3/10/11 Thursday Lecture

21st Century Jerusalem

1. Conflict btwn Israelis and Palestinians (continued from previous lecture)
2. Hard to make peace
• Israel had peace with Jordan
• Israel gave back the Sinai Peninsula to make peace with Egypt
• Syria and Lebanon left in order for Israel to have peace at all borders, but Palestine doesn't want this
• Syria leader died and successor did not want to make peace with Israel
3. So much strife over such a small piece of land (size of Vermont)
4. Mt. Gilboa(?) is a fertile high mountain that Israel does not want to give up
5. After 9-11, America basically destroys two nations (Afghanistan and Iraq)
6. This becomes a model as Israel also starts to bomb those that attack them.
7. Israel also starts to build (an unfair) West Bank Barrier wall
• Many inconveniences for Palestinians to move about
8. In Gaza, a military leader Hamas defeats Fatah in the Palestinian Elections, but he doesn't know how to rule and only picks fights with Israelis --> cut off foreign aid --> "Palestinian Civil War" --> Hamas controls Gaza, Fatah controls West Bank --> "Operation Cast Lead" or "Gaza War" where Israel attacked Gaza --> Israel announces new housing settlements in E Jerusalem --> IHH Gaza Flotilla boarded by Israeli troops (if nonviolent, better stay nonviolent)

This is my last entry of a very interesting and eye-opening class.  I feel like I have a much better understanding of Christians, Muslims, Jews, religion in general, Jerusalem, human sociology and history, and current events in the middle east.  I have walked away from this class with a new perspective on how I view the world, which is truly an invaluable gain.  

I was also very very surprised Professor Cargill was raised a Christian.  I suspected him to be Jewish.  It was ironic that a class which made me examine my own Christian views was actually taught by a Christian professor!  

Thank you Professor Cargill for a great class.  (: