The Palestinian Story Explained. BEFORE YOU BEGIN Print/Copy: Handout; Student Resource NOTE TO TEACHER

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1 J U M E D I A L A B NARRATIVES The Palestinian Story Explained BEFORE YOU BEGIN Print/Copy: Handout; Student Resource GOALS Understand the primary differences between narrative and history. Identify key aspects of the Palestinian narrative. Recognize disparities between the Palestinian narrative and the historical record. OBJECTIVES Students will articulate the key aspects of the Palestinian narrative. Students will articulate ways that narrative can complicate our understanding of history. Students will discuss the impact of the Palestinian narrative. NOTE TO TEACHER Before reviewing or teaching this lesson, read the Teacher Resource: Letter to the Educator at the end of this lesson plan, which provides a deeper look at the goals and philosophy of the Narratives film and lesson plan, and offers suggestions for curriculum placement. INTRO (1 MINUTE) Today we are going to learn about the role that narrative plays in the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. We ll learn what narrative is and how it relates to our understanding of history. We ll hear the story of the Palestinian people in the words of Palestinians themselves, and we ll look at key historical events that have shaped the Palestinian narrative. We ll also discuss how the Israeli narrative relates to those same events, and how these events are represented in the historical record. STEP UP FOR ISRAEL 1 A project of JerusalemU

2 PREFILM DISCUSSION (6 MINUTES) Discuss the questions and write the students answers on the board. What is a narrative? Possible Answers At its most basic level, a narrative is a story that people tell about a series of events. It s how we interpret facts. Narratives are useful as tools to: Give voice to individual and group perspectives, experiences, thoughts and feelings. Forge a common bond among individuals and hold particular meaning for a person or group. Narrative is present in myth, legend, fable, tale, novella, epic, history, tragedy, drama, comedy, mime, painting, stainedglass windows, cinema, comics, news items, [and] conversation... Roland Barthes, literary theorist We all ascribe to certain narratives about the country we live in, our religion, even our families and, of course, our personal narrative about our own life and experiences. One of the strongest narratives many Americans have is the narrative they are taught about the United States (US) its origins, history and values. What is the narrative you were taught about the origins of the US? Possible Answers A classic narrative of the origins of the United States is the story of early settlers fleeing oppression in Europe to build new lives in an untouched land, where they could live out their ideals of religious freedom. 2

3 What is history, and how does narrative influence our understanding of history? Consider how the narrative of the US origin influences our perspective of life in the early Americas. Possible Answers History is the impartial transmission of facts and events. Narrative is an individual's or group s interpretation of history. Today, history is often taught through the lens of specific narratives. This can get in the way of understanding the actual facts because individual or group narratives may: Leave out the experience of other groups Exclude events or facts that don t fit within the narrative Fail to interpret events dispassionately There are many facts to back up the US origin narrative that many of us are familiar with, and also many facts that the narrative excludes. For example, the narrative we described makes no mention of the history of American Indian suffering and subjugation that occurred as a direct result of European settlement (though, hopefully, we do learn these facts). A complex and accurate understanding of the history of the founding of the United States must be based on an examination of the facts and their consequences, without bias. PREFILM PREP (1 MINUTE) Give the Handout and Student Resource to the students. them to read both before beginning the film. They may also fill the Handout out as the film is playing. Explain the following to the students. Now that you understand the difference between history and narrative, we re going to learn about the Palestinian narrative. It is important to understand not only the Israeli narrative, but also the Palestinian narrative, as each plays a huge role in the PalestinianIsraeli conflict. By understanding how each side perceives key historical events, we can better understand the origins of the conflict, what is motivating the actions of both parties and how this conflict can be resolved. 3

4 PLAY NARRATIVES: THE PALESTINIAN STORY EXPLAINED (24 MINUTES) NOTE TO TEACHER As the Narratives film is complex, we recommend screening the full film in one sitting. However, as the length of the film may be challenging for some, we have also provided the film divided into two segments. If you choose to screen the film in two parts, we recommend reviewing part of the Handout in between. If you choose to devote more class time to this topic, there are also optional activities, provided in the online classroom, that you can utilize between, or after, each film segment. POSTFILM RECAP (9 MINUTES) After the film, ask the students to complete the Handout. Review the answers with the students using the Answer Key. Students are not expected to provide the Answer Key s exact language. What do you think about the new information you learned from the film? What additional information would you like to find out about the issues or events mentioned? NOTE TO TEACHER These open discussion questions may bring up topics that require additional material and classroom time to address. This is an opportunity to encourage your students to explore these issues independently, and to provide them with resources from the Additional Resources at the end of this lesson plan, from the Teacher's Guide, or from other topicspecific lesson plans. STEP UP FOR ISRAEL 4

5 POSTFILM DISCUSSION (9 MINUTES) Explain the following to the students. In the film, we saw examples of how narrative can both complement and detract from an accurate understanding of important events. We focused primarily on the Palestinian narrative, and heard a people s story that holds deep meaning for them and their understanding of themselves. Yet we also saw that their story raises questions about how it correlates with the historical record. Let s discuss how we can understand their story and the real impact it has on the PalestinianIsraeli conflict. Do you understand how narrative and history work together and shape one another? What do you think about the elements of the Palestinian narrative that are inconsistent with the historical record? How do the differences between the Israeli and Palestinian narratives impact the ability of both parties to live together, and reach a peace agreement? CLASS CONCLUSION In this class we learned about narrative and history, and how they shape each other. We learned about the Palestinian story, key historical events, and examples of how narrative and history can both coincide and diverge. Now that you have the awareness to differentiate narrative from history, you can be a more critical consumer of information. When you hear information about the Palestinian Israeli conflict, or any other issue, explore its accuracy and crosscheck it with other sources. Apply the lens of history versus narrative and see what details emerge. STEP UP FOR ISRAEL 5

6 OPTIONAL MATERIALS POSTFILM DISCUSSION (10 MINUTES) How can two groups, experiencing the same events, have such a different recollection of those events? Possible Answers Historical narratives often differ dramatically, based on the facts those narratives choose to include. For example, while Israelis recall the invading Arab armies as the defining element of the 1948 war, Palestinians focus more on the result displacement and the creation of refugees. Explain the following to the students. Dr. Jamal Amro presented a historical and religious narrative that discounts the possibility of a Jewish indigenous, historic or religious connection with Jerusalem. However, the archaeological evidence presented by Zeev Orenstein at the City of David archeological site contradicts much of what Dr. Amro claimed to be true. * * Source: ngm.nationalgeographic.com/print/2010/12/davidandsolomon/drapertext How do you respond to a narrative that doesn t correlate with the historical record, or doesn t acknowledge the narrative of another group? Possible Answers Narrative is subjective, and sometimes ignores facts or events that contradict the group story. This can often result in excluding another group s lived experience of the same events. It s important to remember that narrative usually has deep personal meaning. One must be respectful and acknowledge a person s belief in his story, while also maintaining an accurate understanding of historical facts and events. 6

7 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Getting the Discussion Started: Teaching the Palestinian Narrative in Diaspora Jewish Schools Teachers are the Students in Jerusalem Coexistence Experiment Did I Find King David s Palace? The Interrupted Search for King David s Palace Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong sundown.afro.illinois.edu/liesmyteachertoldme.php A Guide to the Palestinian Lexicon The Palestinian Narrative: The Missing Link in the Peace Process an Israeli/ a Palestinian Project The Best Speech by an Israeli Diplomat George Deek Dr. Einat Wilf Personal Experiences that Have Shaped My Views on the IsraeliPalestinian Conflict Towards a Zionism of Inclusion An Israeli Leftist Finds Glimmer of Hope Israel Palestinian Conflict: The Truth About the Peace Process Palestinian Professor: No Regrets Over Taking Students to Auschwitz Why Palestinians Should Learn About the Holocaust The Palestinian Victimhood Narrative as an Obstacle to Peace besacenter.org/perspectivespapers/thepalestinianvictimhoodnarrativeasanobstacletopeace The Myth of Jewish Colonialism What is an Inquiry Lesson? teachinghistory.org/teachingmaterials/teachingguides/

8 TEACHER RESOURCE Dear Educator, LETTER TO THE EDUCATOR Narratives: The Palestinian Story Explained is the result of years of discussion with educators, community leaders and students. Overwhelmingly, we have been told that students feel ignorant about the issues surrounding the Palestinian people. In producing this class, Jerusalem U has sought to answer the question we ve been asked more than almost any other: Who are the Palestinians? The Narratives lesson plan provides an introductory overview of the elements that make up narrative, history and the Palestinian story, as they themselves articulate it. To maximize the lesson's goals, it is important that your students have a prior understanding of key events in the State of Israel s history. We recommend that you utilize the Narratives lesson plan only once your students have knowledge of: The events surrounding the 1948 founding of the State of Israel The roots of the ArabIsraeli and PalestinianIsraeli conflicts The refugee crisis If you are using the Step Up For Israel curriculum, we suggest placing the Narratives lesson plan after A Nation Reborn, Shaping a State and the Refugees lesson plans. Please note that the Narratives film is complex; to best facilitate learning and discussion, we recommend showing it in its entirety as articulated in the lesson plan. However, we realize that the length of the film (approx. 25 min) may be challenging for some viewers. Therefore, the lesson plan describes a second option, whereby your students watch the film in two segments. For those who wish to devote more class time to this challenging topic, we also provide optional activities for your students as part of our supplemental resources. The Narratives lesson plan is not a traditional history class. This is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of Palestinian history. We recognize that there are layers to the narrative, and that the Palestinian narrative itself is not homogeneous. However, the narrative patterns that emerge, which can be seen in this film, will provide students with a basic understanding of the common elements of the Palestinian story. The film and lesson plan touch on many complex topics surrounding the PalestinianIsraeli conflict. However, due to time constraints, we are not able to provide a comprehensive guide to these issues, including: Settlements, occupation and the disputed territories The historical events around Deir Yassin Claims of apartheid Palestinian nationalism, including the development of Fatah and the PLO While Jerusalem U will provide followup materials addressing some of these topics, it is important to understand that they are not the focus of the Narratives lesson plan. As always, we welcome your feedback. Feel free to contact us at Info@StepUpForIsrael.com. Happy Teaching,

9 HANDOUT NARRATIVES: THE PALESTINIAN STORY EXPLAINED 1: What is history? 2: What is narrative? 3: How do narrative and history relate? PALESTINIAN NARRATIVE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS PRE1948 Palestinians are indigenous, as they have had a presence in the land for of years. There is archeological evidence that Jews had any ancient presence in the land. gave the rights to the land of Israel. How does the Palestinian narrative fit with your understanding of the Jewish connection to Israel? How does the Palestinian narrative fit with your knowledge of the archaeological evidence of Jewish history in Israel? 1948 WAR The Jews came to Palestine and the land. The creation of the is the birth of the of Palestine. In the 1948 War, the Jews were and focused on expelling Palestinians. What do you think of the Palestinian narrative regarding the 1948 War? How does the Palestinian narrative fit in with your knowledge of the history of the time period? The 1948 War is a (nakba) that befell and created the Palestinian crisis. Israel uses fabricated concerns about as a pretext to maintain its of stolen Palestinian land POST1948 What do you think about the relationship between the Palestinian narrative and Israeli security concerns?

10 ANSWER KEY NARRATIVES: THE PALESTINIAN STORY EXPLAINED 1: What is history? History is the impartial transmission of facts and events. 2: What is narrative? Narrative is an individual s or group s interpretation or understanding of history. 3: How do narrative and history relate? History is often taught, learned, and discussed through a particular narrative lens; however, an overreliance on narrative can cloud our understanding of historical facts. PALESTINIAN NARRATIVE Palestinians are indigenous, as they have had a presence in the land for thousands of years. There is no archeological evidence that Jews had any ancient presence in the land. According to Muslim tradition, Jewish prophets gave Mohammed & Muslims the rights to the land of Israel. The Jews came to Palestine and occupied the land. The creation of the State of Israel is the birth of the occupation of Palestine. In the 1948 War, the Jews were wellarmed and focused on expelling Palestinians. The 1948 War is a catastrophe (nakba) that befell the Palestinian People and created the Palestinian refugee crisis. Israel uses fabricated concerns about security as a pretext to maintain its occupation of stolen Palestinian land PRE WAR POST1948 POSSIBLE STUDENT ANSWERS There has undoubtedly been an Arab presence in in the land for over a thousand years. There is clear archaeological evidence of an indigenous and continuous Jewish presence in Israel for thousands of years. The Jewish people have maintained an ancient cultural and religious connection to the land of Israel. The Palestinian narrative does not necessarily fit with key historical facts: Early Zionists moved to a sparsely populated land, ruled by the Ottoman Empire. They purchased land and lived alongside the local Arabs. In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition of the land into two separate states: one Arab and one Jewish. Arabs rejected partition and, in 1948, the surrounding Arab countries attacked Israel when it declared its independence. Israel won the war, despite being outnumbered and outgunned. Displacement of Arabs occurred as a direct result of their rejection of Partition and decision to launch a war. Israel is a legitimate state, recognized by the United Nations in Israel has valid security concerns regarding the disputed territories, based on a history of Palestinian violence and terrorism. Israeli measures, including the security fence, have reduced terror attacks on civilian populations in Israel.

11 STUDENT RESOURCE Nar ra tive : a story told about a series of events : an interpretation of events : a representation of a situation or events to reflect a set of aims or values His to ry : the study of past events : the impartial transmission of facts and events regarding a specific person or time period Col o nize : to settle among and establish control over the indigenous people of an area : to appropriate for one s own use Ex pul sion : the act of forcing someone to leave a place WORD KEY Oc cu pa tion : the seizure or taking possession of a place or area : the control of an area by a foreign military force alnak ba : [Arabic] the catastrophe the disaster a natural disaster : the Palestinian term for the war of 1948, when Arab forces were defeated by the State of Israel and many Palestinians were displaced In dig e nous : originating or occurring naturally in a particular place : living and/or developing in a place for a long time before other people came to live there Par ti tion Plan : The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, adopted in 1947 as Resolution 181, planned to divide Mandatory Palestine into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. The resolution was accepted by the Jewish agency but rejected by Arab leaders. Sources: Oxford Dictionary; MerriamWebster Dictionary; Macmillan Dictionary