LAW 712LEC - Israel/Palestine: Environmental Justice and the Occupation

This course will explore a variety of contemporary environmental justice issues in Israel/Palestine. Although rarely highlighted by international media and seemingly marginal in comparison to the deadly stakes of many other issues in this region, concerns about land, water, air, afforestation, and wildlife are in fact central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For example, whereas Israelis enjoy an unlimited supply of running water year-round, Palestinians are allotted fixed and limited amounts. This course will explore the legal regimes underlying such discriminatory environmental practices, both in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The first part of the course will provide a historical and legal background to the current conflict, situating it within broader debates in settler colonial studies. Next, we will cover topics such as water justice, borders and the Separation Wall, Bedouin settlements in the Naqab/Negev, the administration of national parks and nature reserves, and the Jewish National Fund?s afforestation practices. No prior knowledge about Israel/Palestine is required. Seminar credit is available.

Credits: 3