Power, Politics, and Piety: Nationalism and Territory in Israel/Palestine (3 cr)
Shaul Magid
COLL-C103 Critical Approaches to Arts & Humanities
TR 12:20-1:10 plus discussion: F 9:05-9:55; F 10:10-11; F 11:15-12:05; F 12:20-1:10
GenEd A&H, CASE A&H, CASE CAPP
This course will examine the political situation in Israel/Palestine from a theological and cultural perspective with special emphasis on nationalism and territorialism. We will read primary and secondary literature dealing with modern nationalism and territory, the concept of “land” in Judaism and Islam, the history of Zionism, the rise of the Islamist movement including its roots in British colonialism, the emergence of Palestinian nationalism including its secular, Marxist, and Islamist roots, classical Zionist debates on binationalism, militarism, and territorial compromise, and the more contemporary discussion in Israel and Palestine in the media and in the academy. This is not a Political Science course, meaning, we will not debate policy, legislation, and predictions for the future. Rather, we will examine the underlying theological and cultural roots of the political crisis founded on the relationship between territory and national identity. At the end of the semester we will turn to some political commentary on issues of territory and resolution including the Israel Declaration of Independence, Camp David II, the Hamas Charter, the Geneva Accords, and the Saudi Arabia Peace Plan.
