Abstract
We will adopt a comparative approach in this class for the following reasons. First, a comparative between the Israeli historical experience and that of Turkey and the Arab world will enable us to study what is unique historically about the creation of a Jewish state within the Middle East. In addition, this allows us to look more closely at the often troubled context within which Israel developed. This approach also is a particularly good way to highlight the main themes and dynamics that we need to grasp in order to understand modern Israel and its relationship with its neighbors. These include Zionism, nationalism and the creation of a national identity, colonialism, pluralism, statism, ideologies of various stripe and the workings of international diplomacy. The Middle East including Israel is probably the most misunderstood area in the world. At the same time, the region plays the central role in the development of three of the world's great religions, supplies the world with its most important resources, and remains one of the most politically volatile places on earth. Surely this list offers enough reasons to justify studying it. Somewhere buried in all that turmoil and clash of ideas, religions, ways of life and history lays some secrets crucial to understanding our world today. For the purpose of this class, modern will mean the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century.