History, Rationality, Narrative, Imagery: A Four-Way Conversation on Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Abstract

The Arab-Israeli conflict can be a difficult topic to teach, for a variety of reasons. As such, this article represents a conversation by four scholar-teachers of the Middle East and the conflict about our approaches to teaching it. We discuss our motivations for the manner in which we teach the conflict and some of the specific tools we use to do so, including the use of history, role-playing and simulations, emphasis on narratives, and active learning instruments (such as movies and music). We also engage with each other, interspersing our own suggestions and reactions to each other's discussion. By doing so, we aim to provide an open atmosphere for others to consider how we teach the conflict, in the hopes of better understanding it.

Keywords:

• active learning
• arab-israeli conflict
• history
• israeli-palestinian conflict
• narratives
• pedagogy

Notes

Mira Sucharov adds: I commend Wendy on her efforts to ground the topic within the broader thematic literature in the discipline. Indeed, one nagging concern I have had in my own course is how to balance my desire to impart as detailed and nuanced an understanding of the ethnographic component of the conflict (in line with my focus on identity and narratives) with a broader disciplinary perspective.

Brent Sasley also uses this text, because of its fairly “neutral” language and descriptive nature.

Mira Sucharov adds: I second Neil's view that trying to score points for either side—and even making justice-based arguments, however well intentioned—is wrought with pitfalls. However, I do make extensive use of op-eds in my course, both as teaching tools and for students to write themselves as one of their major assignments. I try to show students that good column writing should be an extension of a well-informed scholarly analysis of the political situation. In turn, I hope this helps chasten students away from empty polemic and towards advancing opinions about the conflict that are connected to a pragmatic view of realities on the ground, and that take into account the needs and interests of both (or all) sides.

Mira Sucharov adds: In my course, I show students the excellent Canadian National Film Board documentary Discordia (2004) that helps us discuss the role of campus discourse—and Diaspora politics more generally—in the conflict.

The idea of using a dual-narratives approach has come under fire in Israel, where students at a regional high school in the Negev fought against the Ministry of Education to use the Peace Research in the Middle East (PRIME) book. See Or Kashti, “History Students Fight to Use Textbook Containing Both Israeli and Palestinian Narratives,” Ha'aretz, 25 October, 2010. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/history-students-fight-to-use-textbook-presenting-both-israeli-and-palestinian-narratives-1.320983.

Just War Theory is a good start for some of these related debates—and we do draw on this framework when we discuss particular Arab-Israeli wars and incursions. See Walzer (1977).

Comparisons between active learning and more traditional methods indicate both are essential for students to more fully benefit from the learning process. See Krain and Shadle (2006), Powner and Allendoerfer (2008), and Prince (2004).

One could, of course, think of other creative forms of expression for such purposes, such as satire television, novels and stories, political cartoons, and so on.

Mira Sucharov adds that this type of empathy is also crucial to contemplating policy options that can help to resolve the conflict.