The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Rothberg International School
Division of Undergraduate Studies
Autumn Semester 2009-10
48278: The Palestinians: Modern History and Society
Professor Nafez Nazzal
Office hours: Room 536 Thursday 14:00-14:30
Email: nazzal_nafez@hotmail.com
This course is an introductory survey of the history, politics, and society of the Palestinians in the 20th Century. It focuses on the rise and development of Palestinian nationalism and the changing nature of the Palestinian population and leadership since W.W.I. The course will also examine the social structure, the family, gender relations, and the transformation of Palestinian Society. It concludes with an assessment of the causes, results, and effects of the wars in the region, the negotiations and agreements between Israel and the PLO/PNA since 1991 and the prospects of peace and security in the Middle East.
Course requirements:
(a) Attendance and active participation in all class discussions (10%)
(b) Two written report presented in class during the semester (20%)
(c) A midterm (30%) and a final examination (40%)
Required Readings:
A reader of compiled articles will be available to the students.
Course Outline:
I. Introductory Remarks: Historical, political, social, and economic background of
Palestine to 1914 (October 20)
Readings:
Samih Farsoun and Christina Zacharia. Palestine and the Palestinians. (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1997), pp. 21-65.
II. The Emergence of Arab/Palestinian Nationalism (October 22, 27)
Readings:
Muhammad Muslih, "Arab Politics and the Rise of Palestinian Nationalism ". JPS, Vol. XVI, no. 4 (Summer 1987), pp. 77-94.
Adnan Abu Ghazaleh, "Arab Cultural Nationalism in Palestine during the British Mandate". JPS. Vol 1, no 3, Spring 1972), pp. 37-63.
Don Peretz, Evan Wilson, and Richard Ward, " The Historical Background of Arab Nationalism in Palestine". In Don Peretz, Evan Wilson, and Richard Ward,
A Palestinian Entity? (Washington, D. C.: The Middle East Institute, 1970), pp. 1-55.
III. Palestine under the British Mandate System, 1920 -1948
(October 29; November 3)
Readings:
Henry Cattan, Palestine, the Arabs and Israel (London: Longman, 1969), pp. 3-30.
Anthony Nutting, Britain and Palestine: A Legacy of Deceit (London: The Council for Arab-British Understanding, 1982).
Michael Adams, "What Went Wrong in Palestine." JPS, vol. XVIII, no.1 (autumn, 1988), pp. 71-82.
IV. Palestinian Society
1) Characteristics of Palestinian Society: Structure and institutions
(November 5)
Readings:
Judith Tucker, “The Arab Family in History: Otherness and the Study of the Family.” In Judith Tucker, ed., Arab Women: Old Boundaries and New Frontiers (Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1993), pp. 195-207.
2) Palestinian Kinship: Social, political, and economic function of the Hamula (November 10)
Readings:
Barbra Freyer Stowasser, “ Religion, Women, and the Family: The Islamic Paradigm." In B. F. Stowasser, ed., The Islamic Impulse (Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University, 1987), pp. 262-296.
V. The Eclipse of Palestinian Nationalism, 1948-1967
1) The 1948 War: New borders and displaced people (November 12, 17)
Readings:
Sami Hadawi, Bitter Harvest: Palestine between 1914-1967 (New York: The New
World Press, pp.100-155.
Moshe Shemesh, "The Palestinian Society in the Wake of the 1948 War: From social fragmentation to consolidation" Israel Studies, 9, 1, (Spring 2004),
pp. 86-100.
Nafez Nazzal. The Palestinian Exodus from the Galilee, 1948 (Beirut: The Institute for Palestine Studies, 1978).
Elia Zureik, “Transformation of Class Structure among the Arabs in Israel: From
Peasantry to Proletariat.” JPS. vol. VI, no. 1 (Autumn 1976), pp. 39-66.
Tawfiq Zayyad, "The Fate of the Arabs in Israel." JPS, vol. VI, no. 1 (Autumn 1976), pp. 92-102.
Rosemary Sayigh, "The Palestinian Identity among Camp Residents." JPS, vol. VI, no. 3 (Spring 1977), pp. 3-22.
2) The emancipation of the Palestinian trend: The formation of the PLO
(November 19)
Readings:
Rashid Hamid, “What is the PLO.” JPS, vol. IV, no. 4(Summer 1975), pp. 90-109.
Michael Hudson, "The Palestinian Resistance Developments and Setbacks, 1967-1971" JPS, Vol.1, no.3 (Spring 1972), pp. 64-84.
Midterm Examination-November 24
VI. Historical, political, and social developments in Palestine, 1967-1993
1) The 1967 War and its backlash on Palestinian Society(November 26)
Readings:
Hisham Sharabi, "Prelude to War: The Crisis of May-June 1967." In Ibrahim Abu-
Loghod, ed.,The Arab-Israeli Confrontation of June 1967: An Arab Perspective. (Evanstown: Northwestern University Pess, 1970), pp. 49-65.
2) The Israeli administration of the Palestinian Occupied Territories, 1967 and after December 1, 3)
Readings:
Mark Heller, "Politics and Social Change in the West Bank since 1967". In Joel
Migdad, Palestinian Society and politics (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1980), pp. 185-211.
Salim Tamari, "The Transformation of Palestinian Society: Fragmentation and
Occupation". In The Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine, Facts and figures about Palestine (Washington, D. C.: 1992), pp.21-33.
Arie Arnon, "Israeli Policy toward the Occupied Palestinian Territories: The Economic Dimension, 1967-2007". Middle East Journal, vol. 61, no. 4, Autumn 2007), pp. 573-595.
Khader Abusway, Rose-Maria Barbeau and Muhammad el-Hasan, Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Israeli Settlements and the Peace Process (Jerusalem: Jerusalem Media and Communication Center, 1997). pp. 29-50.
Michael Adams, “Israel’s Treatment of the Arabs in the Occupied Territories.” JPS, vol. VI, no. 2, (Winter, 1977), pp. 19-40.
3) Palestinian perception of and reaction to the Yom Kippur/Ramadan War of 1973 and to the Camp David Agreement ( December 8)
Readings:
Charles Smith, "The 1973 War: The Chance for Diplomacy." In C. Smith, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Bedford: St. Martin's, 2001), pp. 324-350.
Fayez Sayegh, "The Camp David Agreement and the Palestinian Problem." JPS, Vol. VIII, no. 2 (Winter 1979), pp. 3-40.
W.F. Abboushi, "Changing Political Attitudes in the West Bank after Camp David".
pp. 6-14.
4) The Palestinian Uprising (Intifada) of 1987 (December 10)
Readings:
Aryeh Shalev, The Intifada: Causes and Effects (Boulder: West View Press, 1991), pp. 13-43.
VII. Rapprochement and coexistence, 1993-present
1) The Madrid Middle East Peace Conference and the Declaration of Principles (DOP/1993) on the Interim Self-Government Agreement (December 15)
Readings:
Charles Smith, "Israeli-Palestinian/Arab Negotiations and Agreements, August 1993- March 2000." In C. Smith, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Bedford: St. Martin's, 2001), pp. 457-503.
2) Oslo II (1995) Accords (December 17)
Readings:
Avi Shlaim, "The Oslo Accords" JPS. Vol. XXII, no. 3 (Spring 1994), pp.24-40.
3) Camp David II Accords of 2000 and the Palestinians (December 22)
Readings:
Akram Hanieh, "The Camp David Papers." JPS, vol. XXX, no. 2 (Winter 2001),
pp. 75-97.
4) The significance and implications of Al-Aqsa (2000) Intifada
(December 24)
Readings:
Rema Hammami and Salim Tamari, “The Second Uprising: End or New Beginning?” JPS, vol. XXX, no. 2 (Winter 2001), pp. 5-25.
5) Palestinians divided: The PNA in the West Bank vs. Hamas in the Gaza Strip (December 29, 31)
Readings:
Sara Roy, "Praying with their Eyes Closed: Reflections on the Disengagement from Gaza." JPS, vol. XXXIV, no. 4, (Summer 2005), pp. 64-74.
Graham Usher, "Democratic Resistance: Hamas, Fatah, and the Palestinian Elections." JPS, vol. XXXV, no. 3, (Spring 2006), pp. 20-36.
Menachem Klein, "Hamas in Power." Middle East Journal, Vol. 61, no. 3 (Summer 2007), pp. 442-449.
Beshara Doumani, "Palestine versus the Palestinians? The Iron Laws and Ironies of a People Denied" JPS, vol. XXXVI, no. 4 (Summer 2007), pp. 49-64.
Final Examination-January 5, 2010