Introduction/First week readings

Hi everyone,
My name is Veronica and I am a junior studying here at Ohio State. I am majoring in International relations and diplomacy and Sociology, with a minor in Russian. I apologize that it has taken me so long to post; I have been trying to get accustomed to the blog while delving into all the various technicalities. As you can see, I’m still having trouble making it look exactly the way I want.

After spending a week in class already, I can honestly say that I am excited to learn more about this conflict along with the history of Jerusalem, from both sides. It’s important to have a good understanding of what is going on by being aware of both sides.

Coming into this class as a Jewish American, with Russian parents, I have an uncontrollable bias towards this conflict. I am a Zionist and I will always, no matter what the circumstances may be, believe that there should be a home for the Jewish people – the state of Israel. Through all the years of learning about this, and actually witnessing the issue through my numerous times to Israel, it is a conflict that has been going on for too long. It is rather unfortunate that this conflict seems to be never-ending, and no matter how many peace talks or peace offerings there are, nothing is resolved. Israel wants peace and has proven it in so many different times in history; they just do not have a partner for peace.

I thought the first article, “Researching East Jerusalem,” did a great job of highlighting a couple of the main things that need to be taken into account when studying Jerusalem. The festival attempted to promote respect and understanding between two very opposing groups of people. It said “at the root of the Jerusalem Festival was the principle of equal representation, parity, and mutuality between Israelis and Palestinians…only through equity and mutual recognition can the human race live peacefully together; only through creative thinking can we deal with such sensitive, emotionally charged, and beloved places as Jerusalem.” These values and character traits actually need to be taken to heart and practiced to attain a Jerusalem where everyone can be happy. The last paragraph of the article really touched me and hit home with what I believe. It touches on the fact that every single person and community has some kind of history and cultural past. It is just a matter of respecting others’ pasts and cultures; if this can surpass all the issues we are facing, then maybe a resolution can be found. Unfortunately, that is so much easier said, than done.

In the second article, titled “Representing Jerusalem,” Suad Amiry talks about Jerusalem and it’s relationship to the Muslims. He is trying to distinguish the different sectors of Jerusalem, where East Jerusalem is the Arab City, and the Western part is the Jewish-Israeli part. The article spoke about the Festival and the different aspects of it.

I think this class is going to be extremely interesting in the fact that I will be able to hear and experience firsthand accounts from Palestinian students who have actually lived in Israel. Meeting and talking to Palestinian students will be extremely difficult at times, but I would like to maintain a calm and accepting nature—where I myself try to keep an open mind to others’ thoughts and ideas.
Through this class I hope to attain more knowledge from the opposing side, along with a better understanding of how technology can be used. The fact that this class utilizes such advanced technology is amazing and I can’t wait to witness it all in the confines of our little class.