History of Israel and Palestine Survey Syllabus
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History of Israel and Palestine Prof. Jason Lustig [email protected] Class: Tues/Thurs 11:00am-12:30pm OffiCe Hours: Tues. 9-11am The modern state of Israel was founded in a land known in modern times as Palestine, and this course examines the history of modern Israel and the Zionist project to create a state for the Jews within the context of the land and those who have lived there. The class brings together the history of Palestine and the land of Israel, the Zionist movement, Palestinian and Arab nationalism, modern Jewish history, and the history of Israel’s state and cultures. Students will gain a historical context to understand the complex movement of ideas, peoples, and polities aCross a small stretCh of land whiCh sinCe anCient times has been a site of political and religious conflict. The course proceeds chronologically from the nineteenth century to the present, foCusing on political, intelleCtual, and cultural history so that we can consider how one land has had so many histories but all those who live there have an intertwined destiny. Readings consist of two textbooks and primary sources from the time period. Lectures are posted online, providing basic historical frameworks and conceptual tools to discuss core issues. In-class time will examine the readings and lectures. In addition, there will be an online discussion board. You should expeCt about 80 pages of reading weekly on average. Students, over the course of the semester, will achieve the following goals: 1. HistoriCal LiteraCy: Be familiar with major events, places, and personalities that shaped Israel/Palestine prior to Israeli statehood and sinCe. Identify key turning points in history. 2. CritiCal Thinking: Evaluate the historiCal record and scholarly interpretation through critical methods, viewing disputed events from a variety of angles. 3. Understanding Global Contexts: Situate the histories of Israel and Palestine in loCal, regional, and global contexts: world systems like 19th and 20th c. imperialism, colonization, and decolonialization; nationalism; the global economy; geopolitical strategy and the Cold War; modern Jewish history. 4. Grasp the Complexity of the Arab-Israeli conflict, its origins, and ongoing history. 5. Understand the internal Complexities of Jewish and Arab politiCs and desCribe major ideological divisions within the Jewish and Zionist community and the Palestinian Arab community. 6. Learn how to disCuss events or ideas about whiCh many people disagree and whiCh may be subjeCt to multiple interpretations. This means taking a step baCk from one’s own beliefs or assumptions and describing other people’s views coherently and fairly. 7. BeCome Comfortable reading, analyzing, and utilizing primary sources to gain first-hand perspectives on history: identifying the writer and his/her point of view; finding points and phrases indicating the argument; connecting individual perspectives with wider historical trends we are studying in class. Required Books. - Anita Shapira, Israel: A History (on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/1611686180/) - Ilan Pappe, A History of Modern Palestine: One Land, Two Peoples [2nd ed.] (on Amazon: www.amazon.Com/dp/0521683157/) Prof. Lustig – History of Israel and Palestine Page 2 of 11 University of Texas at Austin, Fall 2019 Course Requirements: Students are expected to watCh the leCtures and prepare all readings in advance of the week assigned. ACtive class participation is required. Formal requirements and grade breakdown are summarized: 1. Map exercise - 5 points (Tues. 9/8) 2. Pre- and post-course quiz - 4 points total (ungraded, essentially free points) 3. Midterm short paper - 20 points (Due Tues. 10/20 at 11:59pm) 4. At-home final exam - 60 points (Due Thurs. 12/10 at 11:59pm) 5. Class participation – 80 points total, consisting of: a. 30 points for Zoom meeting partiCipation b. 30 points for Online disCussion board partiCipation c. 20 points for weekly responses (Due Fridays at 11:59pm) There is also an extra-credit opportunity of up to 6 additional points. In addition, this semester I expeCt students to do a 10-minute introduCtion and mid-semester cheCk-in meetings over Zoom whiCh will help me get to know you and see how everything is going. These will each count for 2 points (4 points total), and they are basically free points. Important notes on Fall 2020 and COVID-19. This semester is going to be a strange and difficult one. The main (and perhaps only) difference between now and the spring is that we know a little bit more about what we’re getting into. But so much remains the same: We are all trying to stay socially distanced, healthy, and safe. Also, many people are dealing with challenging situations including illness (or fear of getting sick), financial difficulties, family, or otherwise. I plan to be very flexible on many course requirements and deadlines. My official policy is to make reasonable accommodations to allow for student success. If you need extra time to complete an assignment, please let me know in advance if possible. I also have made a number of specific adjustments to accommodate for our online format. This includes online lectures and the use of an online discussion board. However, education is not just about absorbing information, and this class in particular has a crucial learning objective that students will learn how to discuss these events and their ongoing importance. As a result, we will continue to have regularly scheduled Zoom meetings which will try to approximate the kinds of conversations we would have had at an in-person meeting on campus. I do expect all students to participate via the regularly scheduled zoom meetings, and to use video so we an approximate an in-person class meeting where we would all see each other. If you are unable to participate in the Zoom meetings, or cannot use video, please email me and we will reach an accommodation. Please speak with me about requirements and policies if they are unclear. Please communicate with me if you are having any problems with the course or if a simple change could go a long way. Email is best. I am more than willing to work with you if you take the initiative to be in touch when appropriate. I am much less flexible when I hear about problems at the last minute or after the fact. 1. Reading Assignments and Lectures Please complete the assigned readings and watch the posted lectures prior to the week in which they will be discussed. Read and watch actively, prepare questions, and note when readings offer conflicting interpretations and descriptions, or where lectures present points of view that differ from the readings. Prof. Lustig – History of Israel and Palestine Page 3 of 11 University of Texas at Austin, Fall 2019 2. Written and Graded Work - Map exerCise: An in-class exercise at the beginning of Week 2 (Tues. 9/8). This will cover material from the first week of Class, and will test you on basiC familiarity with dates, loCations, and historical maps. Having this straight will be helpful so you don’t get confused in the rest of the semester. The map exercise will count for 5 points in your total grade. - Pre- and post-course knowledge quiz. In this course, we are doing research on knowledge gained about Israel/Palestine. I have designed a short “quiz” to assess general knowledge, administered at the beginning of the course and at its end. Your individual responses will not be graded in any way, but you will get 2 “free” course points for participating in each survey (for a total of 4 points in your total grade). You are essentially getting 4 points for free! - Short mid-term paper, an analysis of the two textbooks’ consideration of the 1948 war. You will analyze how the textbook two authors describe events differently as well as the significance of these distinCtions. In addition, you will prepare a transcript of a moCk “zoom interview” with the authors of the two textbooks discussing what they would say to each other. The short paper will be due on Tues. 10/20 at 11:59pm (week 8). The short paper will count for 20 points. - Final exam: 60 Points There will be an at-home final exam during the final exam period. The final exam will be provided after our final class (Thurs. 12/3), and due on Thurs. 12/10 at 11:59pm. The exam will consist of essay questions, and will encompass the full scope of the course. Please consult the study guide posted on Canvas, which inCludes possible essay questions for the final exam. All exam questions will be drawn from this question bank. This list is meant to help you prepare for the exam and provide guidelines for the course’s learning objeCtives. - Online Class Participation: 80 Total Points Active participation is essential to success in this course. For the new online format, we will have both synChronous Zoom meetings which will take plaCe every week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am-12pm, and also asynchronous discussions which will be facilitated on an online discussion board. You are expected to participate in both formats. We will not be meeting synChronously in the final 30 minutes of our sCheduled Class bloCk (12-12:30pm), in reCognition of the faCt you will also be watching online leCtures as well as to offer time to participate in the online message board. I have broken down participation into four components: 1. Active participation in Zoom meetings, 30 points. Our Class is sCheduled for synChronous Zoom meetings on Tues/Thurs 11:00am-12pm. The final 30 minutes of sCheduled Class time (12-12:30) is dedicated so students can participate in the online message boards.