GAZA WAR CHRONICLES
From October 7 to the Hague (Part 1)
Teach-In Session 16 - January 18, 2024
TEACHING RESOURCES
In this teach-in we go straight to the heart of what is happening now (as of Jan.2024) in Gaza. Students will gain a substantial overview of the current war on Gaza, how it began, and how it might look moving forward. Necessary context such as the development of the Gaza Strip as a bounded territory and the emergence of Hamas as an organization are discussed.
Mouin Rabbani is a researcher, analyst, and commentator specialising in Palestinian affairs, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the contemporary Middle East. He has among other positions previously served as Principal Political Affairs Officer with the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Head of Middle East with the Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, and Senior Middle East Analyst and Special Advisor on Israel-Palestine with the International Crisis Group. Rabbani is Co-Editor of Jadaliyya, where he also hosts the Connections podcast and edits its Quick Thoughts feature, Managing Editor and Associate Editor of the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development, and a Contributing Editor of Middle East Report. He is Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS) and at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN). A graduate of Tufts University and Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS), Rabbani has published, presented and commented widely on Middle East issues, including for most major print, television and digital media.
Bassam Haddad (Moderator) is Founding Director of the Middle East and Islamic Studies Program and Associate Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. He is the author of Business Networks in Syria: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience (Stanford University Press, 2011) and co-editor of A Critical Political Economy of the Middle East (Stanford University Press, 2021). Bassam is Co-Founder/Editor of Jadaliyya Ezine and Executive Director of the Arab Studies Institute. He serves as Founding Editor of the Arab Studies Journal and the Knowledge Production Project. He is co-producer/director of the award-winning documentary film, About Baghdad, and director of the acclaimed series Arabs and Terrorism. Bassam serves on the Board of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences and is Executive Producer of Status Audio Magazine and Director of the Middle East Studies Pedagogy Initiative (MESPI). He received MESA's Jere L. Bacharach Service Award in 2017 for his service to the profession. Currently, Bassam is working on his second Syria book titled Understanding the Syrian Calamity: Regime, Opposition, Outsiders (forthcoming, Stanford University Press).
Bassam Haddad (Moderator) is Founding Director of the Middle East and Islamic Studies Program and Associate Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. He is the author of Business Networks in Syria: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience (Stanford University Press, 2011) and co-editor of A Critical Political Economy of the Middle East (Stanford University Press, 2021). Bassam is Co-Founder/Editor of Jadaliyya Ezine and Executive Director of the Arab Studies Institute. He serves as Founding Editor of the Arab Studies Journal and the Knowledge Production Project. He is co-producer/director of the award-winning documentary film, About Baghdad, and director of the acclaimed series Arabs and Terrorism. Bassam serves on the Board of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences and is Executive Producer of Status Audio Magazine and Director of the Middle East Studies Pedagogy Initiative (MESPI). He received MESA's Jere L. Bacharach Service Award in 2017 for his service to the profession. Currently, Bassam is working on his second Syria book titled Understanding the Syrian Calamity: Regime, Opposition, Outsiders (forthcoming, Stanford University Press).
FULL TEACH-IN
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CONTENTS
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"Almost two decades of [Israeli] blockade has produced widespread poverty, malnutrition, and unemployment ... it has made the [Gazan] population ever more dependent on those that rule it" - Mouin Rabbani
TEACHING GUIDE
Gaza War Chronicles examines the background and context of the current crisis, the war itself, and the manner in which it is being conducted. Mouin Rabbani, the host of the incisive Connections podcast and author of the Ongoing War on Gaza Quick Thoughts commentary, also addresses the war’s local, regional, and international dimensions and repercussions. Prominent themes that have emerged or re-emerged, such as ethnic cleansing, the relationship between Zionism and anti-Semitism, genocide, and the ICJ hearings will be discussed.
- What role did displacement and depopulation as Zionist strategies play in the formation of what is now known as the Gaza Strip? How did the mobility and access of Gazans change from before 1948 till the present moment? What roles did shifting and opening and closing borders play?
- What was the political and historical context in which Hamas emerged? How can we understand the emergence of Hamas in terms of a colonialism/anti-colonialism framework? How did the first intifada change the orientation and goals of the Muslim Brotherhood such that it became Hamas? How did Hamas grow and transform over the course of the 90’s and 2000’s?
- How might the recent case brought to the ICJ by South Africa open new political and legal avenues for Palestinians? Can international law be a sufficient mechanism to address the rights and aspirations of Palestinians? What are the limitations of international law when it comes to the Palestinian case?
- What role do other states have in the perpetuation of genocide in Gaza? What role can other states play trying to stop it? What kind of actions might other states take to help stop the genocide? What actions might they take to help Palestinians achieve their full rights? What role can citizens of outside states play in stopping the genocide?
- Documenting the Ongoing Nakba: Gaza as a Case Study: This project examines the concept of the "ongoing Nakba" through a focused study of Gaza from 1948 to the present. Students investigate how policies, military actions, and economic measures have contributed to continuous displacement and dispossession of Palestinians in Gaza. Students research various aspects of life in Gaza, including forced displacement, economic restrictions, resource control, and human rights issues. They analyze how these factors contribute to a state of ongoing dispossession and trauma, drawing parallels with the original Nakba while highlighting the unique challenges faced by Gazans in light of Israel's genocide.
- Oral History Archive: This project focuses on collecting and analyzing oral histories related to the Nakba. Students either conduct interviews with Palestinian elders or work with existing oral history archives. They compare these personal accounts with official records and academic studies on the impact of displacement. The project results in a digital archive of testimonies, accompanied by analytical essays exploring themes such as loss of property, changes in social structures, and the intergenerational transmission of trauma.
- Mapping Memories Before & After 1948: This hands-on project involves creating two large classroom maps - one showing Palestine before 1948, and another showing Israel/Palestine after 1948. Students work together to research and add details to these maps, including cities, villages, and important landmarks in light of the creation of illegal Israeli settlements. For the "before" map, students may focus on Palestinian villages and towns that existed prior to 1948. For the "after" map, they show changes like new illegal Israeli settlements and areas where Palestinians were displaced. As they build the maps, students also collect and share brief stories or facts about specific locations, which they can attach to the map. The finished product cann serve as a visual aid for discussing the changes that occurred in 1948 and their lasting impact. Consider using "All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel" by Walid Khalidi.
SEGMENTS
1. Comprehensive Intro to Events in Gaza (as of mid Jan)Mouin Rabbani gives a comprehensive breakdown of the events that have led up to the current genocide in Gaza and how that genocide developed since it began.
4. On the Application of the South Africa v. Israel ICJ CaseMouin Rabbani describes the case South Africa has brought to the International Court of Justice and how that process will likely play out.
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2. Background History of Gaza and How it Came to beMouin Rabbani offers a brief history of how the Gaza Strip came to be as well as how its boundaries and population have shifted over the decades.
5. On the Destruction of Medical Infrastructure in GazaMouin Rabbani describes the decimation of all medical and public health infrastructure in Gaza.
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3. On Hamas' History and FormationMouin shares a brief history on Hamas' origin and foundation.
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SOUNDBITES
Conditions in Gaza Before Oct 7 |
Hamas as a Government |
Unprecedented Destruction of Medical Infrastructure in Gaza |
