POLS 446 - International Relations of the Middle East: Israel, the Palestinians, and the United States

Unit(s): 4

An examination of the evolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with an emphasis on how regional and world power factors have affected, and been affected by, this conflict. The course will cover the historical background of modern European imperialism, the nature and character of the Palestine Mandate period, followed by discussion of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and the simultaneous emergence of the Palestinian Problem. The 1956, 1967, and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars and their relation to the rise of the Palestinian Resistance Movement will then be covered, followed by an analysis of the “peace process” of the 1990s and its breakdown.

Grading: OPT