Empowering Students Via Travel: Probing the Arab-Israeli Conflict from the Field

Teaching the intricacies of the Arab-Israeli conflict to undergraduates in a comprehensive and dispassionate manner presents numerous difficulties, even under controlled classroom conditions. As logistically difficult as it is, traveling to the region and exploring the issues through direct interactions with its various peoples, places, groups, and polities allows for a unique and meaningful opportunity to unravel otherwise unfathomable elements of this complex case. This paper documents the particular successes, challenges, and missteps of a recent international travel-learning course which brought a group of American undergraduates to Israel and the West Bank for an intensive learning experience.