a)  Comparative Questions

• What is most striking about the similarities and differences between these three documents?

• What is the historical significance and legacy of each of these documents?

• How would you begin to place each of these documents in historical context?  What are the background circumstances out of which the document emerged?

b)  Questions About the Israeli Declaration Of Independence

• To what extent is a particular conception of Israel highlighted in the declaration?

• How is history invoked?

• How are Palestinians and/or Arabs referred to in the document?

• What tensions, if any, seem embedded within the declaration?  Between the particular and the universal?  Between secular values and religious values?

c)  Questions About the Palestinian National Charter

• How is history invoked in the charter?

• What is said about the relationship between the Palestinians and the Arabs more generally?

• What is said about Jews, Judaism and Zionism?

• What other themes would you highlight as of particular importance?

•  How would you compare and contrast the Palestinian National Charter with the Israeli Declaration of Independence?

• How does the covenant define the values and principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement?

• How is history invoked and what theological arguments are offered in defense of the Hamas position?

• What themes would you highlight as of particular interest?

• How does the covenant picture the relationship between Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims?

• What criticisms are offered of Israel, Zionism and Judaism?  What explanations are offered for why the Israelis control the land of Palestine?

• Is this an anti-Semitic document?  Is such a question a valid one?

• What most distinguishes this document from the Palestinian National Charter?  How would you account for the differences and similarities between the two documents?

SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES