Israel: Politics and Society - JTM322

• Title: Israel: Politics and Society
• Czech title: Izrael: politika a společnost
• Guaranteed by: Department of Russian and East European Studies (23-KRVS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2023
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unknown / unknown (20)
• Min. number of students: 5
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: not taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment
• Guarantor: Dr. Irena Kalhousová
• Class: Courses for incoming students

Annotation

Last update: Dr. Irena Kalhousová (27.08.2020)

Lecturer: Dr. Emmanuelle Blanc (London School of Economics and Political Science)
Email: [e-mail]
Classes: November 23-27, 2020 (info about exact times will follow)

Course Description
Since the early days of the European Political Cooperation (EPC), the relations with Israel have occupied a central place in European Foreign Policy. Yet this partnership has featured an unparalleled level of complexity, exhibiting conflicting patterns of cooperation and divergence over different policy areas. This course examines the different facets of the Israeli-European relations, characterized by a love-hate relationship fuelled by economic interests and deep-seated political disagreements. It traces the evolution of this uneasy partnership from the late 1950s to the present day and unpacks its dynamics in various institutional frameworks: in the context of the Middle East Peace Process, in the multilateral regional initiatives launched in the Mediterranean and on the bilateral track. The thorough analysis of this unique relationship offers valuable insights about the European Union's role as an international actor. EU-Israel relations serve as an important indicator of how well European intentions have been translated into effective policy in Israel, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. As such, this course will be of interest to students interested not only in Israel's external relations but also in EU foreign policy.

Aim of the course

Last update: Dr. Irena Kalhousová (26.08.2020)

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

·       to demonstrate specialized knowledge about the historical background and contemporary developments of the EU-Israel relationship

·       to apply key concepts related to the literature on EU foreign policy and IR (i.e. Normative Power Europe, the role of perceptions, cooperative security, region-building, peace-making conditionality, strategic cultures)

·       to critically discuss significant aspects of Israeli-European relations and engage in current debates (i.e. annexation of the West Bank, recognition of Palestine as a state etc.)

·       to articulate a convincing argument in the form of an essay

 

Literature

Last update: Dr. Irena Kalhousová (26.08.2020)

More in the syllabus

Teaching methods

Last update: Dr. Irena Kalhousová (26.08.2020)

Lectures and Seminars/ Online and In-class Teaching

Requirements to the exam

Last update: Dr. Irena Kalhousová (26.08.2020)

Course Requirements

Students will be evaluated on participation (both online and in-class) and on their successful submission of one essay on schedule and preliminary questions ahead of the course. Late submissions will not be graded. 

·       Participation – this will be evaluated both online through active participation on the discussion board (10%) and in-person through the attendance at every lecture and participation in-class activities (20%).

·       Preliminary questions - prior to the beginning of the course, a series of preliminary questions about main concepts and events related to EU-Israel relations will be posted online to help you familiarize yourself with the literature ahead of the course (20%).

·       Essay – each student will submit a 2000-word essay, which will count for 60% of a student’s final grade. The topics will be distributed during the last class.