Print this page Palestine and the Palestinians

Palestine today is one of the major flashpoints in the world. The war in Gaza, which blew up on October 7, 2023 has put the position of the Palestinians into focus and created protest and argument across the globe. But the conflict between Israel and Palestine is not new and began over a century ago. But what exactly is Palestine and who are the Palestinians? Is there a discreet and definable nation called Palestine? The Palestinian people today claim a heritage in the area for thousands of years, a claim disputed by many Jewish people. This course looks at Palestine from its early history through to modern Palestine and examines their claims and hopes.

DELIVERY MODE

• Hybrid (F2F & Online simultaneously)

COURSE OUTLINE

• The Palestinians today claim to trace their ancestors back to people of biblical times like the ancient Ishmaelites, Canaanites and Samaritans. This lesson looks at these people and their origins and ask the question is: were they the forerunners of today’s Palestinian Arabs?
• Ottomans and Jewish immigration. Lesson 2 looks at the growth of Palestinian nationalism in the face of the growing threat from Zionism, oppression from the Ottoman Turks and colonial expansion by Great Britain. What was it like and how much could it claim to be “Palestinian” and not just “Arab”?
• From the Catastrophe of 1947-1948 to Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Why did it result in the exile of many of these people to live a life as dispossessed refugees in neighbouring Arab countries and beyond? 
• Lesson 4: From the PLO to October 7. Who were the PLO and what were their motivations? We explore the involvement of other players like Iran, the United States and the Gulf States, and the evolution of the conservative Likud Party in Israel and how Palestinian national aspirations and the growth of modern Zionism have clashed.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand the origins of the Palestinian people and their history from ancient to modern times
• Understand the problems they have faced over recent centuries, especially since the creation of the state of modern Israel
• Explore the forces at play leading up to, and as a result of the current war in Gaza
• Project into the future to see where the events and forces of today are leading them.