The controversial Creation of Israel

The land of Israel/Palestine has been fiercely disputed throughout the last 3,000 years. Through the Roman occupation, Crusades and the most recently the Arab-Israeli conflict, this small strip of land has a continuous history of conquest, war and bloodshed.

When I talk to friends about teaching this, their knowledge is often good and they have heard a lot about the problem. But, many also say that they don't know enough about it to have a full viewpoint on the issues.

It's difficult to fully understand all of these issues but there are many aspects to find fascinating (and deeply distressing) about the study of this area but the deep feelings expressed by either side are perhaps some of the most hard-hitting.

This was recited by Palestinian school children at the beginning of their school day:

Palestine is our country

Our aim is to return

Death does not frighten us

Palestine is ours

We shall never forget her

Another homeland we shall never accept.

The second is one (probably very popular) Jewish view from the 1940s:

There is no room for both peoples in this country. If the Arabs leave the country, it will be broad and wide-open for us. If the Arabs stay, the country will remain narrow and miserable. The only solution is Israel without Arabs.

The question is: How did the two sides end up so divided and will there ever be a solution?

The persecuted Jews of the Middle Ages

Sometimes a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. For example, it would be entirely possible to go through school thinking that Hitler was the only person to ever persecute the Jewish people. Indeed it's sometimes easier to believe that antisemitism is limited to a handful of insane Nazis in the 1940s. However, history at its best can make you feel uncomfortable and question many of your underlying assumptions about such issues.

Take a look at the picture above. It's taken from a medieval tax record of all the Jews paying tax in Norwich in 1233. Most tax records have very little that's interesting about them (as any accountant will no doubt tell you) but this is definitely an exception. For me, the most engaging aspect of this Middle Ages doddle is that we know who many of the characters in the picture are meant to be and once you have figured out the characters there's a sinister message lying underneath. Before you read on perhaps look at the picture and try and figure it out.