Palestine

This semester I would like to focus on Palestine, both as a country and as a state. The Israeli- Palestine conflict is apparent on the news today especially with President Trump in office.
There is a very rich history and culture of Palestine, that many feel is diminishing as tensions rise between the two state solution, or lack there of, as well as cultures shifting as a result of years and years of war. I would like to focus on the Zionist movement and what it means for Palestinians, the flux of refugees in other Arab countries, like Lebanon, and the tension it causes those countries. The presence of France in Israel and Palestine. Finally the global reaction to the attempts to come to a decision.
The language that is predominantly spoken in Palestine is Arabic, the second language is Hebrew, in the West Bank, the languages often times intertwine with one another. Many Palestinians also know how to speak English and French. The religions that are practiced among the Palestinian community are mainly Islam and Christianity. In 1980 there was a great flux of Palestinian Christians seeking asylum in the states. There is a large Palestinian community in Paterson, New Jersey, Bayridge, Brooklyn, as well as Astoria, Queens.
Palestinian cuisine differs from the Gaza strip to the west bank, Gaza’s specialty is Maqluba, while the west bank is heavy on sea food, as they are on the coast.
Dabke is a Levantine folk dance, which means it originated from a region in the Middle East that includes the countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. Legend says that people in that region during that era made the roofs of their houses with tree branches and mud. Anytime the weather would change, the mud would crack and members of their family or community would come and help patch it by forming a line and joining hands and stomping the mud into place. In colder months, they would sing to help keep their bodies warm. However, Dabke is widely used as a way to promote the Palestinian cause in a positive way through song and dance.