History 384: History of Palestine and Israel

 

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History 384:  The History of Palestine and Israel

 

 

Lisa Pollard                                                                                          Fall Semester 2002

Office:  228 Morton                                       11:00-12:15 Randall Library Auditorium

Office Hours:  W 3-5 and by appointment                              e-mail: pollardl@uncwil.edu

Phone:  962-3309

 

 

This course explores the genesis and trajectory of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from its origins the mid-nineteenth century through today.  The course is structured both chronologically and thematically, investigating accounts of the conflict from several narrative vantage points, including Political Zionism, Labor Zionism, Revisionist Zionism, British Diplomacy, Palestinian resistance and nationalism, Arab nationalism, and the peace process.

 

Course Requirements:

--Each student is expected to read all assignments carefully and thoughtfully, and to participate in class discussions.  (10%)

--Each student will submit three take-home examinations, each of which will be worth 30% of the final grade.  The essays will be drawn from a list of course-related topics, and will require students to integrate lecture material with the readings.  Exams must be turned in on time, and will be penalized by one letter grade each day that they are late.

 

Required Texts:

Charles D. Smith, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Walter Laqueur and Barry Ruben, editors.  The Israel-Arab Reader

Edward Said, The Question of Palestine

Benny Morris, Righteous Victims

Tom Segev, Elvis in Jerusalem

 

August 22, 2002:   Introduction to the Course

Readings:  Smith, 1-15

                  Said, 1-15

                   Elon, 33-40.

 

 

August 27-29:  Palestine Before Zionism; Nineteenth-Century Transformations; the Emergence of Arab Nationalism

Readings:  Smith, 23-33; 41-46; 49-51.

                  Laqueur, 5.

 

September 3-5:  The Origins and Early Development of Zionism

Readings:  Smith, 33-41

                   Laqueur, 3-10

                   Elon, 57-81

                   Segev, Chapter One

 

September 10:  Arabs and Jews in Palestine through WWI

Readings:  Elon, 106-132; 148-154.

 

September 12:  The WWI Settlement and its Legacy

Readings:  Smith, Chapter Three

                  Said, 15-29

                  Laqueur, 11-25

 

September 17:  The Mandate Between the Wars—An Overview

Readings:  Smith, 109-130

                  Laqueur, 25-51

 

September 24:  Growth of the Yishuv

Readings:  TBA

 

September 26:  The Palestinian Resistance

Readings:  Smith, 131-150

                  Laqueur, 57-62

 

October 1:  The Birth of Israel

Readings:  Smith, Chapter Five

                   Laqueur, 62-77

 

 

October 3:  The Evolution of Israel, 1948-1976

Readings:  TBA

 

October 8:  Your first exam is due on October 8 at the beginning of class.

Palestinian Society after the Disaster

Readings:  Said, 115-141

 

October 10:  NO CLASS.  FALL BREAK

 

October 15:  The Global and Regional Contexts after WWII

Readings:  Smith, 228-237

                  Laqueur, 91-96

                  Said, 182-197

                  Segev, Chapter Two

 

October 17:  The 1956 War

 Readings:  Smith, 239-250

                   Laqueur, 88-89

 

 

October 22:  The 1967 War

Readings:  Smith, 239-250

                   Laqueur, 96-116

 

October 24:  The Re-Emergence of the Palestinian Resistance

Readings:  Said, 157-169

                   Laqueur, 117-142

 

October 29: UN Security Council Resolution 242 and the 1973 War

Readings:  Smith, Chapter 8

                  Laqueur, 116; 142-162

 

October 31:  Israel’s Turn to the Right

Readings:  Laqueur, 206-220.

                  Segev, Chapter Three

 

November 5:  Your second exam is due on Tuesday, November 5th at the beginning of class.

            Camp David

Readings:  Smith, 357-362

                  Said, 197-213

                  Laqueur, 222-243

 

November 7:  Palestine and the Lebanese Civil War

Readings:  Smith, 352-356; 366-376

 

 

November 12:  1982 and its Consequences

Readings:  Smith, 376-384

                  Laqueur, 254-274.

 

November 14th: Palestine Under Occupation and the 1987 Intifadah

Readings:  Smith, Chapter 10

                  Laqueur, 280-282; 314-321; 323-338; 388-403.

 

November 19:  The Intifadah and Oslo

Readings:  Smith, Chapter 11 to page 476.

                  Laqueur, 403-433.

 

November 21:  The failure of Oslo

Readings:  Smith, Chapter 11, 476-end.

 

November 24-26.  No class. Thanksgiving holiday.

 

December 3:  Sharon and the Palestinians:  The al-Aqsa Intifadah

Readings:  TBA

 

December 5:  September 11 and its Aftermath:  Impasse or Opportunity?

Readings:  TBA

 

December 10:  Final Class Activity