“Israel’s settlements in the West Bank are the central barrier to an Israeli-Palestinian peace.”

Discuss this quotation. Do you agree that Israeli settlers and settlements are the key obstacle to a resolution of the conflict? In your answer, be sure to reference materials from this half of the semester that would both support and challenge your position.

Political Science homework help
3. “Israel’s settlements in the West Bank are the central barrier to an Israeli-Palestinian peace.”

PSC/MES/REL/JSP 342 | Spring 2019

Politics and Religion in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

(25% of final grade)

Answer 1 essay questions (see back page) based on the course material from Weeks 3 through 7 (you may also refer to the facts/stats from Weeks 1 & 2).

● Each essay should be roughly 10 pages long in text; 12 point font; double spaced; reasonable margins.

● The essay should draw on the materials presented thus far in the course (including the required readings; class notes; PowerPoints; handouts; films/videos etc.). You may refer to other material/s from outside of the course & syllabus, but this should be kept to a minimum.

● Appropriate citation and footnoting is expected for this assignment (see below).

● At the top of the exam, or on a cover page, specify the question that you answering.

Submission Instructions:

Turn in the exam at the start of class. If you cannot make it to class, you must submit the paper by 2:00pm to the Department of Political Science in 100 Eggers Hall. There will be a folder with my name on it at the front desk. Please place your paper inside the folder. (In order to avoid having your paper misplaced, please do not stick it under my office door!). I prefer not to receive papers via email, unless there is an emergency situation that prevents you from being on campus on the due date.

Late papers will be marked down.

Writing Tips:

● You may use any citation style (in-text citation; bottom-of-page footnotes; or endnotes) as long as you use it consistently throughout the paper. Note: If you use ‘in-text’ citation, a Bibliography-References/Works Cited page is required.

● Lengthy summaries of the readings should be avoided.

● Do include your own opinion, but also incorporate the diverse viewpoints & claims presented in the course materials.

● The best essays will draw on materials from across multiple weeks of the course thus far. Be sure to consider a variety of relevant materials to ‘build’ your answer to the question.

1. “Since its origins in the late 19th century, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has undergone so many changes over time that its always helpful to refer to specific time periods when discussing the conflict’s central features.” Discuss this quotation. How valuable is a periodization scheme for explaining and assessing the conflict? Is ‘periodizing’ the Israeli-Palestinian conflict always necessary? In your answer, be sure to reference materials from this half of the semester that would both support and challenge your position.

2. “Tragedy, it is said, is the clash of right with right. The Arab-Israel conflict certainly fits this definition.” Discuss this quotation. To what extent is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict driven by dueling and ultimately irreconcilable narratives? Are fundamentally clashing and opposing narratives the primary obstacle to the conflict’s resolution—or do other factors matter more? In your answer, be sure to reference materials from this half of the semester that would both support and challenge your position.

3. “Israel’s settlements in the West Bank are the central barrier to an Israeli-Palestinian peace.” Discuss this quotation. Do you agree that Israeli settlers and settlements are the key obstacle to a resolution of the conflict? In your answer, be sure to reference materials from this half of the semester that would both support and challenge your position.

4. “The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a conflict rooted in religious difference and is not a holy or religious war. Rather, it is fundamentally a struggle between two competing nationalisms.” Discuss this quotation. Do you agree that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be viewed as a conflict between two peoples over contested land and territory? To what extent do religion and religiously-motivated actors need to be incorporated into an explanation of the conflict? In your answer, be sure to reference materials from this half of the semester that would both support and challenge your position.