This MOOC will discuss contemporary Palestinian history, and will highlight the main and most relevant aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including how and why the conflict started, how it evolved, the current status-quo, and possible settlements. It will do so in an interdisciplinary way, combining insights from history and postcolonialism, political economy, international relations, state governance, and international law.
After attending this MOOC learners will be able to:
1. Explain what the importance of historic Palestine is to the Palestinian people and the wider Arab world.
2. Explain how and why the Palestinian-Israeli conflict started and evolved, including the implications of legal and diplomatic efforts.
3. Describe the current status-quo of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
4. Describe and interpret the different voices within scholarly and political discussions about possible settlements of the conflict.
5. Reflect critically and develop an informed and nuanced perspective of their own on the conflict.
6. Do all of the above in an interdisciplinary way, combining insights from history and postcolonialism, political economy, international relations, state governance, and international law.
Overview
Syllabus
- Week 0: Introduction to the MOOC
- Week 1: Pre-Conflict Palestine
- Week 2: The geopolitical consequences of armed conflict
- Week 3: Palestinian resistance and failed political leadership
- Week 4: The current predicament and possible ways out
- Week 5: Where does all the controversy come from?
Taught by
Peter Malcontent and Alaa Tartir
