Unit IV. Roots of the "Arab Spring"

Tues. May 1  Debrief Peace Summit/Lebanese Civil War


DUE: Nothing! No homework weekend, but please bring Thomas Friedman, From Beirut to Jerusalem to class.


Thurs. May 3  Background of the Lebanese Civil War (reading quiz?) Rollout of Arab Spring Presentation Assignment


Syria:  Charlotte, Alex
Egypt: Matt, Zach
Libya: Ollivia, Joseph
Yemen: Walker, Yuriko
Tunisia: Yasmine
Due: read pp. 1-38 in Thomas Friedman, From Beirut to Jerusalem.

If you get a chance read over the next research assignment about the "Arab Spring."  You will be paired up, except for one person (we are a small band of 9 students now!)  Let me know if you are totally OK to be solo and not paired on this project. If there's more than one volunteer, we'll draw names.  Then I will randomly (drawing names, again) assign you in pairs to cover either Egypt, Syria, Libya, Yemen or Tunisia.

Mon. May 7  "West Beirut"  (reading quiz?)

Due: read pp.38-75 in From Beirut...


Wed. May 9  Hama Rules: How Dictators Control Their People (reading quiz?)

Due: read Ch. 4 in From Beirut...



Fri. May 11 Meet in upstairs Computer Lab


Due: start your research on the Arab Spring assignment.


Tues. May 15 Meet in Founders Lecture Lab


Due: complete the research tasks that you and your partner agreed upon in last class.


Thurs. May 17 Meet in Founders Lecture Lab

Due: complete the research tasks that you and your partner agreed upon in last class.

Monday May 21  Presentations Due: Meet in our classroom!

Due: presentations due. Please have your PPT ready to go on google docs (and invite me to read!)

UNIT III: PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT

Thurs. 3/15  Palestinian Refugees v. the New Nation of Israel

DUE:  Letters to British Government Due Be sure to email me your essay with your name in the title, e.g.: Maffei_Letter  pmaffei@ma.org

Mon. 3/19 Turning Point: Arab-Israeli War of 1967 

DUE: Read pp. 102-112 in handout.

Be able to identify the following items:

Gamal Abdul Nasser,

Aswan Dam

Suez Crisis

PLO and al Fatah

Questions to guide your reading:

1.  How did the Cold War influence the events in this region between 1950-1967?

2. What events led to the 1967 War or the “Six Day War”?

3. How can we explain the incredible success of the Israelis in this war?

4. What specifically did Israel gain in this war?

LOOKING AHEAD:

1)  Please see the play "Born Guilty" either Thurs. 3/22 7:00, Fri. 3/23 3:30 or 7:30, or Sat. 3/24 6:30 and 

2) Please plan to attend the lunchtime session Fri. 3/23 with the playwright, Ari Roth. It's right after our class that day. You will be given a free period the following week on Thurs. 3/29 G in exchange for this time.

WED. 3/21         Short and Long Term Results  of the Six Day War                           

DUE:  Read pp. 112-122

Items to identify:

Green Line

Khartoum Conference, 1967

UN Resolution 242

Yasser Arafat

PLO Charter

“Black September”

“War of Attrition”

Questions to guide your reading:

1. Why has Resolution 242 been interpreted in so many different ways?

2. In what ways have Palestinians increased a sense of identity by 1967? (Ch. 9)

3. Why did King Hussein kick the PLO out of Jordan in 1970?

THURS. evening:  “Born Guilty”

FRI. 3/23  YOM-KIPPUR WAR 1973/CAMP DAVID   

            ...Roll out of “Marin Academy Peace Summit”, 2012                                                      

Don’t forget to attend the lunch session with playwright Ari Roth today, right after class.

DUE: 122-131


Items to identify:
Anwar Sadat
Golda Meir
Henry Kissinger
"shuttle diplomacy"
Menachem Begin


Questions to guide your reading:
1. What offer did Sadat make to Israel for peace in 1971? What was Israel's response?
2.  Why didn't Israel expect an invasion from Egypt and Syria in October?
3.  How did the results influence Israeli politics?
4. How did Jimmy Carter's approach to peace differ from Kissinger's?
5. Why are transfers of a civilian population into an occupied territory so controversial?
6. Be able to describe the provisions agreed to in the Camp David Accords, 1978. 

Friday afternoon or evening: “Born Guilty”

Saturday evening: “Born Guilty”

TUES 3/27 An Overview of Major Issues: Barrier, Settlements, and Refugees' Rights

Due: Start making a list of peace efforts and briefly describing each. Start researching your position.

Thurs. 3/29: 

Due:  Summaries of peace efforts. (This is the list in the assignment beginning with the Oslo Accords.) Hang on to your copy and turn in when we return from spring break.

MON. 4/16 Meet in Computer Lab, Founders downstairs

Due: work on essays; bring needed materials to class.

Helpful links:

Pro-Palestinian Resources

Faces of Hope: Learn About the Palestiian-Israeli Conflict/American Friends Service Committee

Palestine/Israel Web Resources

Water Resources in Palestine

"Progressive Jewish" Perspective

Progressive Jewish Perspective Resources


Tikkun Magazine

Op-Ed NY Times 4-24-12: Peace without Partners

Pro-Israel Resources

Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America

Israel Government Website: The Peace Process

Time Magazine: Insert topic and date range, up to 2010

WED. 4/18  Meet in Computer Lab, Founders downstairs

Due: work on essays, complete the bibliography. Bring materials; by the end of class you should have a rough outline of your position.

MON. 4/23 Peace Summit Preparation DAY I In class: you will prepare two-minute presentations outlining your position. Bring your research materials. Meet in computer lab

Due: Keep on working!

WED. 4/25  Peace Summit Day II

 

Due: Bring in a hard copy of a rough draft of your essay; it should be nearly complete.

FRI. 4/27  Peace Summit Day III. Feast, too: meet 1:00 for lunch

Due: 1) Bring in the dish for our potluck 2) send your essay to me with your Name_Peace  as the title. Please send it before 1:00 today.

Unit II: EAST MEETS WEST

Tues. 2/21  European Imperialism, Jewish Persecution and the Birth of Zionism: Prelude     to the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Alexis News Report
DUE: read pp. 47-63 in handout, up to "Seeds of Conflict"


Thurs. 2/23 World War I and the British Mandate: Palestine--the MUCH Promised Land!          
Olivia News Report


DUE: read pp. 63-75, start taking notes on "Post-War Promises and Policies" list of events; link is posted on right.


Tues. 3/6 World War II, the Holocaust and British Policy
Yuriko News Report


DUE: pp. 75-83, III Conflict (p. 85), 87-89. Keep adding to your notes


Thurs. 3/8  The Controversy over Partition
Zach News Report


DUE: pp. 89-99.


Tues. 3/13 1948 Arab Israeli War and the Problem of Palestinian Refugees


DUE:  pp. 99-101, plus read Mideast Turmoil: Homesickness for Palestinian Refugees, 5 pages.  How might this information help inform your letter to the British government?


Thurs. 3/15  Palestinian Refugees v. the New Nation of Israel


DUE:  Letters to British Government Due Be sure to email me your essay with your name in the title, e.g.: Maffei_Letter  pmaffei@ma.org

Middle East Studies

Course Overview

Unit I Syllabus: Ancient Roots

News Report Schedule

Link to Islam PPT is posted in Unit I Syllabus 2/2. Link to the right may not work.

Field Trip: Marin Chapter World Affairs Council

SOLD OUT Dateline Damascus: An Eyewitness Report on the Syrian Uprising

Despite the regime of President Bashar al-Assad regime having banned almost all foreign journalists from entering the country since Syria’s uprising began, Reese Erlich managed to get in. While traveling on assignment for the Christian Science Monitor and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Erlich met underground activists in Damascus and government supporters in Dara, the cradle of the uprising. He gained rare insight into the intentions of opposition leaders, the government they want to create, and their attitudes towards Israel and the US. He found leaders of Syria’s Kurdish community hostile towards the regime, but fearful of what might replace it. 

Reese Erlich’s history in journalism began 43 years ago at Ramparts Magazine. He reports regularly for NPR, the Canadian and Australian broadcasting companies and Radio Deutsche Welle in Germany. He has won numerous broadcasting awards and is the author of four books, one of which, Conversations with Terrorists, will be available for sale.

Speaker

                  Reese Erlich, Freelance Foreign Correspondent