Conflict in Gaza: Get Educated

Here are some ways to get educated on the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.

The titles listed here represent only a small cross-section of the huge amount material about Israel and the Palestinian territories. Some of the following pieces only portray one aspect of the conflict, and others attempt to give equal attention to Israelis and Palestinians. Remember: there is no single authoritative account of history that captures the narratives of everyone involved. Try to keep an open mind as you explore this material, and good luck!

For a more comprehensive history:

Charles D. Smith, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 6th edition (St. Martin's Press, 2006)
I.J. Bickerton and C.L. Klausner, A Concise History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 4th ed. (Prentice Hall, 2005)
Get a quick historical overview from Joel Beinin and Liza Hajjar, Palestine, Israel, and Arab Israeli Politics: A Primer, Middle East Report (2002).
Itamar Rabinovich, Waging Peace: Israel and the Arabs, 1948-2003 (Princeton, 2004)
PRIME Dual-narrative History Project:http://www.vispo.com/PRIME

Films to check out:

Encounter Point, Ronit Avni, 2006. Documentary.
Promises, B.Z. Goldberg, 2001. Documentary.
Paradise Now, Hany Abu-Assad, 2005. Drama.
Elusive Peace, Norma Percy, 2005. Documentary.
Waltz with Bashir, Ari Folman, 2008. Animated.
Close to Home, Vardit Bilu, 2007. Drama.

News and alternative media:

Ha'aretz Daily: A left-leaning Israeli newspaper.
The Jerusalem Post: A right-leaning Israeli newspaper.
Ynet news: The English version of Israel's leading online news site.
The Palestine Chronicle: An online newspaper that focuses on Palestine.
Mideastweb.org: A middle ground of Palestinian and Israeli news that focuses on peace movements.
Bitterlemons.org: A site with Israeli and Palestinian counter-arguments on issues of the day.
WRMEA (Washington Report on Middle East Affairs): An alternative media analysis with a pro-Arab viewpoint.