Institute For Middle East Studies

This talk raises the two burning questions in this 50th anniversary of the 1967 War. First, “Is the presence of Israel’s military and settlers in the West Bank an occupation?” An answer leads us to both international and domestic legal conundrums and the everyday life experience of Palestinian inhabitants. Second, “Is the Israeli settlement enterprise reversible?” As part of a feasibility study of the two-state solution, Gershon Shafir will focus on such issues as the percentage of land taken up by Israeli settlements and their layout, the demographic ratio of Israeli Jews to Palestinians, etc. Instead of viewing the settlements as a single-minded undertaking, Shafir highlights and examines the ramifications of their diverse character.