This course will introduce students to the history of the Modern Middle East, and to the socio-cultural dimensions of both the Arabs/Palestinians, and the Israelis in the region for a better understanding of both peoples. These historical, contemporary, and societal studies on campus, and on location in Israel and in the West Bank, and the actual exposure of students to both populations, propose to promote new perspectives to pertinent issues in the Middle East. Students will have a chance to interact with their peers at Ben-Gurion, and at Al-Quds Universities, and visit sites in both Israel and in the West Bank. Added cultural programs, included in the trip, will enhance students learning experience, and teach them that culture, and contact with "the other" may break barriers.
This unique study abroad program will enrich the students' horizons, and will demonstrate that even seemingly disparate people share similar human aspirations for peace, for a better life, for equality, and for the pursuit of co-existence within defined geographies, and across the borders. The basic premise for this approach is the fact that the Arabs and the Israelis are geographically, historically and culturally intertwined. Their shared destinies are evident throughout history and today. Students will witness these proximities during their visit to Israel and the adjacent West Bank.