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The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process | Settlements Part 5

In the final installment of this mini-series, we look to the future. What solutions have been attempted to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, why have they failed, and how can we learn from them moving forward? What are some possible solutions today? Should we work towards solving the conflict or minimizing it?

Watch this video and use the prompts below to discuss these challenging questions with your students.

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  • Review
  • Discussion
  • Reflection
  • Further Reading
  1. Name three fundamental issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
  2. Describe one proposed solution to the conflict.
  3. Name two ideas that Israeli author Micah Goodman has for minimizing the conflict.
  4. Israel has had the most stable peace arrangements with which countries?
    • Egypt and Jordan
    • Egypt and Lebanon
    • Jordan and Syria
    • Syria and Lebanon
  1. Which, if any, of the proposed solutions to this conflict do you find most compelling? Why?
  2. The status quo in the region for the past decade or so has been to manage the conflict, rather than attempt to solve it. What are the upsides of managing the conflict, and what are the advantages of making changes?
  3. People on the Israeli right often argue that Israel has no peace partner. After viewing this video, what legitimacy do you give this point of view? Where do you push back on this idea?
  4. People on the Israeli left argue that Israel hasn’t done enough to provide the Palestinians with a state. What legitimacy do you give this point of view? Where do you push back on this idea?
  5. Assess the following statement by Abba Eban: “The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” Do you agree with this pithy assertion, or do you see some factors that may have made it very challenging for the Arabs and Palestinians to make concessions?
  6. Would you be okay with an agreement that would end the conflict so all people could live in peace, even if that meant that Israel would no longer be a Jewish and democratic state? Is peace “worth it” at all costs, or are some things more important?
  1. How might a difficult, unsolved security conflict hang over the heads of both Israelis and Palestinians? In what ways might this affect their daily lives? Can you imagine living in such a situation?
  2. Israeli author Micah Goodman suggests that taking measures to improve Palestinian quality of life is a key step to minimizing the conflict. Do you agree? What is the connection between quality of life and obtaining peace?
  3. A theme of this conflict is responsibility: Who’s responsible for the fact that there is no Palestinian state? Is it Israel’s responsibility to give the Palestinians a state? Have the Palestinians shot themselves in the foot by rejecting many proposed plans? What role do you think responsibility plays in this issue? Would it help if one side claimed total responsibility, or if both took on more? Is that even fair to expect?
  1. Unpacked for Educators, https://unpacked.education/west-bank-annexation/
  2. Micah Goodman, Catch-67, chapters 10-12
  3. Sari Nusseibeh, Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life
  4. Caroline Glick, The Israeli Solution: A One-State Plan for Peace in the Middle East
  5. Dahlia Scheindlin, “An Israeli-Palestinian Confederation Can Work” https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/06/29/an-israeli-palestinian-confederation-can-work/
  6. Daniel Polisar, “What Do Palestinians Want?” https://mosaicmagazine.com/essay/israel-zionism/2015/11/what-do-palestinians-want/
  7. Micah Goodman, “Eight Steps to Shrink the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/04/eight-steps-shrink-israeli-palestinian-conflict/585964/

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