The recent war in Gaza is itself a symptom of a much larger set of regional dysfunctions. Despite many religious, ethnic and tribal differences, the Arab and Muslim Middle East had been for most of its history a more or less unified political entity – under the Umayyads, Abbasids and Ottomans – until the early 20th century. The dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of Western-style states has thrown the region into constant political, social and military turmoil. At stake are vastly different visions of what the regional future should look like. This course looks at how these dueling visions have taken shape in the particular context of the conflict between Palestinians and Israel.
This course is part of the Senior Scholars Program.