Question

As you can see, the regions of Israel and Palestine have been a center of conflict in the world for many years. You will now conduct research to find two different articles about current events in the region. Both of the articles should come from reputable news or government sources; avoid opinion-based sites, such as blogs or forums. After selecting and reading the two articles, you will write one to two paragraphs addressing the following items: Summarize the current event, using specific references to both of your sources to support your statements. You should label each reference with proper citation: any direct quotations or references should be followed by the last name of the author and the year of publication, in parentheses. Example: (Jones 2015). Explain the strengths and weaknesses of each of your sources. For example, do either of the sources appear to be biased? Do you have any unanswered questions after reading each? Looking at each article; whom do you think the target audience may have been? Did the author successfully write a piece that would fit that audience? Properly cite both of your sources.

Answer 1

In the first article, the author perceives that there is a wide variety of ways to understand the Palestine - Israel conflict of over 130 years that's full of bitterness and complexity. Its noted that the efforts to explain the fall in realms of politics, media, lobbying, academia, and the general public conflict as reflected when one party advocates for "truth" against the other groups "myths and propaganda."  The author also notes how scholars, journalists, and analysts acknowledge and discuss these "parties" competing "narratives" of conflict, (Caplan, 2011).

In the second article, the author employs the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as an example of superficially stubborn ethnonational conflict through psychological dynamics that contribute to its stubbornness. The author reviews the unique characteristics of this conflict and the clash of narratives. Its pointed out that some of the ethnonational conflicts have features that increase their resistance to change. Societies in such conflicts form societal beliefs that, on the one hand, help them cope with the stressful conditions of the conflicts but, on the other hand, perpetuate the conflicts, (Rouhana &Bar, 1998).

The target audience for the first article are scholars, politicians, and for general reading as it gives a historical account of the Palestine- Israeli conflict. In the second article, the authors' target audience is for individuals or scholars who intend to understand the nature of conflict from a psychological perspective. Both articles tend to suit to equip their target audience with the necessary knowledge and understanding of the conflict.

Rouhana, N. N., & Bar-Tal, D. (1998). Psychological dynamics of intractable ethnonational conflicts: The Israeli–Palestinian case. American Psychologist, 53(7), 761.

Caplan, N. (2011). The Israel-Palestine conflict: contested histories (Vol. 16). John Wiley & Sons.