Readings for Nov. 15: Judea and Samaria / West Bank

Setting the Stage

Eugene Kontorovich, “Yes, Israel Can Apply Israeli Law to the West Bank.” Tablet Magazine, January 14, 2026
Oren Cahanovitc, “The West Bank Belongs to Israel”
ACJ

Maps

Optional Sources

3 Videos from Unpacked:
- Video 1
- Video 2
- Video 3
Older Websites with useful perspectives but may be clunky (1) and (2)

Discussion Topic

Central Readings:

How Israel Got Universal Health Care 20 Years Ago, and Why Its Working

The Development of Mother and Infant Welfare Centers in Israel

MALARIA, AGRICULTURE, AND DEVELOPMENT: LESSONS FROM PAST CAMPAIGNS (focus on pages 295-304)

Supplementary Readings:

Reclaiming a Lost Piece of Israeli History: Dr. Israel Jacob Kligler and the Eradication of Malaria in British Mandate Palestine

Who Will Take Care of the Worker?

Kupat Holim, Dr. Isaac Max Rubinow, and the American Zionist Medical Unit's Experiment to Establish Health Care Services in Palestine

Discussion Topic

ISRAEL VOTES: How Israel's Elections Work

Knesset 101: How Parliament and National Elections Work in Israel

Optional Supplementary Sources

Israeli Politics Explained (9:55)

5 Elections, 3 Years: Inside Israel's Knesset | Zionism Revisited | Unpacked (7:21)

Discussion Topic

Did Palestine’s Great Revolt (1936-1939) set the stage for Oct. 7?

RECOMMENDED READING

Unpacked Episode 1

Unpacked Episode 2

Unpacked Episode 3

SUPPLAMENTAL MATERIAL

In the Spotlight: Oren Kessler

Disucssion Topic: Lebanon

3 Recommended Materials:

4 Supplemental Ones:

Film for Discussion:

The epic film Exodus (1960, starring Paul Newman) can be streamed for free on Tubi, Pluto TV, Hoopla, and Kanopy, or via subscription on MGM+, Philo, and FuboTV. It is also available to rent or purchase on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

Our 2 central readings can be found in the two buttons below:

Yad Vashem

World Jewish Congress

Supplementary Readings, if you want more:

Exodus Half a Century Later

Illegal Immigration to Palestine

Click the button below to view the reading that will be discussed.

Click Here For The Reading

Content That Will Be Covered:

The video What Life Is Like On An Israeli Kibbutz" (Unpacked) is both an accessible modern overview and also shows the views of someone committed to kibbutz ideals. It covers the 1909 founding of the first kibbutz (Degania), the socialist "from each according to his ability" ideology, and how the movement has shifted toward privatization today. The video parallels Ein Dor’s developments.

Watch on YouTube (8:54 min)

"The Kibbutz Movement" (My Jewish Learning) A comprehensive but easy-to-read summary that covers the "Marxist principle" in Israel, the role of kibbutzim in national defense, and the privatization shift in the 21st century.

Read at My Jewish Learning

"The Kibbutz, Post-Utopia" (Jewish Review of Books) A more analytical essay that discusses the "crisis of the 1980s" and how the movement survived $6 billion in debt to transform into the "new kibbutz.

Read at Jewish Review of Books

History/About Ein Dor: Foodish Article on the Children’s Kitchen: https://foodish.anumuseum.org.il/en/childrens-kitchen-in-kibbutz-ein-dor/ (contains history and updating of Kibbutz; trends noted in the video

Supplementary Readings (Optional - attached here):

1: Tal, To Make the Desert Bloom u201D looks at Israeli agriculture and the Kibbutzim from a long-term view arguing for Jewish embracing of Tech.

2. Penslar, "Technical Expertise and the Construction of the Rural Yishuv, 1882-1948"

The January 18th session will focus on Palestine's Great Revolt. These three podcasts will be discussed.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

The November 16th session will focus on Antisemitism and Zionism. These two podcasts below will be discussed.

Dreyfus: An Affair to Remember

Theodore Herzl

The October Stand With Israel Group will focus on the History of Zionism. Linked below are two podcasts you can listen to beforehand. The first is assigned, while the second is just optional.

What is Zionism? Part one

What is Zionism? Part two