May 15, 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel. November 29, 2017, however, marked the 70th anniversary of “al Naqba”, the Catastrophe, of the Palestinian people. The plan was to create a homeland for the Jews without disruption to “the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine”. Seventy years later, Israel is in control of all original Palestine with the majority of Palestinians living under Israeli military rule.

In 1948, what seemed to be a united Arab coalition was ready to push the nascent Israel and its Holocaust survivors into the sea. Seventy years later, Israel is a nuclear power. Palestine itself has never had an army. In 1948, the United States was largely uninvolved in the Middle East. Today it gives the state of Israel, and only Israel, unconditional support, becoming anathema to most Arab countries. Jews, Christians, and Muslims largely coexisted in Palestine for 500 years under the Ottoman Empire. Today, violence, personal loss, human rights violations, and death occur every day. Is there a way to stem the tide of the last 70 years by creating a JUST peace? Or will 2018 see the end of Palestine and its indigenous people altogether? The purpose of this class is to hear the voices of Palestinians tell their own, often unknown, narrative. The Israeli narrative is not the focus of this class. A lecture format featuring PowerPoint and video segments will be used. Questions and discussion on topic are always welcome.