HIS 357: History of the Modern Middle East

Disputes over settlements, the right of return, the rise of Hamas, recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, and other intractable issues have repeatedly derailed peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. renowned peacemaker Padraig O'Malley argues that the moment for a two-state solution has passed. After examining each issue and speaking with Palestinians and Israelis as well as negotiators directly involved in past summits, O'Malley concludes that even if such an agreement could be reached, it would be nearly impossible to implement.

The Israeli Solution traces the history and false assumptions this two-state policy is based upon, most notably the huge errors made in counting the actual numbers of Jews and Arabs in the region. And after explaining 90 years of failed policy in the region, The Israeli Solution offers an alternative way toward stability that includes a strident call for Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.

Shenhav argues that the vision of restoring old borders is an illusion that ignores historical realities and offers no long-term solution. It fails to see that the real problem is that a state was created in most of Palestine in 1948 in which Jews are the privileged ethnic group, at the expense of the Palestinians - who also must live under a constant state of emergency. The issue will not be resolved by the two-state solution.

The 1967 Arab-Israeli War was a devastating triumph for Israel, which immediately began to establish settlements in the newly conquered territories. Those settlements, and the movement that made them possible, have utterly transformed Israel, and yet until now the full history of the occupation has never been told. Lords of the Land tells that tragic story, and reveals what a catastrophe it has been for both Israel and the Palestinians.

"The West Bank Wall" will serve as a highly valuable source book for journalists, academics and students. The authors' main argument is that Israel - under the pretext of a 'temporary' security measure - is using the wall to redraw its borders to permanently annex major settlement blocs which it has illegally constructed throughout the occupied West Bank. This unilateral initiative is being implemented with the agreement of the US administration, although contrary to internationally-approved proposals for a just and lasting resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

A critical history of Israel's expansionist politics that reveals how imperialist tendencies run the gamut from Left to Right.

Two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, why are the notable democracies of the US, India, and Israel building massive walls and fences on their borders? Despite predictions of a borderless world through globalization, these three countries alone have built security barriers totaling an astonishing 5,700 km. Border Walls analyzes how these controversial walls were justified, their impact on those living behind them, and the long-term effects of the hardening of political boundaries.

This book scrutinizes the interrelationships between Jewish spatial organization and social structure and change in Palestine/Israel. Kellerman analyzes the development of nationwide and regional settlements, and reasons for spatial and territorial choices, such as cooperative villages. He uncovers the extreme differences between the old and the new in Jewish settlement patterns, and discusses the implications for cultural development, economic functions, urban spirit, and international status in evolving Israeli society.