131-211 The History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Usually 25 points of first-year history or Jewish studies, see Prerequisites.

The Arab-Israeli conflict remains one of the most intractable and complex dilemmas facing the new century. This course will trace the history of this conflict, from the beginning of Jewish nationalism to the present. Issues to be studied include Jewish migration to Palestine; the impact of the Holocaust; the Declaration of the State of Israel and the first Arab-Israeli war; the birth of the Palestinian refugee problem; the 1967 War and the rise of the PLO; the Jewish settler movement in the Occupied Territories; terrorism and state repression; the peace process from Camp David to Oslo and beyond; and the Intifadas of 1987 and 2000. Students should leave the subject able to analyse the current situation in Israel with a sensitivity to the historical complexities and competing claims of the different sides of the conflict.

• demonstrate research skills through competent use of the library and other information sources;

• show critical thinking and analysis through recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion, and by determining the strength of an argument;

• demonstrate understanding of social, ethical and cultural context through the contextualisation of judgements, developing a critical self-awareness, being open to new ideas and possibilities and by constructing an argument.

Class participation, and written work totalling 4000 words.

A subject reader will be available.