FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR: MES/JS190
CURRENT ISSUES IN ISRAELI POLITICS AND SOCIETY
Fall 2004
TT 4:00-5:15
S319 Callaway
Instructor:
Professor Benjamin Hary
309S Callaway Center
Tel.: 727-7942
bhary@learnlink.emory.edu
Office Hours: Tu 3:00-4:00 and by appointment
Teaching Assistant:
M7. Liam Maclin
lXXXX@learnlink.emory.edu
Office Hours: XXXXX (and by appointment) at Emory Village Starbucks
Content: Israel has been facing continuous turmoil since September 2000. This situation
has caused rapid changes in Israeli politics and society/societies. This course examines in
depth current issues facing Israeli society from the center to the margin. Topics range
from divisions in Israeli society, consensus in the society, Arabs in Israel, Mizrahim in
Israeli society, the Arab/Israeli conflict, foreign workers in Tel Aviv, languages and
language policy in Israel, army life, women in Israel, current state and local politics and
more. Students will read scholarly materials but will also regularly read electronic Israeli
press in English and will keep a journal. Classes will be devoted to specific topics,
however, current issues will be dealt with regularly. Class discussions are the main mode
of instruction.
Texts:
Chapters and parts from:
Asher Arian, The Second Republic: Politics in Israel. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House. 1998.
Bernard Reich and Gershom Kieval, Israel: Land of Tradition and Conflict. Boulder:
Westview, 1993.
Eugene Rogan and Avi Shlaim, The War for Palestine: Rewriting the History of 1948.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2001.
Barbara Swirski and Marilyn P. Safir, [eds.], Calling the Equality Bluff: Women in Israel. New
York: Teachers College Press. 1993.
Facts on Israel. Jerusalem: Hamakor Press. 1998.
Current Issues in Israeli Politics and Society
2
The New York Times
HaAretz, English Edition at www.haaretzdaily.com or in Hebrew at www.haaretz.co.il
Several articles
Course Requirements:
• No prerequisite. All students are expected to attend class regularly and participate in
class discussions and activities. They are also expected to attend a few out-of-class
activities such as 4 films and several lectures. Only two absences are allowed; further
absences will result in lowering the grade.
• Students will have to keep a journal with entries written twice a week on the learnlink
conference concerning current events in Israel. There will be three quizzes, a novel
report, a bibliographical assignment, and a short research paper.
• Students will be divided into four groups and will present on topics of their choice.
Composition of Final Grade:
class participation
class presentation
journal
bibliographical assignment
research paper
novel report
quizzes
10%
10%
15%
10%
20%
15%
20%
Tentative schedule:
Thursday, August 26
Introduction to current Israeli experience
FILM: The Wonder of Israel [a critical viewing]
Tuesday, August 31
Israeli timeline overview I
Readings: Reich/Kieval, Chapter 2 (pp. 37-64)
Thursday, September 2
Israeli timeline overview II
Readings: Reich/Kieval, Chapter 1 (pp. 1-36)
Tuesday, September 7 Israeli timeline overview III
Readings: Rogan/Shlaim, Chapters 2 and 4
Current Issues in Israeli Politics and Society
3
Wednesday, September 8
FILM: Sallah (212 Candler, 7pm)
Thursday, September 9
Israeli timeline overview IV
Readings: Reich/Kieval, Chapters 5 and 6 (pp. 139-202)
Tuesday, September 14
Israeli timeline overview V
Readings: Arian, Chapters 1 and 2 (pp. 1-41)
Presentation I
Thursday, September 16
Rosh Hashana – no class
Tuesday, September 21
Bibliographical work at the library (Ms. Tarina Rosen)
Meet in 312 Woodruff Library
Thursday, September 23
Israeli timeline overview VI
Readings: Shapira
Presentation II
Tuesday, September 28
Review; Quiz #1
Thursday, September 30
Sukkot – no class
Tuesday, October 5
Israeli political structure I
Readings: Arian, Chapter 9 (pp. 237-279) and Chapter 12
(pp. 351-383)
Bibliographical Assignment Due
Thursday, October 7
Shemini Atzeret – no class
Tuesday, October 12
Fall Break – No class
Thursday, October 14
Israeli political structure II
Readings: Arian, Chapters 5 and 6 (pp. 103-178)
Presentation III
Monday, October 18
FILM I: Mid Summer Blues (212 Candler, 7pm)
Tuesday, October 19
Israeli political structure III
Readings: Arian, Chapters 7 and 8 (pp. 178-237)
Thursday, October 21
The Israeli “left”
Readings: Arian, Chapter 12 (pp. 351-382)
Tuesday, October 26
The settlement issue and the Israeli “right”
Current Issues in Israeli Politics and Society
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FILM: The Power and the Glory
Readings: Sprinzak, Chapters 5 and 8
Thursday, October 28
Israeli nuclear history
Readings: TBA
Novel Report due
Tuesday, November 2
Different segments of Israeli society
Readings: Ben-Rafael; Arian, Chapter 2 (pp. 19-42);
Oppenheimer; Chetrit; Shohat
Thursday, November 4
The Ethiopian Jews in Israel
Guest Lecturer: Professor Don Seeman
Readings: TBA
Quiz #2
Tuesday, November 9
Religion and politics in Israel
Guest Lecturer: Mr. Jakub Kakietek
Readings: Schiff, Chapters 2 and 3 (pp. 37-87); Kamil
Thursday, November 11
The Israeli army and its impact on the society
Guest Lecturer: Ms. Noa David
Readings: TBA from Lomsky-Feder, E. and Ben-Ari, E.;
Bloom
Thursday, November 11
FILM: Yossi and Jager (212 Candler, 7pm)
Tuesday, November 16
The Arab citizens of Israel
Readings: Landau, pp. 1-11; Lustick, pp.1-28
Presentation IV
Thursday, November 18
Excerpt from the Israeli TV: an interview with Edward Said
Readings: Rogan and Shlaim, chapter 9 (pp. 206-219)
Tuesday, November 23
FILM: Palestine is Still the Issue
Discussion
Quiz #3
Thursday, November 25
Thanksgiving Holiday - No class
Tuesday, November 30
History of Israeli songs
Readings:
Tuesday, November 30
FILM: A Trumpet in the Wadi (7pm)
Current Issues in Israeli Politics and Society
Thursday, December 2
Languages and language policy in Israel
Readings: Spolsky/Shohamy, pp. 1-64
Tuesday, December 7
Summary
Thursday, December 9
Research Paper due
5
Current Issues in Israeli Politics and Society
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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ben-Rafael, Eliezer. “Multiculturalism and Multilingualism in Israel.” In Corpus
Linguistics and Modern Hebrew. B. Hary [ed.]. Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University
Press. 2003. Pp. 39-59.
Bloom, A. R. “Women in the Defense Forces.” In Calling Equality Bluff: Women in
Israel. B. Swirski and M. P. Safir [ed.]. Pp. 128-139.
Buber Agassi, J. “How Much Political Power Do Israeli Women Have?” In Calling
Equality Bluff: Women in Israel. B. Swirski and M. P. Safir [ed.]. Pp. 203-213.
Chetrit, S. S. “Mizrahi Politics in Israel: Between Integration and Alternative.” Journal of
Palestine Studies. Vol. XXIX, No. 4, Summer 2000, Issue 116. Pp. 51-65.
Gitelman, Z. and Goldstein, K. “The ‘Russian’ Revolution in Israeli Politics.” In The
Elections in Israel 1999. A. Arian and M. Shamir [eds.]. Albany: State University
of New York. 2002.
Izraeli, D. “Women and Work: from Collective to Career.” In Calling Equality Bluff:
Women in Israel. B. Swirski and M. P. Safir [ed.]. Pp. 165-177.
Kamil, Omar. “The Synagogue as Civil Society and the Shas Party.” Mediterranean
Quarterly, Summer 2001. Pp. 128-144.
Landau, J. M. The Arab Minority in Israel, 1967 – 1991. Oxford: Clarendodn Press.
1993.
Lomsky-Feder, E. and Ben-Ari, E. The military and Militarism in Israeli Society. Albany:
State University of New York Press. 1999.
Lustick, I. Arabs in the Jewish State: Israel’s Control of a National Minority. Austin and
London: University of Texas Press.
Oppenheimer, J. “The Pressure To Be Heterosexual.” In Calling Equality Bluff: Women
in Israel. B. Swirski and M. P. Safir [ed.]. Pp. 108-117.
Sabella, B. “Russian Jewish Immigration and the Future of the Israeli-Palestinian
Conflict.” Middle East Report 182 (May-June 1993). Pp. 36-40.
Schiff, G. S. Tradition and Politics: The Religious Parties of Israel.
Schnall. D. S. Radical Dissent in Contemporary Israeli Politics: Cracks in the Wall.
Shapira, A. “Politics and Collective Memory: The Debate over the ‘New Historians’ in
Israel History and Memory 7 (Spring/Summer 1995). Pp. 9-40.
Shohat, E. “The Invention of the Mizrahim.” Journal of Palestine Studies. Vol. XXIX,
No. 1, Autumn 1999, Issue 113. Pp. 5-21.
Spolsky, Bernard and Elana Shohamy. The Languages of Israel: Policy, Ideology and
Practice. Clevedon: Multilingual Matter. 1999.
Sprinzak, E. Brother Against Brother. New York: Free Press. 1999.
Waintrater, R. “Living in a State of Siege.” In Calling Equality Bluff: Women in Israel. B.
Swirski and M. P. Safir [ed.]. Pp. 117-123.
Yishai, Y. Between the Flag and the Banner: Women in Israeli Politics. Albany: State
University of New York Press. 1997.
Current Issues in Israeli Politics and Society
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NOVEL REPORT
As part of the course, please select one of the following novels, read it carefully and
submit a report in which you connect the novel to issues in Israeli politics and society by
October 28, 2004.
Aron Appelfeld. The Conversion
_____. The Iron Tracks
_____. Katerina
_____. Unto the Soul
David Grossman. Be my Knife
_____. The Zigzag Kid
_____. The Book of Intimate Grammar
_____. See Under, Love
Batya Gur. Murder Duet: A Musical Case
_____. Murder on the Kibbutz
_____. Literary Murder: A Critical Case
Sami Michale. A Trumpet in the Wadi
_____. Victoria
_____. Refuge
Amos Oz. Black Box
_____. My Michael
Meir Shalev. Esau: A Novel
_____. Four Meals
_____. The Loves of Judith
A.B. Yehoshua. A Journey to the End of the Millennium
_____. Mr. Mani
_____. The Lover
_____. A Late Divorce
_____. Open Heart