Course Description

A territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River is a small piece of land claimed by two people, Jews and Arabs, and revered by three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. During the 20th century, it became a place of conflict which has become one of the most contentious conflicts of the last 80 decades. Even though the Israeli-Arab/Palestinian conflict has been relatively a low-intensity conflict with a number of causalities much lower compared to many other post-WWII conflicts, it attracts global attention. The course is focused on the causes of the conflict, the main issues which define it, the personalities that shape it, and the role of the international actors which influence it. We will look at the conflict through various perspectives and interpretations. Special attention in this course is given to conflicting Israeli and Palestinian narratives. The course also focuses on the most recent news from the region.