ISRAEL-PALESTINE NEWS

October 20, 2002: Suicide Bomber @ Tel Aviv Bus stop

Moses Mendelssohn was a leading German Jewish intellectual. Regarded as the father of the haskalah.

The Jewish Modernist Movement

Changes in the political, ideological, and social climate of Western Europe brought about profound transformations in the character of the European Jewry. After the French Revolution previously marginalized Jews were invited to partake in national life "on a basis of equality and full partnership" and many countries followed suit in granting Jews full citizenship. The revolution, however, approached Jews as individuals and not as a political community, so while the Jews had rights as citizens of Europe, they did not have autonomy or self-determination as a Jewish nation.

Haskalah, or the Jewish Enlightenment, is the Jewish modernist movement premised on the dissatisfaction of the current conditions of the European Jewry and "the belief in the necessity and possibility of change through the establishment of a cultural modus vivendi between Jewry and the world around it"(26). The movement began in Germany and its enlightened sons and daughters were known as maskilim, "enlightened ones;" they were "committed to the principle that both Jew and non-Jew shared a common, universal citizenship"(26).

There are several strands of thought within the larger Haskalah movement. The first was the assimilationist, or messianist, orientation whose radical response to the political and social climate of the times was to advocate acceptance of full citizenship rights as well as the restriction of Jewish identity and behavior to spiritual spheres.

Reform Judaism "coupled [...] advocacy of integration into European society with attempts to modernize their own religious and cultural traditions"(28). Among its goals was the modernization of religious practices, education, and integration into European culture.

Some Jews stood againsts assimilation and integration and, instead, advocated "cultural synthesis or compartmentalization" whereby a "defensive" stance was taken, preserving Jewish values, language and culture while ameliorating the social and political conditions under which the Jews lived. Advocates of cultural synthesis called for the revival and preservation of Jewish civilization while also integrating modern and scientific world culture so as to eradicate contradiction between Judaism and modern life. Compartmentalists advocated the distinction between private Jewish life and public life. This defensive school gained influence in the early 19th century in Western Europe. In Eastern Europe, however, the great majority of Jews were on the other side of the ideological spectrum. There, in Poland and Russia, the largest Jewish population resided in the Pale of Settlement, living in isolated and self contained communities and following orthodox and conservative Jewish practices.

What is Classical Zionism?

Classical, or traditional religious Zionism, is the Jewish belief that God will bring the exiled Jews together and restore them to the Israel, the Promised Land. Classical Zionism asserted the "continuing and unbreakable tie" of Jews to their homeland, and the belief that God had a larger plan for the Jews. Traditional and religious Zionism was fundamental to the Jews' definition of themselves as a nation. The return to the Promised Land or Eretz Israel would be prefaced or accompanied by the coming of the Messiah. The expectation and speculation of the coming of the Messiah became "an essential part of Jewish faith and of the Jewish experience of life and history"(17). Underlying Messianic beliefs of the Jewish people was the loss of national independence, the will to live as a people in a national home, and the faith in divine justice that they will be restored to the Promised Land.

Classical Zionism did not inspire a move to Palestine because such a move would be considered heretical. The Jews considered themselves passive before God, and thus, must rely on faith and patience and wait for the coming of the Messiah for the restoration to the homeland.

The Importance of Jewish Law in Defining Jewish People

Jewish law is a sacred and comprehensive guide not only to spirituality but also daily conduct and all aspects--social, political, economic--of collective behaviour. Jewish law is divided into two parts. The Torah contains the large body of legislation given to Moses, as well as literature and history of several authors. The Talmud, which is the oral law of the Jews, has two parts: the Mishnah and the Gemara. The Mishnah is the first codification of Jewish law after the Bible and the Gemara is commentaries and interpretations of the former. The legal codes in the Talmud constitute the Halakhah, or "the body of rabbinical law governing both spiritual and the civil life of the Jews"(14) which thus "became part of the constitution governing Jewish life"(15) and the foundation of Jewish political community, making the Jews more than a religious group, but a nation.

The Duality of the Jewish People

The Jews are best described not as a religious group but as a people or a "national community of believers"(7) whose history and national character is interwoven with a religious and Divine legacy. Jews consider themselves to be God's chosen people, chosen to "be a light unto the nations." Their religious doctrines assert that they should live in a community governed by the law of God, and the land promised to them by God, upon which they should construct their religious polity was Eretz Yisrael, or present day Palestine. Thus, Jewish character and national identity is defined by their conviction that their political legitimacy stems from a Divine and historical legacy. Even after the Diaspora, the enduring connection to community and the land fueled the national spirit of the Jews.

Building the Israelite Kingdom: A Timeline

13th century B.C.E. Moses gave Israelites political organization and led the out of Egypt to Canaan
12th century B.C.E. After prolonged military campaign, Jews firmly establish themselves in Palestine
11th century B.C.E. Establishment of monarchy with increased powers
up to 960 B.C.E. Rule of David who strengthened and expanded Israelite Kingdom, bringing unity to empire. He captured Jerusalem and made it the center of his empire
up to 930 B.C.E. Rule of Solomon, David's son who created the Temple in Jerusalem and constructed the Royal Complex, expanded political power and established network of political and commercial relations to enhance security and trade
after 930 B.C.E. Kingdom of Jews split into Samaria and Judea, which, after dissidence and warfare, eventually formed an alliance
722 B.C.E. Kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyrians and many Jews were forced into exile
586 B.C.E. Judea beseiged by armies of Babylonia and Jerusalem is destroyed and "for the first time in more than four hundred years the ancient Middle East was without an independent Hebrew state"(11). Thus ended the first Jewish Commonwealth in Palestine.
538 B.C.E. After Cyrus conquered Babylon, Jewish life in Palestine experienced a rivival
520-515 B.C.E. the Temple in Jerusalem is reconstructed, exiled Jews return to Palestine and are repatriated.
332 B.C.E. Judea falls under Hellenistic rule but Greek culture does not penetrate Israel and Hellenistic rulers respect Jewish autonomy.
2nd century B.C.E. Seleucid Empire takes control of Judea and the Jews are oppressed.
164 B.C.E. Under Judah Maccabee the Jews rebelled and regained control of Jerusalem.
142 B.C.E. The Second Jewish Commonwealth is established in Palestine when the Seleucid king, Demetrius II recognized Judea's independence
140 B.C.E. Hasmonean Era begins with Simon. Hasmonean leadership "was marked by a fusion of political, religious, and military authority." Kingdom grew stronger, Samaria is recaptured.
63 B.C.E. Roman Empire conquers Palestine and Judea becomes Roman territory.
66-70 C.E. Revolt in Judea, temporary reestablishment of Israeli government
70 C.E. Rome systematically retook Judea, destroying Temple, ending all hope of reestablishment of Second Jewish Commonwealth.

Links These Web sites give the perspectives from different sides of the conflict

The Electronic Intifada will equip you to challenge myth, distortion and spin in the media in an informed way, enabling you to effect positive changes in media coverage of the Palestinians and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

CAMPUS WATCH a project of the Middle East Forum, monitors and critiques Middle East studies in North America, with an aim to improving them.

Chronology: How the course is going to evolve Here is the basic timeline the course will follow to give you the sense of the direction the class will be taking.

1882 First organized Jewish/Zionist migration to Israel/Palestine in meaningful numbers

1922 Prior to this time Palestine was a province of the Ottoman Empire, but after WWI, Britain became the dominant external ruling power. Britain set up a mandate in Palestine, which it controlled until 1948

1947-1948 U.N. proposed/passed important resolution that the territory of Palestine be divided between the Jews and Arabs to make Israel and Palestine respectively. War broke out at the end of which Israel declared independence.

1967 June War/6-Day War in which Israel was victorious. Series of changes in conflict because Israel acquired additional territory (West Bank/Gaza) which they agreed not to annex, but to hold until they achieved peace with the Arabs

1977 New party came into power in Israel. They did not advocate the majority opinion. They advocated that acquired territory should be retained and were not interested in territorial compromise. This policy changed character of West Bank and Gaza.

1987 First Palestinian uprising. For the most part it was non-violent resistance to changes in West Bank and Gaza. The first Entifada.

1992-1993 Israelis and Palestinians try to organize negotiations: secret negotiations in Norway; agreed on principles and process; "Declaration of Principles"; interim steps established; negotiations about final status

2000 Efforts to revive peace process collapses. 2nd Palestinian entifada.

A Note: Professor Tessler's argument is that both the Palestinians and the Israelis have legitimate claim to the land of Palestine/Israel. He argues that his book attempts, as much as possible, to reveal and represent both sides, and, as much as I've read, it seems that he does so well enough. His book does not seem to be either Pro-Israeli nor Pro-Palestinian, but Pro-Peace. It is interesting to note, however, that people from both sides will argue that he better represents or "embellishes" their oppositions' views and advocates their opponents' position. Given that these complaints come from both sides, I'm inclined to believe his views really are in the middle, and that his book does give accurate and thorough representation of both sides. While I did agree to begin this semester as a blank slate, I will be posting opinions and views that have root in the knowledge I am gaining from this class, but may or may not be representative of Professor Tessler's lessons.

A Short Take--The Congruence of Arab and Jewish History: Quickly, before I launch into the separate histories of the Arabs and the Jews, Tessler makes mention that the "striking symmetry" of Arab and Jewish history is a foundation upon which dialogue and cooperation may be built should the Palestinians and the Israelis one day agree to come to a resolution. The common ground they share may lend itself to a common national destiny for both peoples.

1. Both Jews and Arabs are ancient Semitic peoples whose political communities were inextricably intertwined with religion. Each people had/have a national constitution based on the holy laws of God. Both communities had "centuries-old bonds of solidarity based on religion culture, and language"(2).
2. Both Jews and Arabs have similar and symmetrical periodization of their histories; each experienced a Golden Age, a decline, a renaissance, and an emergence of modern nationalism.
3. Both Jews and Arabs faced and responded similarly to challenges from Europe in the 19th century. Similar debates were carried out in both Jewish and Arab communities in response to the moral, intellectual, technological, and political questions raised by European pressures on the Middle East. Each had conservative elements and radical elements and in-between elements to wrestle with the conflict between the ancient doctrines of their religions and modernization.
4. Lastly, the Jews and Arabs developed and pursued nationalist platforms in response to the European question. These nationalistic agendas came into conflict, but both stemmed from the need to address the issue self-determination for each people against the will of the European powers.

The History of Arabs and Zionists: In order to understand the conflict, we must first understand the progression of history leading up to the present day conflict for both sides. First, as previously stated, we must understand that the conflict is "not based on or driven forward by primordial antagonisms"(Tessler 1). Assuming that mutual hatred or incompatibility is inherent to both sides is not only inaccurate, but also potentially undermines efforts to bring the two sides to the table. Secondly, the lens through which we view today's struggle must examine the history of both peoples, "on [their] own terms, free from stereotypes, and in the context of [their] own history and culture"(1-2). The history of the Arabs and the history of the Jews, seen as separate histories and as the development of a national character and identity, shed light on the existing political struggle as one that is at once legitimate and misunderstood for both sides.

Mission: I created this blog to gather my thoughts and study for my class on the highly political issue of the Arab-Israeli conflict. I am taking the class at the University of Michigan with Professor Mark Tessler, author of our textbook A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. When the semester started, I definitely had leanings towards the Palestinian side of the conflict, but I decided to put my preconceptions/misconceptions aside and be a blank slate, open to understanding the conflict without bias. Professor Tessler began the class stating that both sides of the conflict have a legitimate claim, and neither side is without fault in creating the present situation. Furthermore, he argues that the Arab-Israeli conflict is not a primordial conflict, but rather, is only about a century old. Prior to the late 19th century Arabs and Jews have been able to coexist in the Middle East. Their histories are intertwined and congruent religiously and politically. Unfortunately, in the last 100 years, the political interests have come into conflict because both have been struggling to attain the same thing: independence and self-determination. Professor Tessler argues, and I agree, that resolution to conflict and peace in the Middle East can only come from compromise and mutual respect and understanding from both sides.