In this course, students develop the skills necessary to lead productive conversations on difficult, polarizing issues, and then apply those skills to one of the most difficult and polarizing issues of our time: the conflict between the Arabs and Jews who live between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. The course begins by exposing students to discursive tools and techniques such as perspective-taking, steel-manning, de-escalation, and deep listening. Students then practice these skills in (a) class discussions of scholarly and popular accounts of the Israel-Palestine conflict’s history, causes, and potential solutions; (b) on a mandatory, fully-funded Spring Recess trip to Israel and the West Bank in which students engage with voices from across the Israeli and Palestinian political and social landscapes; and, (c) through graded in-class and take-home exercises. Students emerge from the course with a deeper understanding of one of the world’s most polarizing and durable conflicts, and with tools that will enable them to find common ground, manage profound disagreements, and probe complexity with evidence. Enrollment capped at 30
Entry into the course is by application. Application can be found here.
Applications are due by December 19, 2025. Notification of admittance on January 20, 2026.