Philosophical Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

This volume addresses a number of philosophical problems that arise in consideration of the century-old conflict between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs. Consisting of essays by fifteen contributors (including both Israeli and Palestinian philosophers) and a detailed introduction by the editor, it deals with rights to land, sovereignty, self-determination, the existence and legitimacy of states, cultural prejudice, national identity, intercommunal violence, and the relevance of religious claims to normative disputes. The discussion of these general topics is interwoven with a look at the more particular issues of anti-Semitism, Zionism, Palestinian nationalism, the Israeli occupation, the Intifada, and possible solutions to the conflict. In addition to being the first anthology in English devoted to the philosophical issues engendered by this conflict, the book also presents differing (and often opposed) perspectives and includes contributions from Israeli Jews as well as from Palestinian Arabs. Many of the contributors have had firsthand experience with this conflict, and some are actively involved in related political activities.