Meeting ID: 409 394 9318 | Passcode: 5787 | Zoom

This course challenges the popular narrative that American involvement in the Middle East is a modern phenomenon, tracing our entanglements in the region back to the Barbary Wars of the early 19th century. It’s a reexamination of the foundational stories we tell ourselves about America’s role in the region, and why getting that history right matters today.

We’ll analyze how flawed assumptions, like the idea that prioritizing peace with adversaries over strengthening ties with allies leads to greater stability, have led to a mistaken view of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran as potentially constructive political partners. We’ll also confront the misconception that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the sole “core” of Middle East instability, unpacking a more complex regional picture shaped by competing powers, sectarian divides, and shifting alliances.

In an environment increasingly shaped by rising antisemitism and historical distortion, this course aims to recapture a narrative at risk of being lost to propaganda. Participants will leave with a sharper, more historically grounded understanding of America’s relationship with the Middle East, one equipped to push back against convenient myths with rigorous, fact-based analysis.

Classes can be attended in-person at Har Zion Temple or over Zoom. Participants are encouraged to attend the full series.

Please complete the short form below to register.