Shared Histories

There is no single history of the development of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there are always two narratives. The most prominent example is the event Palestinians mourn as their Nakba – their catastrophic dispersion in 1948 - and which Israelis and Jews around the world celebrate as Israel's victorious War of Independence.

Two conferences of Israeli and Palestinian historians and a book, Shared Histories, have examined these differing perceptions. Three prominent participants in these conferences discuss different aspects of the dual historical narratives and consider how they might be utilized to lead to peace, rather than further conflict.  

Manuel Hassassian is the former Rector and Professor of Political Science at Bethlehem University and currently the Palestinian Ambassador in London

Benjamin Pogrund is a journalist and director of the Yakar Center for Social Concern, Jerusalem.

Paul Scham, formerly a lawyer is currently a Scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington D.C.

Dr Colin Shindler is Reader in Israeli and Modern Jewish Studies, in the Department of Languages and Cultures of Near and Middle East and Chair of the Centre for Jewish Studies at SOAS. His most recent book isThe Triumph of Military Zionism - a study of the Zionist right.

Sponsored by Peace Oil