The Seminar

Washington and Israel
(Two courses, 8 credit hours)

The Washington Semester Program provides an ideal opportunity to learn about Israel. First, you’ll spend 13 weeks in Washington, D.C., where your studies in history and politics actively involve meeting with policymakers and advocacy groups that help shape US-Israeli relations:

• Members of Congress

• Officials from the State Department, Pentagon, and the Intelligence Community

• Interest Groups and Think Tanks

• Prominent Reporters and Columnists

• Non-Governmental Organizations

Israel Studies is an interdisciplinary field, appropriate for students majoring in anthropology, history, economics, international relations, political science, and sociology. Topics you may discuss during the Seminar include:

• State Formation and the Creation of Political Institutions

• Government and Politics: Managing Democracy in a Complex Security Situation

• The Role of the Military and Counter-Terrorism

• Nationalism and Religion: What Does it Mean to be a Jewish State?

• Ethnic Differences among Israeli Jews

• Arab Citizens and Other Minorities

• The Conflict with the Palestinians and the Arab States

• The Peace Process: What Went Wrong?

• Archaeology and Bible-Era Excavation