TOPICS IN MIDDLE EAST POLITICS

TOPICS IN MIDDLE EAST POLITICS

THE PEACE PROCESS

POS 349	SUMMER 1997	JAMAL NASSAR
Office:	SCH 125
Phone:	438-2493
Hours:	MTWR	9:15-10-15
E-mail:	jnassar@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu

INTRODUCTION

This course will investigate the Middle East Peace Process and evaluate its progress. Because the course has no prerequisites, the class will introduce students to the background of the Arab and Palestinian-Israeli conflict and then proceed to study the most recent process of negotiations. The process itself faces both structural and ideological obstacles. Challenges to the process include not only the inequality of the negotiating partners, but also the violent opposition in both camps. Theories of Conflict Resolution will buttress class evaluation of the process in a manner where theory and practice would intersect.

Guiding class discussions will be the notion that peace is not only a process but also an ideal and an end in itself. Often, participants and observers emphasize the process and forget about the ideal. The result is, in most cases, a formula for a staggered process of negotiations that allow for deception and setbacks. In sum, this course will take a holistic view of the conflict and its potential solutions in order to avoid the pitfalls of being consumed in a protracted process.

READING MATERIALS

Two books are required. They should be available at the University and other bookstores.

Students are also required to read the original documents that make up the foundation of the peace process. All such documents and many other relevant materials are accessible through the Instructor’s Web Site at http://www.ilstu.edu/~jnassar/

Deborah J. Gerner, One Land, Two Peoples, Second Edition, 1994.

Geoffrey Kemp and Jeremy Pressman, Point Of No Return: The Deadly Struggle for Middle East Peace, 1997.

You will be responsible for all reading assignments regardless of whether we discuss them in class or not. Also, you should keep informed on current developments on the process and in the region. English language newspapers from the region are available on the web.

You could access them through the Instructor’s Web Site listed earlier. You are also required to familiarize yourself with the region. You should take a good look at the region’s map and become familiar with the countries, their capitals, and other major features.

EVALUATION

A total of two examinations will be administered during this session. The first test will be brief and cover the region in general and the background to the conflict. It is worth 25% of your course grade. The final examination will consist of major essays requiring knowledge of the material and the ability to assess it. It will count for 50% of course grade.

Also, each student is required to do a research paper of about 15 pages. The paper should take one issue or track in the peace process, present it in a readable and well documented fashion, and assess its prospects. The paper is due on Monday, June 9, 1997. The paper counts for 25% of your course grade.

To receive an "A" in the course, a student must achieve 90%, a "B" 80% and so on. Of course, attendance and participation are required as a matter of routine. Any absence from class must be approved by the instructor and has to has a legitimate proof. Unproved absenteeism will lead to a lower grade in the course.

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Should a student be caught plagiarizing on an exam or an out-of-class assignment, he or she will receive an immediate "F" for the course.

CLASS SCHEDULE
Introduction

1. The Region

Maps of the Region:

Middle East Political (1995) 433K

Egypt-Sinai (Shaded Relief) (1992) 242k

Israel and Neighboring States (Political) 1990 (170 K)

Gaza and West Bank Maps Eighteen maps

Israel and Neighboring States (Political) 1990 (170 K)

Israeli Settlements in the Golan Heights 1992 (241 K)

Palestinian Refugee Camps November 1993 (133K)

2. The Culture

Palestine: Culture