Third, we examine the Arab-Israeli conflict.  We will trace the development of this conflict, the major actors, issues, perspectives and policies for dealing with the conflict.  We will also examine the Oslo Peace Accords and the problem of negotiating the final status terms for settling this conflict.  As part of this section of the course, we will simulate a peace conference with students playing the role of the Israeli government, the Palestinian authority and the United States.  An outline of the simulation will be provided in class.

In this course we will simulate a Middle East peace conference called under the auspices of the United Nations to bring about an end to violence between Israel, the Palestinian authority and various terrorist groups. The conference should address the contemporary cycle of violence between the parties as well as the underlying issues of peace, security and economic prosperity for the region.

We will assume that the UN Security Council has approved of a resolution convening a conference in Geneva, Switzerland with the following participants invited to attend- US, Israel, Palestinian authority, Egypt, Russia, UK, France, and Jordan.

The conference should address the following issues:
(1)   ending the cycle of violence between Israel, the PA, and terrorists 
        groups;
(2)   the nature and status of the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank 
       and Gaza
(3)   establishment of secure and recognized boundaries for the states of the 
        region;
(4)   possible creation of a Palestinian state and the conditions under which
        that state might come into existence;
(5)   the issue of the status of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and/or
        Palestine
(6)   the issue of settlements, water rights, status of refugees and displaced
        persons, compensation for these people;
(7)    the issue of the wall or fence separating Israel from the West Bank
(8)   economic arrangements to promote higher standards of living for the
        people of the region; and
(9)   establishment of international guarantees to implement the peace
        process.
(10)   the issue of the right of return for Palestinians displaced during the
       48 war.

Each delegation will consist of 2-3 students. Students will be responsible for researching the position of their state on these issues and writing a 7-10 paper addressing these issues from the perspective of their country. A shorter draft of this position paper will be due just before the convening of the peace conference with a final the final paper due April 25th. (The draft only need to outline your country's position on the conflict)   The final paper should consist of three parts:

(1)   a statement of your country’s position on the issues of the Arab-Israeli
        conflict;
(2)    a statement of your strategy of operation during the conference;
(3)    your own personal evaluation of the simulation itself. Was this a useful
         exercise? Why or why not? To what extent were you able to realize your
         objectives? What factors in the simulation promoted or hampered a
         resolution of the conflict?

At least 5 pages of the paper should be devoted to your country's position; the remainder of the paper should focus on the simulation itself.  This paper MUST be footnoted properly with a bibliography of sources. Grades for the paper will be based on the amount and quality of research, the quality of the writing, and analysis of the simulation itself.  Your willingness to engage in debate and discussion, to facilitate negotiations, and move the process forward will also influence your grade for this activity.

The instructor will act as the chairperson for the conference. He will function as a non-partisan presiding officer. Students should conduct themselves with proper decorum. Honest disagreement on the issues is one thing, name-calling or personal insults are not acceptable behavior.  Students should be prepared to enter into negotiations outside of class. Politics is the art of negotiation, compromise and finding ways of narrowing differences on issues.

Students should be prepared to use multiple sources of information on the simulation. Obviously, the textbook on the Middle East is a good place to start to gain an understanding of the issues. Most states including Israel and the Palestinian authority have websites that contain good information. The instructor's personal website also has useful links that might aid your research. Finally, the instructor will place issues on reserve in the Library which may be used to facilitate research and discussion.

EXAMINATIONS AND GRADES

There will be three examinations in this course. These examinations will be of the essay variety, requiring you to analyze and synthesize information. Great reliance is placed on you ability to express your ideas accurately and forcefully in written form. 

The examinations will be generated form the lectures, textbooks, reserve readings class discussions, and AV programs used during the semester.   When reading the textbooks and reserve readings, students should pay particular attention to the point of view or the author or thesis that is being put forward.  Mere recitation of factual information is useful but not sufficient to do well on examinations.   Each examination will count 20% of your grade.  Class participation based on your willingness to raise and answer questions in discussions will count 20% of our grade.  The final 20% of your grade will be based on your participation and written policy paper on the Middle East simulation

 Grades for the course are based on the following formula:

TEXTBOOKS / RESERVE READINGS
There are two textbooks and a collection of reserve readings required for this class.   It is imperative that students read these works, preferable before class so they can participate in whatever class discussion we have.  Students will only be held responsible for the required readings not the suggested readings.  The latter works are included on the syllabus because they represent classic works that have influenced the field of international relations.

The reserve readings are available in the library from the front desk.  They are an integral part of the course.  Test questions will be taken from these readings. There is only one textbook that you need to purchase.  The rest of the readings are on reserve in the library. 

(DS)  Donald Snow.  United States Foreign Policy: Beyond the Water's Edge.
                                     Thomson Wadsworth, 2005