Imperial Geography

Palestine. The home of three of the world' great religions. A crossroads of civilization. A land bridge spanning three continents. There are few places on earth where geography is so central to understanding the current conflict. To grasp the complexities of the struggle between Arabs and Jews in the region, we need to know the maps. But there is a great lack of general knowledge about the shape and contour of the contested area. The main stream media generally do not provide maps and when they do they leave out critical information. The media often say that the clash between the Palestinians and the Jews is "as old as the hills." This is a fabrication. The conflict is really less than a century old and really develops with clarity after World War I. The role of the Great Powers, especially Britain and France in engineering the current situation is the focus of this program.