The Arab Israeli Conflict Differing Narratives

The Arab-Israeli conflict has been raging for almost 100 years. In parallel with the physical war, a fierce clash of apparently irreconcilable narratives characterises much of the debate in the Middle East and beyond. This poses a dilemma for educators – how can students make sense of the conflicting claims and accusations? This book provides an answer. The authors, all of whom have been directly involved in educating young people about the conflict, have set out the two narratives in a straightforward, easy-to-read manner. This method enables both students and teachers to assess and discuss the various complex issues in a dispassionate and evidence-based way. There is no “right” answer though students of the subject will, as a result of considering the opposing arguments in depth, feel empowered to reach a rational judgement on the strengths and weaknesses of the respective cases.

Why does Hamas refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the state of Israel? What makes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so intractable? Reflecting both Israeli and Palestinian points of view, this volume addresses the two powerful, bitterly contested, competing historical narratives that underpin the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

An unprecedented and judicious examination of what the Holocaust means—and doesn't mean—in the Arab world, one of the most explosive subjects of our time There is no more inflammatory topic than the Arabs and the Holocaust—the phrase alone can occasion outrage. The terrain is dense with ugly claims and counterclaims: one side is charged with Holocaust denial, the other with exploiting a tragedy while denying the tragedies of others. In this pathbreaking book, political scientist Gilbert Achcar explores these conflicting narratives and considers their role in today's Middle East dispute. He analyzes the various Arab responses to Nazism, from the earliest intimations of the genocide, through the creation of Israel and the destruction of Palestine and up to our own time, critically assessing the political and historical context for these responses. Finally, he challenges distortions of the historical record, while making no concessions to anti-Semitism or Holocaust denial. Valid criticism of the other, Achcar insists, must go hand in hand with criticism of oneself. Drawing on previously unseen sources in multiple languages, Achcar offers a unique mapping of the Arab world, in the process defusing an international propaganda war that has become a major stumbling block in the path of Arab-Western understanding.

Pedagogical resource to help faculty prepare courses on the Arab-Israeli conflict in any discipline.

In 2000, a group of Israeli and Palestinian teachers gathered to address what to many people seemed an unbridgeable gulf between the two societies. Struck by how different the standard Israeli and Palestinian textbook histories of the same events were from one another, they began to explore how to "disarm" the teaching of the history of the Middle East in Israeli and Palestinian classrooms. The result is a riveting "dual narrative" of Israeli and Palestinian history. Side by Side comprises the history of two peoples, in separate narratives set literally side-by-side, so that readers can track each against the other, noting both where they differ as well as where they correspond. The unique and fascinating presentation has been translated into English and is now available to American audiences for the first time. An eye-opening--and inspiring--new approach to thinking about one of the world's most deeply entrenched conflicts, Side by Side is a breakthrough book that will spark a new public discussion about the bridge to peace in the Middle East.

Examining the “social laboratory” of the Israeli and Palestinian societies to better understand social conflicts and the construction of diverse and conflicting collective narratives, this book gives readers a window into Professor Shifra Sagy’s unique approach to intergroup conflicts and peace education. With a focus on both theory and practice, it describes the model of perceptions of collective narratives that she developed with her colleagues. The contributions here offer insight into the intergroup conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians, Palestinian Muslims and Christians, Jewish ‘National Religious’ and people of ultra-Orthodox faith, and Palestinians living in Israel and those living in the West Bank. Perceptions of collective narratives help crystallize social identity, a sense of community and national coherence, and a culture of conflict. Often this creates obstacles to peace and conflict resolution. This book instead looks at how we can use these constructions to promote reconciliation.

This new series provides a thorough account of 20th Century conflicts, whilst supplying more than just a straightforward narrative. Each book tackles a different conflict and examines the effect on ordinary people, provides biographies of the leading figures involved and examines media coverage. Includes: photos and maps; timeline; glossary and index; other resources such as web sites, contact details of organisations, list of further reading.

This highly-regarded history weaves the different strands of the story into a single coherent narrative, and offers a balanced introduction to an immensely complex and controversial subject.