Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Few conflicts have arrested the attention of the globe as has the conflict in Gaza. From Hamas's raiding of the Nova music festival in October 2023, to the student occupation of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in June 2024, to the international outcry over evidence of mass starvation among Gazans in 2025, Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza has captured the attention of people everywhere. For those supporting the Palestinian cause, activists called for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and an end to the settler colonialism of the Israeli state in the West Bank. For those supporting Israel, advocates pressed for the destruction of Hamas and the safety of the Jewish people in Israel, even if that meant the deaths of many Palestinian civilians. The conflict seems intractable and unsolvable, but is it? This course is designed not only to give students an understanding of the geo-political features of the conflict as well as its historical context, but it also considers the religious dimensions of the conflict, and it examines the resources within Judaism and Islam (as well as within Christianity) that have the potential to move people towards co-existence and peace rather than war and eradication of the other. It begins with a description of contemporary events, followed by a short unit on the geography of the land. The course then surveys the history of the land, beginning with ancient Israel, moving through late antiquity and the medieval period, and on to the Ottomans, the British Mandate, and finally the current Israeli state. The purpose of this is to give students the long view on the conflict and a deeper understanding of how various actors in the land have viewed each other over time. The course will then finish with more contemporary readings of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian thinkers concerning how one ought to treat the "other" and reflect on ways forward that honor people on both sides of the conflict.