Teaching About The Middle East

[spork]

Although its a full book, I think you might want to take a look at Ari Shavit's My Promised Land. Its not at all what most people would think is an Israeli point of view on either historical Zionism or hope for a Palestinian state. Just an idea. I'm no expert.

I read Amazon's free sample of this book. Wow. What excellent writing. If I was teaching a history course specific to Israel, I would definitely use it, but alas, I am not.

[spork]

Although its a full book, I think you might want to take a look at Ari Shavit's My Promised Land. Its not at all what most people would think is an Israeli point of view on either historical Zionism or hope for a Palestinian state. Just an idea. I'm no expert.

I read Amazon's free sample of this book. Wow. What excellent writing. If I was teaching a history course specific to Israel, I would definitely use it, but alas, I am not.

My local public library had a copy, so I'm reading it now. What a great book.

[jimbogumbo]

I don't have a specific reading in mind, but at least a short discussion on the economic impact on both sides of Palestinians being unable to travel to jobs in Israel would seem important. Pretty sure NPR had some short clips that are accessible and that your students could follow.

[spork]

I don't have a specific reading in mind, but at least a short discussion on the economic impact on both sides of Palestinians being unable to travel to jobs in Israel would seem important. Pretty sure NPR had some short clips that are accessible and that your students could follow.

Logical, but this is a one-semester course on the entire Middle East taught to undergrads who think Lebanon is a town in Illinois. I can't make the whole course about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

[jimbogumbo]

I don't have a specific reading in mind, but at least a short discussion on the economic impact on both sides of Palestinians being unable to travel to jobs in Israel would seem important. Pretty sure NPR had some short clips that are accessible and that your students could follow.

Logical, but this is a one-semester course on the entire Middle East taught to undergrads who think Lebanon is a town in Illinois. I can't make the whole course about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Got it! However, everyone knows Lebanon is the town in Indiana where basketball great Rick Mount is from.

[fleabite]

Did you see my recommendations on the previous page? I still think a chapter or so from the 9/11 Report would be an excellent  and very accessible introduction to Middle Eastern issues as a whole, as well as America's role. It's available here: https://www.govinfo.gov/features/911-commission-report. See Chapter 2, beginning on page 47.

[Sun_Worshiper]

This is a cool article from Foreign Affairs about industrial zones that let Egypt and Jordan export to the US duty free via the US-Israel trade agreement (really just Egypt these days, since US and Jordan have a trade agreement of their own now). The idea is that these countries will have to work together and will trade more, which will in turn improve the relationships between them. The author argues that it has worked and there is an interesting conversation to be had with students about whether it can be used elsewhere. The Abraham Accords have probably usurped this kind of thing, but it could be worth a look if you can get past the paywall: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/israel/2015-08-23/trading-peace-egypt-and-israel

[spork]

Did you see my recommendations on the previous page? I still think a chapter or so from the 9/11 Report would be an excellent  and very accessible introduction to Middle Eastern issues as a whole, as well as America's role. It's available here: https://www.govinfo.gov/features/911-commission-report. See Chapter 2, beginning on page 47.

Yes, I did. I've read the 9/11 Report. It's succinctly written, which is great. But Al Qaeda and bin Laden were a generation ago, and the textbook I use (Gelvin's The Modern Middle East) does an adequate job, in my opinion, of discussing the history of U.S. involvement in the region. However, I do include some supplemental readings on this, and Chapter 2 might work, though I'd probably need to discard some material on the Arab Spring/the struggle for popular democracy to fit it in.

This is a cool article from Foreign Affairs about industrial zones that let Egypt and Jordan export to the US duty free via the US-Israel trade agreement (really just Egypt these days, since US and Jordan have a trade agreement of their own now). The idea is that these countries will have to work together and will trade more, which will in turn improve the relationships between them. The author argues that it has worked and there is an interesting conversation to be had with students about whether it can be used elsewhere. The Abraham Accords have probably usurped this kind of thing, but it could be worth a look if you can get past the paywall: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/israel/2015-08-23/trading-peace-egypt-and-israel

Um, how should I put this . . . the Egyptian state is a corrupt military dictatorship that in part feeds from the trough of the American taxpayer while impoverishing its own citizens. In my opinion. Which is probably biased, given my experiences there.

Edited to add: I do try to openly communicate my existing biases to students and let them know that they shouldn't necessarily agree with everything they hear or read in the course.

[Sun_Worshiper]

Did you see my recommendations on the previous page? I still think a chapter or so from the 9/11 Report would be an excellent  and very accessible introduction to Middle Eastern issues as a whole, as well as America's role. It's available here: https://www.govinfo.gov/features/911-commission-report. See Chapter 2, beginning on page 47.

Yes, I did. I've read the 9/11 Report. It's succinctly written, which is great. But Al Qaeda and bin Laden were a generation ago, and the textbook I use (Gelvin's The Modern Middle East) does an adequate job, in my opinion, of discussing the history of U.S. involvement in the region. However, I do include some supplemental readings on this, and Chapter 2 might work, though I'd probably need to discard some material on the Arab Spring/the struggle for popular democracy to fit it in.

This is a cool article from Foreign Affairs about industrial zones that let Egypt and Jordan export to the US duty free via the US-Israel trade agreement (really just Egypt these days, since US and Jordan have a trade agreement of their own now). The idea is that these countries will have to work together and will trade more, which will in turn improve the relationships between them. The author argues that it has worked and there is an interesting conversation to be had with students about whether it can be used elsewhere. The Abraham Accords have probably usurped this kind of thing, but it could be worth a look if you can get past the paywall: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/israel/2015-08-23/trading-peace-egypt-and-israel

Um, how should I put this . . . the Egyptian state is a corrupt military dictatorship that in part feeds from the trough of the American taxpayer while impoverishing its own citizens. In my opinion. Which is probably biased, given my experiences there.

Edited to add: I do try to openly communicate my existing biases to students and let them know that they shouldn't necessarily agree with everything they hear or read in the course.

Re the bolded: Of course, but the point of the article is not that Egypt is a transparent democracy, but that there can be some innovative strategies to improve relations between countries in the region. Those strategies may not work or may have another set of negative consequences, but they are worth discussing (at least they are for my class on globalization and regionalism - maybe not for your class).

[spork]

^ Good point.

[apl68]

I don't have a specific reading in mind, but at least a short discussion on the economic impact on both sides of Palestinians being unable to travel to jobs in Israel would seem important. Pretty sure NPR had some short clips that are accessible and that your students could follow.

Logical, but this is a one-semester course on the entire Middle East taught to undergrads who think Lebanon is a town in Illinois. I can't make the whole course about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Got it! However, everyone knows Lebanon is the town in Indiana where basketball great Rick Mount is from.

I thought it was located east of Nashville, where they have lots of cedars.