Israel said it would release detainees taken from an aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip Monday, amid a mounting international outcry over claims it used excessive force in a raid that led to the deaths of nine activists. Israel’s decision came as Egypt moved to open its own border with Gaza, weakening the joint blockade that Israel was enforcing when it stopped a six-ship flotilla bound for the Palestinian territory early Monday. The Israel Defense Force said Tuesday that two more vessels were headed to Gaza in an attempt to run its blockade of the territory. A spokesman said Israeli forces were making preparations to prevent them from reaching shore. Adding to the tensions Tuesday, Israel’s air force met rocket fire from northern Gaza with an airstrike that killed three militants. source.

Related Reading:

Israel Through My Lens: Sixty Years As a PhotojournalistThe compelling autobiography of Israel's preeminent photojournalist, illustrated with his most memorable images.

The Israel-Arab Reader: A Documentary History of the Middle East Conflict, 7th EditionAn essential resource—completely revised and updated for the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of Israel

In print for forty years , The Israel-Arab Reader is a thorough and up-to-date guide to the continuing crisis in the Middle East. It covers the full spectrum of the Israel-Arab conflict—including a new chapter recounting the Gaza withdrawal, the Hamas election victory, and the Lebanon-Israel War. Featuring a new introduction that provides an overview of the past 115 years of conflict, and arranged chronologically and without bias, this comprehensive reference includes speeches, letters, articles, timelines, and reports dealing with all the major interests in the area.

Son of HamasSince he was a small boy, Mosab Hassan Yousef has had an inside view of the deadly terrorist group Hamas. The oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas and its most popular leader, young Mosab assisted his father for years in his political activities while being groomed to assume his legacy, politics, status . . . and power. But everything changed when Mosab turned away from terror and violence, and embraced instead the teachings of another famous Middle East leader. In Son of Hamas, Mosab Yousef--now called "Joseph"--reveals new information about the world's most dangerous terrorist organization and unveils the truth about his own role, his agonizing separation from family and homeland, the dangerous decision to make his newfound faith public, and his belief that the Christian mandate to "love your enemies" is the only way to peace in the Middle East.

The Case for IsraelThe Case for Israel is an ardent defense of Israel's rights, supported by indisputable evidence.

• Presents a passionate look at what Israel's accusers and detractors are saying about this war-torn country.
• Dershowitz accuses those who attack Israel of international bigotry and backs up his argument with hard facts.
• Widely respected as a civil libertarian, legal educator, and defense attorney extraordinaire, Alan Dershowitz has also been a passionate though not uncritical supporter of Israel.

Israel: Birth of a NationSir Martin Gilbert hosts this compelling look at Israel's first three years, featuring never-before-seen footage and eyewitness accounts of the nation's birth.

Israel: Birth of a Nation

Fifty years ago the United Nations passed a resolution which partitioned Palestine into Arab and Jewish states, and the state of Israel was officially born. Dislocated after the turmoil and horrific events of World War II and the Holocaust, hundreds of thousands of Jews streamed into Israel to find peace and safety in their newly declared official homeland. But the area given to the state of Israel was taken at the expense of the Arabs in the region, causing a bitter animosity between these two peoples that continues to the present day. This documentary provides an account and analysis of the formation of the nation of Israel and the trials and tribulations of establishing a Jewish state in Palestine, and the inevitable Arab-Israeli war that followed. Israel: Birth of a Nation would be useful for classes on World History, the Middle East, Religion, World Culture and Political Science. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

Part 1

Vocabulary

• abstain
• beleaguered
• coalition
• colleagues
• convoy
• emissary
• euphoric
• havoc
• kibbutz
• manifestation
• onslaught
• partisan
• siege
• simulated
• simultaneously
• sovereignty
• strategic
• tumultuous
• unanimous
• venture

Discussion Questions

1. The impetus for Zionists to establish a Jewish state vastly increased during the 20th century. Why did Jews feel it was so important to establish a state? What is the significance of the state being established in Palestine?

2. What is meant by a mandate? How is this term used politically? Why did Great Britain possess a mandate Palestine in the aftermath of World War I?

3. The United Nations resolution that created Israel flamed centuries-old antagonisms between Arabs and Jews. Why is there, and why has there been, such animosity between these two peoples? Who is entitled to Palestine?

4. Discuss the contributions of David Ben-Gurion in the creation and establishment of the state of Israel.

5. Why were the "iron skeletons" left on "Sha'ar Hagai," the road to Jerusalem?

6. Over six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. What did the establishment of a Jewish State mean to those who had survived the Holocaust?

7. Great Britain limited Jewish immigration to Palestine during its British occupation. Why do you think Great Britain did this? How did this affect Jews trying to flee the horrors of Hitler's Europe?

8. Discuss how women were a part of the establishment of Israel. How do Jewish and Arab cultural ideas about women differ? Why do you think women were more involved in politics and warfare in Israel than in other countries?

Extended Activities

1. Divide the class into two sections and assign each section a pro-Arab or pro-Israeli stance and moderate a debate on the occupation and possession of Palestine.

2. On an outline map of the Middle East, mark off the area of Palestine and highlight/indicate the areas that belong to Israel and the areas that belong to the Arabs. Use your findings to discuss how the geographic boundaries of the states help fuel Arab-Israeli animosities.

Part 2
Vocabulary

• acquiesce
• armistice
• dispersed
• dissident
• emissary
• exhilaration
• logistics
• paltry
• potent
• procurement
• somber
• spontaneity
• vulnerable

Discussion Questions

1. Israelis considered the Arab-Israeli war a "terminal war." What does this term mean? Why did the Israelis consider this war a "terminal war?"

2. Jerusalem is one of the most famous cities in the world, and one of the most contested sits. Why is Jerusalem such a contested site? What is the significance of this city? Discuss how Jerusalem is an integral part of the three of the world's greatest religions.

3. Discuss the importance of airplanes for Israeli in the Arab-Israeli war.

4. The ship Altalena smuggled in arms and supplies to Israel. How did these supplies create tensions among the Israelis that almost resulted in a civil war?

5. Research and discuss the careers and influence of Israeli patriots such as Moshe Dayan, Golda Meir, Menachem Begin, and Yizhak Rabin.

6. What is the basis of Israel's Citizen Army and how and why was it established?

7. This year marked the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the nation of Israel. Discuss some of the political and national advances made by Israeli in the last century. What has been Israel's influence on the rest of the world?

8. Arab-Israeli relations have always been strained at best. Discuss the current state of these relations and what you think the future might hold for these two peoples.

Extended Activities

1. Create a timeline that chronicles Israel's history for the last fifty years.

2. Imagine that you were a soldier in the Israeli Army during the Arab-Israeli War. Write down your experiences and feelings at the creation of Israel and the subsequent war so your grandchildren will have a first-hand account of the historic time.