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One Land, Two Peoples: Sixty Years Since the 1947 U.N. Partition Plan for Palestine
Released on November 16, 2007Contact: Media: Carrie Simmons, 781-736-4224 or csimmons@brandeis.edu
Symposium Attendees: 781-736-2152 or scis@brandeis.edu
“One Land, Two Peoples: Sixty Years Since the 1947 U.N. Partition Plan for Palestine”
Saturday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 2, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Hassenfeld Conference Center
415 South St., Waltham, Mass.
Crown Center for Middle East Studies and Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis host international symposium marking the 60th anniversary of the U.N. Partition Plan for Palestine
Featured speakers include Shlomo Avineri, Mari Fitzduff and Khalil Shikaki
WALTHAM, Mass. – Sixty years after the United Nations decision of November 29, 1947, the question of partitioning Palestine remains unresolved. During “One Land, Two Peoples: Sixty Years Since the 1947 U.N. Partition Plan for Palestine,” leading scholars will explore the Jewish and Arab debates on partition in the 1930s and 1940s, and reflect on the history of partitions as a way of resolving multi-ethnic and multi-national conflicts worldwide. Experts will also examine the relevance of this issue in today’s discourse among Israelis and Palestinians.
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has no neat solution entirely satisfactory to all sides,” said S. Ilan Troen, the Stoll Family Professor of Israel Studies at Brandeis and director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies. “This conference will explore why partition was not adopted in the past by all parties, and whether it is still relevant and possible today.”
At a time when some U.S. policymakers are calling for the partition of Iraq along ethnic and religious lines, Mari Fitzduff (Brandeis) and Chaim Kaufmann (Lehigh University) will compare major partitions employed in the 20th century to resolve violent conflicts, including the partitions of Ireland in 1921 and India in 1947, and discuss whether the approach is a viable solution for current multi-ethnic, multi-national conflicts.
Shlomo Avineri (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) and Khalil Shikaki (Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research and the Crown Center) will weigh in on the current debate over the relevancy of partition in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Colin Shindler (University of London) and Itzhak Galnoor (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) will address the Zionist debates on partition. Yousef Jabareen (Haifa University) and Muhammad Muslih (Long Island University) will outline the Arab debates on partition.
The Jewish-Arab dimension inside Israel will be examined by As’ad Ghanem (Haifa University) and Asher Susser (Tel Aviv University and the Crown Center).
The 2-day symposium is free and open to the public, but space is limited. To register and reserve lunch on Sunday, visit http://go.brandeis.edu/partitionsymposium.
About the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies
The Schusterman Center for Israel Studies is dedicated to promoting exemplary teaching and scholarship in Israeli history, politics, culture, and society at Brandeis University and beyond. The Center is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of the modern State of Israel by training a new generation of scholars and teachers, building a vibrant academic community, and supporting research, publications, and conferences. It seeks to make Brandeis a hub for nurturing and catalyzing Israel Studies. For more information, visit http://www.brandeis.edu/israelcenter.
About the Crown Center for Middle East Studies
The Crown Center for Middle East Studies is committed to producing balanced and dispassionate research regarding all aspects of the contemporary Middle East. The Center’s research focus extends well beyond Arab-Israeli tensions to include Middle East politics, Islamic studies, economic, social, and cultural developments, and regional security and arms control. Research activities of the Center include a wide array of seminars, conferences, and publications, the flagships of which are the Center’s Middle East Briefs and Crown Papers. For more information, visit http://www.brandeis.edu/crown.