WAR AND PEACE IN WEST ASIA

Course Rationale
West Asia has a crossroads quality since the time immemorial. Involvement in universal
issues is endemic to the region by virtue of its immutable geography and uniquely
intricate history. In this tumultuous unfolding of events, war has always been the great
arbitrator. Running parallel to this belligerent history is a narrative of peace, which is as
old as that of war. This course, therefore, attempts to cover the issues of war and peace
and seeks to familiarize students with major issues plaguing the region so that they could
appreciate and comprehend these issues.
Course Contents

Introduction I: history and geography that makes West Asia strategically

significant region of the world.
Introduction II: 20th century; Disintegration of Ottoman Empire following World
War I; Commencement of Mandatory Period (1920-48); Polarization of Arab and
Jewish nationalist (Zionism) aspirations and struggle for Palestine; 1948 War
and genesis of Arab-Israeli conflict.
Cold War: Decolonization in West Asia and eclipse of traditional powers (British
and France); American involvement in the region; Various presidential doctrines
to sustain strategic domination in the region; US/USSR rivalry.
Arab-Israeli Wars: Various wars between the belligerents and significant changes
in geography and strategy.
Arab-Israeli Peace Process: 1978-79 Camp David Peace Accords; End of Cold
War, Gulf War and Madrid Peace Process; From Oslo to Camp David II: A
Decade of Peace between Arabs and Israelis.
Domestic Constituencies: Israeli domestic scene; Palestinian domestic scene;
Intra-Arab rivalries.
West Asia and India
Contemporary debate of new historiography in Israel.
Contemporary issues of war and peace in West Asia

Suggested Readings
Edward W Said, The Question of Palestine, Vintage, New York, 1979.
Alan Dershowitz, The Case for Israel, Wiley, New Jersey, 2003.
Gregory Harms, The Palestine-Israel Conflict: Basic Introduction, Pluto Press, London,
2008.

Naom Chomsky, Middle East Illusions: Including Peace in the Middle East? Reflections
on Justice and Nationhood, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2003.