities, city councils, and even families in America and around the world found themselves divided over which side was right and which side wrong, who was the victim and who the oppressor.
The course will begin with a historical introduction to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We will review the pre-1948 origins of the conflict, major events (including the 1948-49 Nakba/War of Israel’s independence, the Six Day War of 1967 and Israel’s subsequent occupation and settlement of the conquered territories, the 1973 war and the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the intifada, the rise and fall of the Oslo Peace Process, the emergence of Hamas in Gaza, and more). We will examine the shifts in both Israeli and Palestinian politics over these decades, and the current political situation in Israel and Palestine today. We will look at the critical and controversial role of the United States in the Middle East, and at the changing state of US public opinion regarding Israel-Palestine. We will also review the often-conflicting narratives of connection to the land and claims of indigeneity of those involved. The course will include a particular focus on the efforts of those trying to bridge the divides not only between Palestinians and Israelis in the region, but also between their warring camps of supporters around the world.
Throughout the class we will focus on the ways we talk – and don’t talk - about the conflict. The course will examine why the issue of Israel-Palestine is so hard to discuss, let alone agree upon; why it invokes such strong passions and emotions in so many people, including those who understand very little about the conflict at all. We will seek to unpack, understand, and talk productively about some of the “hot button” issues that tend to roil the discourse about Israel-Palestine (the meaning and role of Zionism, the Boycott Divestment and Sanction movement, the role of terrorism, Israel’s settlement enterprise in the West Bank, charges of apartheid and war crimes, etc.).
The course will meet weekly, and will feature a number of guest lecturers, including activists, peace negotiators, and former combatants working to resolve the conflict, and those working to build bridges of understanding between Arabs, Jews, and others here at home. Readings will include material about the conflict and how it has impacted policy, politics and community relations in the United States, as well as materials from the fields of cognitive linguistics and political psychology that focus on how and why certain conversations are so difficult, and how best to address those challenges.