“Contesting Holy Places in Israel and Palestine”
Dr. Yitzhak Reiter, Emory University, Fall 2018
This course focuses on the contested holy places in Israel and historical Palestine as national and political symbols for consolidating internal and external legitimacy for parties in the Middle East conflict. The major questions discussed: Why does violence break out? How is violence used to cement national (political) and religious identities? What are conflict resolution and conflict management measures used to prevent or reduce violence? Topics include the Status Quo system and its violations; revival of traditions; and “conversion” or “museumizing” of sacred sites for political ends. Case studies include the Cave of the Patriarchs/Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa, the Western Wall, the Nachmanides Cave, the Mamilla Cemetery and Samuel’s Tomb in Jerusalem, an Islamic tomb near the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, and mosques in Jaffa and Beersheva.
View the Syllabus
