Week 6 (Apr. 22)

Credit: Efi Sharir/Israel Press and Photo Agency/Dan Hadani collecction, National Library of Israel / CC BY 4.0

Link to the recording: https://brandeis.zoom.us/rec/share/V5tUpTCP1zkfTH351b0pw4Gz4wos9RVNLXLRJRyuZat31QVnHbgjz8fyFsjqUTgH.D5BoD-MD_R8JuL6r

Link to the slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1t4Zgsu5nDxRFQAI-PMGkPoHjETKHczsgvEPClQ0iJAw/edit?usp=sharing

Timeline: From the Six-Day War/Naksa to the first intifada

1967 (Sep.): Arab League endorses "political action at the international diplomatic level ... to ensure withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Arab territories" based on the principles of 3 "No's": no peace, no negotiations and no recognition of Israel
1967 (Nov.): United Nations passes Security Council Resolution 242, calling on Israel to withdraw from territories occuped during the recent war and establishing the land-for-peace formula
1968: Egypt under Nasser launches War of Attrition against Israel along the Suez Canal zone, which would last until 1970
1969: A year after gaining fame after the Battle of Karameh in Jordan, Yasser Arafat and his Fatah take over the PLO
1970: Jordan and PLO engage in civil war, leading to PLO's expulsion to Lebanon
1973: Egypt and Syria launch surprise attack on Israel, known as the Yom Kippur/October War
1974: Arab League recognizes the PLO as the "sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people"
1975: UN invites Arafat to speak at General Assembly, passes "Zionism is Racism" resolution
1978: Beset rocket attacks from the PLO in Lebanon and following the killing of 35 civilians in a hijacked bus, Israel launches Operation Litani to drive PLO forces north of the Litani River
1981: After months of rising exchanges of fire, U.S. envoy Philip Habib brokers cease-fire between Israel and the PLO
1982: Israel launches Lebanon War, forcing PLO into exile in Algeria; Hezbollah formed to resist Israeli occupation of south Lebanon
1987: Palestinians begin rioting in Gaza after a freak car accident killing Palestinian workers, which quickly spread to the West Bank and become known as the Intifada, which would lead to the deaths of some 180 Israelis and 1,600 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces; Hamas founded to engage in military resistance to the occupation
1988: Arafat announces the acceptance of various UN resolutions as the basis for Palestinian statehood and renounces terrorism
1991: Israel cancels general exit permit for Palestinians from the Territories, a temporary measure that becomes permanent in March 1993

Reading #1 

Amos Oz, "The Defense Minister and Living Space", Davar, Aug. 22, 1967

Guiding questions:

a)    What is Oz's critique of Dayan?

b)    What narrative is Oz presenting about Israel's history and its conflict with the Arabs?

c)    How does his presentation of Israel's prospects resonate?

Reading #2 

Greater Land of Israel Movement, "For the Sake of the Land of Israel" manifesto, Maariv, Sept. 22, 1967

Guiding questions:

a)    How does this movement view the impact of the Six-Day War?

b)    What is their narrative about the new borders?

c)    What future does this movement foresee?

Reading #3

Excerpts from Yasser Arafat's speech at the UN General Assembly, Nov. 1974
(Note: If you are short on time, just read the passages in bold)

Guiding questions:

a)    Why does Arafat start out with a history lesson?

b)    How does he frame the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

c)    How does his presentation of the narrative resonate?

Reading #4

Menachem Begin, Lebanon war speech to the Knesset, 1983

Guiding questions:

a)    How does Begin frame the war?

b)    What is his vision?

c)     How does his presentation of the narrative resonate?

Reading #5 

Excerpts from the Hamas convenant, 1988

Guiding questions:

a)    Do you notice any difference between the Hamas narrative and the PLO narrative?

b)    How do they frame the Zionist movement?

c)     How does Hamas see itself and its role relative to the Palestinian people?

Map: Israeli settlements, change between 1967 and 1993