POL S 325 A: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

This class will explore the causes, development, and implications of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from its inception in the late 19th century until the present day. The course will break down the history of the conflict into three distinct stages. The first (1880-1948) was primarily inter-communal conflict between Jewish Zionist immigrants and indigenous Palestinian Arabs. In our discussion of this phase, we will explore Palestinian and Jewish societies before Zionism, the international context (nationalism, colonialism, antisemitism) that shaped the Zionist movement, the role the movement played in creating a viable Jewish community in Palestine, the consequences this development had on the Palestinians population, and Palestinian resistance to Ziost settlement. We will identify the causes that contributed to the Zionist success that culminated in the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and to the concurrent destruction of Arab Palestine and half its population becoming refugees. The second stage (1948-1979) is one in which Arab states largely controlled the Palestinian issue and periodically engaged in military conflict with Israel. We will discuss the various causes and outcomes of conflicts between Israel and its neighbors and the effect of these conflicts on Palestinian population and the broader question of Palestine. We will explore the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza by Israel after the 1967, its control over a large disenfranchised Palestinian population, and its illegal expansionist policies in those territories. The third and final stage (1982- Present) represents a return to the to the direct interaction and intercommunal conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. We will explore the various Palestinian uprisings, peace negotiations, and the creation of the semi-autonomous Palestinian Authority. We will identify and assess the causes for the escalation of conflict between the sides and for the failure of the peace process to achieve viable peace in the region. Within this context we will also investigate the rise of extremist movements within both groups and their impact on the conflict. The course will conclude with and attempt to identify various possibilities for the future resolution of the conflict.