Jewish Studies/Political Science 328 — The Arab-Israeli Conflict
Professor David Brusin -- Spring 2015
(414) 962-9212
brusin@uwm.edu
How can we explain the persistent and relentless antagonism between
Jews/Israelis and Arabs, both in Palestine and in neighboring Arab countries, whose roots go back to medieval times—if not before? the 20 th
Though we will begin our study in ancient times, the focus of this course will be
century and our own. In addition to trying to understand the ongoing conflict from both the Arab/Palestinian and Jewish/Israeli perspectives, we will frame our discussions around a handful of interconnected core questions and issues:
 Is it a religious conflict between Islam and Judaism in which both sides are motivated by deep-seated suspicions and hatreds that ultimately rest on divine mandates or revelations?
 Is it an ethnic conflict between competing groups reflecting constantly changing demographic patterns?
 Is it a conflict motivated by nationalist desires in which rival armies want to establish a state in the same geographic location?
 Is it a war of self-defense in which a new state is defending itself against its neighbors whose objective is to destroy it?
 Is it a war of territorial expansion in which one state seeks to expand its borders at the expense of its neighbors?
 Is it an imperial war that reflects the rivalries and colonial aspirations of several European countries in the 19 th and 20 th centuries—and more recently the United States and Russia—in the Middle East?
 Is it the inevitable consequence of the difficult transition from traditional societies to modern states, all moving at different speeds, aiming at different targets, and hence on a collision course at the outset?
 Is the conflict in essence the collision of two sets of historic and moral rights to the same land? And, if so, does this mean the conflict will never be resolved?
Not all these questions can be answered. But understanding their role in events unfolding in the Middle East is crucial if there is a way to bring some measure of peace and stability to the region and to the Israelis and Palestinians in particular.
To get a broader perspective on the conflict, we’ll be viewing a number of films throughout the semester.
REQUIRED BOOKS [Books Available Only At Neebo Bookstore, 3132 N. Downer]
Charles D. Smith, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A History with
Documents , Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013, Eighth Edition, paperback [ISBN 978-1-4576-1348-7--$45.00]
Sami Adwan, Dan Bat-On, and Eyal Naveh, editors, Side by Side: Parallel
Histories of Israel-Palestine , New York: The New Press, 2012, paperback [ISBN 978-1-
59558-683-4--$15.50]

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
--Regular attendance is very important. Sometimes missing class is unavoidable, but if you miss more than two classes, it is your responsibility to contact me to arrange to make up a missed class (typically a two or three page paper or written version of a class activity). Absences that are not made up will affect your final grade.
--Students are expected to have read all assignments before coming to class.
--Students with special needs should contact me at the beginning of the course so appropriate accommodations can be arranged.
--Feel free to contact me, by phone or email, for any reason; if necessary, we can arrange to meet before or after class.
GRADING
Attendance and Participation:
Two Reflection Papers (four or five pages each):
25%
25%
Study Group Presentations, beginning Week # 5
Final Research Paper, 7 or 8 pages, due Week #14 :
25%
25%
CLASS SCHEDULE, READING AND ASSIGNMENTS
Week #1 – Intro & Logistics/Reading/Assignments/Getting on the Same Page
[1/26 & 1/28] Reading: Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflic t [hereafter PAIC] ,
Prologue, pp 1 – 11
Side by Side [hereafter SBS ], “The Dual Narrative Approach,” pp ix - xvi
Week #2 – Ottoman Society, Palestine and Zionism
[2/2 & 2/4] Reading: PAIC , Chapter 1 and Document 1.2 & 1.3
Week #3 – World War I, Great Britain and The Peace Settlements
[2/9 & 2/11] Reading: PAIC , Chapter 2 and All Documents
SBS , Chapter 1
Week #4 – Palestine Between the Wars
[2/16 & 2/18] Reading: PAIC , Chapter 3 and All Documents
SBS , Chapter 2
Weeks #5 & #6 – World War II, The Holocaust, State of Israel
[2/23 to 3/4] Reading: PAIC , Chapter 4 and All Documents
SBS , Chapters 3 & 4
Study Group #1—February 25 [Wednesday, Week #5]
First Reflection Paper Due Week #6—March 2 or 4
Week #7 – Modern Roots of the Conflict
[3/9 & 3/11] Reading: PAIC , Chapter 5 and All Documents
SBS , Chapter 5
Study Group #2—March 11
SPRING BREAK—MARCH 16 & 18
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Week #8 – From Suez to the Six-Day War
[3/23 & 3/25] Reading: PAIC , Chapters 6 and All Documents
SBS , Chapter 6
Study Group #3—March 25
Week #9 – Diplomacy, the PLO, Yom Kippur War, Lebanon
[3/30 & 4/1] Reading: PAIC , Chapters 7 & 8 and All Documents for Both
SBS, Chapter 7
Study Group #4—April 1
Second Reflection Paper Due Week #9—March 30 or April 1
Week #10 – The First Intifada, Gaza, Gulf Crisis
[4/6 & 4/8] Reading: PAIC , Chapter 9
SBS , Chapter 8
Study Group #5—April 8
Weeks #11 & #12 – The Art of Negotiation
[4/13 to 4/22] Reading: PAIC , Chapter 10 and All Documents
Week # 13 – The Unraveling of Oslo, the Second Intifada
[4/27 & 4/29] Reading: PAIC , Chapter 11 and All Documents
SBS , Chapter 9
Study Group #6—April 27
Week 14 – The Future of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
[5/4 & 5/6] Reading: PAIC , Epilogue, pp 550 - 553
SBS , Teachers’ Personal Trajectories, pp 395 -398
Study Group #7—May 4
FINAL PAPER DUE WEEK #14—May 4 or 6
Major/Minor in Jewish Studies This course is part of the Jewish Studies major and minor. The major offers two tracks: Hebrew Studies and Jewish Cultural Studies (which does not require Hebrew language). With its combination of core courses and electives, the Jewish Studies program allows students to create a course of study that can focus on religion, culture, Israel, Holocaust, media, or immigration. A dynamic and innovative major, Jewish Studies prepares students to work in our multicultural world. For more information on the Jewish Studies major and minor, please the coordinator, Dr. Rachel N.
Baum, rbaum@uwm.edu
; 229-5156.
Religious Studies If you are thinking about a major or a double major in Religious
Studies, please contact either Peter Paik, Director, at pypaik@uwm.edu or Dr. Judith
Beall, Associate Director, at jbeall@uwm.edu.
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