On February 22, 2024, the Boniuk Institute’s Reading Religion Graduate Salon spoke with historian James L. Gelvin about his book The Israel-Palestine Conflict: A History. Salon scholars were joined by a number of guests from the Rice campus community to learn about the historical context of this ongoing conflict.
When asked if he thought there would still be conflict in Israel/Gaza if the Palestinians and Israelis shared a religious tradition, Gelvin answered in the affirmative. In his view, the foundation of the conflict is a political nationalist dispute about land rights, not a religious disagreement.
Salon scholars also reflected on how when people use religion to articulate their nationalist vision, it gives higher—even eternal—import to their claims and raises ethical problems in its rationalization of human-life costs.
Gelvin concluded that an end to the current crisis in Israel/Gaza will have to be diplomatic rather than military, with the principal players committed to finding a solution.
The Israel-Palestine Conflict: A History with James L. Gelvin
