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History AND Historiography. How do historians interpret the past Notes from Ian Bickerton : The Arab –Israeli Conflict. What are the factors that influence historians?. Religion Ethnicity Gender and age National and political allegiances Economic circumstances Ideologies too
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History AND Historiography How do historians interpret the past Notes from Ian Bickerton: The Arab –Israeli Conflict
What are the factors that influence historians? • Religion • Ethnicity • Gender and age • National and political allegiances • Economic circumstances • Ideologies too History is a cultural construct. Individuals and groups create their own histories as a way of understanding and justifying their present behaviour
The Arab Israeli Conflict • The participants have created their own narratives about: • Themselves • Their protagonists • The place that is being contested
Zionist Interpretation • Zionism is the ideology of those who promote the state of Israel in 1948 and support it ever since • In their opinion they refer to Eretz Israel as they believe that Jews have a historical birthright to Israel as a homeland or state • This is based on a 4000 year religious narrative and tradition. It’s the ‘Promised Land’ • Zionists see the establishment and continuation of Israel a heroic epic , involving great sacrifice and hardships ( Europeans and Arabs)
Palestinian Interpretation • The land is Palestine so named by the Romans who called this region Syria Palaestina • They believe that they are the descendant of the original inhabitants • Palestine is their birthright and the Jews who arrived there over the last century as interlopers and intruders • Palestinians believe that they have made an heroic attempt to resist the takeover of their homeland by Zionists , then Israelis. They feel the need to create their independent state( Americans, Zionists and Europeans)
Key historiographical issues • The 1947-49 war and the Palestinian exodus Naqba or war of independence? • Whether the 1967 war was the result of Arab provocation or Israeli desire for expansionism Occupation of the West Bank and capture of Jerusalem
Where is Palestine? • National boundaries are often arbitrarily defined…. Leading to conflict and war • Palestine itself a small region 230 KMS north-south and between 51-117 kms East to West • Palestine itself remained undefined until the 1st world war • Palestine is not a barren desolate wasteland but a region of geographical variety