In efforts to bring together students and faculty to the discussion of the Israel-Palestine conflict, departments at Fordham University are sponsoring a four-part series on the history of the conflict called “A Deep Dive into the History of Israel and Palestine” with speakers Dr. Hussein Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute and Professor David N. Myers of University of California, Los Angeles. This series will provide a better understanding of the roots of today’s conflict and what it means for the future.
Both professors in 2017-18 had attended campus to deliver a three-part series. They return to Fordham to have a four-part talk on the depth of the history as current events unfold for the conflict. Part one focused on Arabs and Jews in the time period from 1882-1948 and took place last semester on Dec. 6, 2023. Part two covers the historical period of 1948-1967. Part three took place on Feb. 20 at 1 p.m.; the webinar covered 1967-2023 towards recent events and escalation. The fourth and final part will be this coming March 19, 2024, at 6 p.m., covering Oct. 7 and its aftermath. It will be both in-person and live-streamed.
Historical insights can provide a better understanding of current events. Myers opened the discussion and offered perspective to divided communities on the conflict: “What we’re trying to do is both bring added historical perspective and nuance and model how two people can talk about a controversial subject with passion and depth and respect for one another.”
Myers and Ibish explain that conversation on a widely tense topic is possible through passion, depth of history and respectful conversation/dialogue. Communities divided by the aftermath of Oct. 7 may have respectful conversations through historical context that provides insights into how current events have come to be.
Myers would like students and faculty, through this series of talks, to challenge their own strong beliefs about history and utilize their empathy. “I would like them to have the capacity to hold on to complexity, understanding multiple perspectives of this relationship or conflict, depending on how you describe it. We are really aiming to sort of inculcate in people both empathy and… a critical spirit in understanding the history, the very fraught history of relations between Jews and Palestinians,” said Myers.
Part four of the series will be about how and why the events on Oct. 7 came to be, its aftermath and where the conflict may be headed. The professors will unpack the immediate history behind this crucial event, as well as what’s happened in the past five months since this event took place. They will offer various scenarios of what may happen next. Faculty and students may register for part four of the series, which will take place on Tuesday, March 19 at 6 p.m. in-person at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. The departments co-presenting are the Center of Jewish Studies, the Center on Religion and Culture, the Department of History, the International Studies Program and the Middle Eastern Studies Program.
“Adding that contemporary piece, as history is unfolding, before our eyes, it’s a risky proposition, but it’s one that the moment requires,” said Myers. The series of events allows for deeper understanding of current events. It removes elements of worry because history and discussion can allow for better understanding of the unknown.
