Address, office number: Elie Wiesel center (147 Bay State Road), office 502.

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1 The History of Israel / Dr. Nahshon Perez, CAS. HI. 392, Spring Days/Hours: MWF, 1-2 PM, Kenmore classroom building nahshonp@bu.edu Office hours: Tuesday, AM- Noon, Wednesday, AM. Address, office number: Elie Wiesel center (147 Bay State Road), office 502. Course Objectives. This course offers a comprehensive survey of the history of the State of Israel. We shall start with the pre-state era, covering some aspects of the Zionist movement and the development of the Jewish community in the land of Israel/Palestine. We shall continue with the establishment of the state of Israel in The class will move in a chronological order, covering major issues such as the political system, the Arab Israeli conflict and the Israeli economy. We shall also examine some aspects of the Israeli society. By the end of this class the student will be acquainted with the major historical events, and with the major developments of the Israeli society in the past 63 years. Class Requirements. Your final grade will be determined as follows: There will be one 'take home' midterm exam (30%, week 7 specific date TBA). One paper Assignment (30%), week 8, around the 6 pages limit. Specific dates and format TBA. One final exam (40%). This will be a cumulative, closed books exam, covering the subject matter of the class (lectures + assigned readings). Classroom participation may be counted for class grade in some cases (in cases of classroom conduct which is either excellent or below expected standards). Appeal policy: students wishing to discuss a paper, exam and so on, are welcome to. Students wishing to request a change of grade, will do so in writing (typed), briefly

2 explaining why they think a different grade is due to their work. I will read such appeals very seriously, and re-read the student s exam (or paper). The grade that will be accorded following an appeal will be a new grade, and may be better or worse than the grade originally given. Academic Conduct: all assignments should be completed independently and plagiarism from any source is unacceptable. In all written assignments be sure to properly credit (using proper citations) all ideas, phrases, statements, arguments, and ideas taken from your sources. Cases of suspected academic misconduct will be referred to the Dean s Office. If they have not already, students should familiarize themselves with the Academic Conduct Code of the College of Arts and Sciences: For Graduate Students: Students may be interested in current events in Israel, for which the English version of YNET daily is a good source: Required Book: Colin Shindler. A History of Modern Israel (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008). Copies should be available at the Barnes and Noble BU bookstore. Reading list. Please note: the reading list is divided to two: chapters taken from the required book, and articles that will be available on the Blackboard system.

3 Week 1: Nationalism. Smith Anthony, Gastronomy or Geology? The Role of Nationalism in the Reconstruction of Nations, Nations and Nationalism, (1995) 1 (1) Connor, Walker, A nation is a Nation, is a State, is an Ethnic Group, in Nationalism (eds) J. Hutchinson and A.D. Smith, (Oxford: 1994), Week 2: Historical Background and Some observations on Zionism and Jewish identity. Colin Shindler. A History of Modern Israel, chapter 1. Avineri Shlomo. Introduction: Zionism as a Revolution, in The Making of Modern Zionism (ed) S. Avineri, (Basic Books, 1981), Amery Jean, On the Necessity and Impossibility of Being a Jew, in At the Mind s Limits (Indiana U. Press, Bloomington, 1980), pp: Week 3: The 1948 war, some of its consequences, first elections. Colin Shindler. A History of Modern Israel, chapters 2 and 3. Benny Morris, A History of the First Arab-Israeli War (Yale U.P. 2008), the last chapter ( some conclusions ). Week 4: The political system, the Jewishness of the state, and religion state relations. Colin Shindler. A History of Modern Israel, chapter 4. Neuberger, Benyamin, "Religion and State in Europe and Israel", Israel Affairs, Winter 1999, Vol. 6 Issue 2, pp: Week 5: the 1956 war and the Eichmann Trial. Colin Shindler. A History of Modern Israel, chapter 5.

4 Y, Weitz, The Holocaust on Trial: The Impact of the Kasztner and Eichmann Trials on Israeli Society, Israel Studies, 1.2 (1996) Week 6: the 1967 and 1973 wars. Colin Shindler. A History of Modern Israel, chapter 6. Aran, Gideon, The Father, The Son and the Holy Land, Spokesmen for the Despised Fundamentalist Leaders of the Middle East (ed), S. Appleby (U. of Chicago Press, 1997), pp: Recommended: Michael Oren. Six Days of War (Presidio Press, 2003). Week 7: the rise of Likud party, the peace agreement with Egypt, the 1982 war. Colin Shindler. A History of Modern Israel, chapter 7. Week 8: the 1980 s and early 1990 s: Lebanon, Labor-Likud between union and rivalry, the first Intifada, the first golf war (1991). Colin Shindler. A History of Modern Israel, chapters 8 and 9. Week 9: , the rise of labor, Rabin as a prime minister, Oslo agreements, the murder of Rabin. Colin Shindler. A History of Modern Israel, chapters 10 and 11. Week 10: Netanyaho and Barak Colin Shindler. A History of Modern Israel, chapter 12. Week 11: the 2000 s, Sharon as a Prime Minister, the Disengagement from Gaza, the Second Intifada. Colin Shindler. A History of Modern Israel, chapters

5 Week 12: The Israeli Economy. Zilberfarb, Ben Zion From Socialism to Free Market The Israeli Economy, Israel Affairs, 11 (1): Nahshon Perez, The Privatization of Jewishness in Israel (or: on Economic Post Zionism). Week 13: Israel Diaspora Relations. A. Shapira, What Ever Became of the Negation of the Exile? in Israeli Identity in Transition (ed), A. Shapira, (Praeger, 2004), pp: R. Cohen, Israeli Diaspora, Encyclopedia of Diasporas (Springer, 2005), Week 14: Future challenges. U. Rebhun and C. Waxman, Challenges for the Twenty First Century, Jews in Israel, Contemporary Social and Cultural Patterns, (eds) Uzi Rebhun & Chaim Waxman, (Brandeis University Press, 2003), pp: Gavison, Ruth, "Jewish and Democratic? A Rejoinder to the "Ethnic Democracy" Debate", Israel Studies - Volume 4, Number 1, Spring 1999, pp Alexander Yakobson, Jewish Peoplehood and the Jewish State, How Unique? Israel Studies, (2008) volume 13, number 2.

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