Paper Topic? We'll see...

(This is just a tentative topic and may change over the course of my research)

My proposed topic is study the theme of honor in Muslim societies generally, and how it pertains to the Arab-Israeli conflict specifically. I will first define the concept of honor in Muslim social and family life, and then apply this definition to certain key events and processes in the course of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The social primacy of honor is by no means a strictly Muslim phenomenon; rather, it is rooted in the tribal traditions of particular societies that have maintained their continuity for centuries. Nevertheless, it is of particular import to understanding honor in Muslim societies, particularly in the Middle East, in the hopes of using this knowledge to stabilize the region in a just, timely, and informed manner.
The starting point of this investigation will be the establishment of the state of Israel and why the U.N.’s partition of historic Palestine into two states (Israel and Palestine) was met with resistance by the Palestinian community. From there, I will analyze each major war and points of conflict between Arab/Palestinian parties and Israel, as well as the various peace processes that occurred from 1979 onwards. In each of these cases I will attempt to illustrate how honor plays into the politics and rationale of the Arab governments who either fought or negotiated with Israel, and by extension how the necessity of playing to their constituencies influenced these leaders’ decision making. Honor is not an unbending concept and I will not treat it as such. Rather, I will to show how the necessity of defending personal, family, national or religious honor contributed to or hindered the resolution of the various conflicts/peace treaties, and how the current peace process could be greatly enhanced by taking into account the Palestinian people’s strong attitude towards honor maintenance. It is my contention that a pragmatic solution to the conflict cannot be reached otherwise.