The Evolving Israeli Negotiating Position: Relations with the Palestinians
Israel’s ancient history, still relevant in modern times to millions around the world, is of great importance to three major faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Both Israelis and Palestinians lay claim to an area that is now the State of Israel, and the evolving nature of negotiations between these two groups has played a crucial role in the changing nature of the region.
But other powers, too, have a vested interest in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The United States in particular, a long-time supporter of the Jewish and democratic state, is now profoundly threatened by Islamic extremism after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Though President Barack Obama has continued to support Israel like his predecessors, he has also pledged a new era of cooperation with its Arab neighbors and has resolved to play an active role in the Palestinian situation. Israel is at a pivotal moment in its history and its relationship with the rest of the world, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had to reassess his nation’s stance on a number of critical issues for Israelis, Arabs, Americans and others.
In The Evolving Israeli Negotiating Position: Relations with the Palestinians, students will first explore the events that established a background for these statements through a graphical timeline of negotiations and by using excerpts from key primary source documents. Next, they will view this complex dynamic through the lens of two important policy speeches: President Obama’s 2009 address to the Arab world at Cairo University, and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s subsequent speech to Bar Ilan University. To conclude this thought-provoking lesson, they will be asked to relate the two speeches to one another, assess how the international media has responded to these developments, and finally, listen to an assessment of the speeches from Dr. Kenneth W. Stein, president of the Center for Israel Education and professor of Middle Eastern studies at Emory University. By enabling students to draw concrete connections between the history of the issue and its modern developments, this unit will give learners of all ages a better understanding of the challenges facing Israel in the future and how it relates to them as informed citizens.
Product Components
- 32 staple bound, colored pages
- Graphical, historic timeline
- Excerpts from key statements
- Text and photos from two important speeches
- Discussion questions that draw connections for students
- Podcast with Dr. Ken Stein to compare findings
- 12 staple bound, colored pages
- Enduring understandings, essential questions and objectives
- Group activities to engage students
- Activities for each lesson in the Student Booklet
- Sources and suggestions for further reading
- 20 Student Booklets
- 1 Teacher Guide