Professor Gelvin is a bit of an ass but in an endearing way. He's a bit of an old curmudgeon but is very knowledgeable and made this class a joy to take. I'm sure strong supporters of Israel will be bothered by some of his opinions but I found him to be quite fair. He is particular in what he looks for in his papers but if you take notes in class and use the textbook (which is a literal transcript of the class), you should be fine. He is quite fond of using lists, sometimes quite exhaustively, but they will be very helpful on the essays. I highly recommend his class!

I have been a longtime follower of the Israel-Palestine conflict and its history. I've read several books on the topic and so I was eager to take this class. I took it knowing that the current war on Gaza was raging and in all the headlines. Nevertheless I had no idea how relevant it would be on campus with the massive student protests this past academic year. The encampment and its opposing pro-Israel display were both right in front of my classroom which felt like an extension of the course in an odd way. Despite the unprecedented times Professor Gelvin kept completely calm and actually largely avoided touching the issue. Rather we stayed focused on the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict from 1881-Present day. We even discussed the current war on Gaza specifically as well as its background. I was shocked how well everything fit together. The lectures were extremely engaging, and I can't say enough good things about Professor Gelvin's style of teaching. It is accessible to newcomers to the subject, and longtime followers. My friends were relatively new to the Israel-Palestine conflict and left the quarter both saying it was their favorite class this Spring. I would agree. There were three five page papers in total, but initially there was supposed to be a fourth which was canceled because of the TA strike. The first paper was talking about the two societies in the 19th century before they came in contact with one another. Ashkenazi Jews in Europe and the indigenous Arab population of Ottoman Palestine. The second paper (which we didn't have) would have been based on a book called The Book of Gaza: A City in Short Fiction by Atef Abu Saif. The third and fourth papers were a take home final. The third was about the significance of the years 1917, 1948, 1967, and 1993. The fourth was about why the Oslo Accords did not resolve the conflict. Overall I would say this an excellent class that was also surprisingly funny. There were several times the whole class was laughing which is something you wouldn't expect from such a serious topic, but it's also a way of keeping people engaged using clever jokes which better illuminate concepts we are learning. I would highly recommend taking this class for anyone interested in the plight of the Palestinians, the intractability of the Israeli occupation, and true nature of the over a century old "Israel-Palestine conflict".

Professor Gelvin's class sums up the relevant history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, including both the events themselves and their significance. He has very succinct PowerPoint slides to complement his lectures. I think the grading for the class was based on two papers and the final, but the format of the second paper was an op-ed. Professor Gelvin's grading standards were incredibly clear, so as long as you follow those he grades pretty easy. He was also understanding of the riots/coronavirus situation and made the final entirely optional. Highly recommend this class, or any other offered by Gelvin.

Gelvin's lectures are hard to follow because he does not use slides and moves quickly from topic to topic, but because the lectures are based almost exactly on the textbook (that he wrote), it is not hard to catch up. Grades in the class are based solely on essays, two essays during the quarter and two essays for the take-home final.

Let me just start by saying, James Gelvin is a great Professor. His lectures are great solely because he has done extensive research in his field. If you are looking to gain more insight to the Israel-Palestine conflict then this is the class for you. I would say right now that he is biased (You'll figure that out quickly). In terms of course work he only required 2 take-home papers, and a final. His standards for grading the papers are tougher than your average class. His TA's were tougher on grading, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's good to understand that writing is a major part, if you wish to succeed in this class. Gelvin is a funny guy, always slipping a joke or 10 in his lectures. He is a good guy (take that with a grain of salt) he likes to "torment" (I say that in a fun/friendly sort of way) his undergrad students with hard questions that take thorough research from the books he provides. I'd say, mainly because he wants them to learn his book/readings, literally you'll know the in's and out's of his textbook by the end of the course. Like I said it's a great class, Gelvin is an engaging teacher, does require good writing skills, and willingness to put in the effort and read the book. If you do, you'll do fine in his class.

Professor Gelvin is highly arrogant and makes no apologies for it. His lectures are often random and jump around a lot. Fortunately, his lectures follow his book closely so I stopped going to class after week 1. My first paper got a bad score even though I got 2 friends to peer review, 1 writing center reviewer, and 1 TA review. He commented that I did not follow the sources well, but I believe it was because I did not use his own opinions enough. My second paper, I amped up the bullshit and quoted extensively from his own book and the one lecture that I attended and did better. I wish Gelvin was as organized as his book, which was a great source on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The final was not that hard. 5 essay topics may sound scary, but they're all topics that his book discussed in great lengths. Also, quote from the articles he assigned and you'll get a good final grade. Overall, the pros of taking this class are Gelvin's book, assigned articles, and doable final. Cons: unorganized lectures, difficult to hear him if you're not sitting in the front half of class, his arrogance, occasional remarks of an ex wife and some other small unprofessional actions.

This class is super interesting and easy to follow if you go to lecture. Recommendations: sit in the front because he doesn't use a microphone. Record the lectures because he goes really fast and when it comes to the final it will be very helpful to listen to his points again. Make a group because if you miss a day you will need the notes. His book mirrors his lectures and is a great resource so read it! This class was funny, fun and totally worth it.

This guy is a genius, he is really smart, and an organized lecturer whom practically presents an outline of what he wants you to know. You have two papers, and one final (for which we got to vote on for an in class or take home final). He is a funny guy and he gives off an assholish persona which makes him that much funnier, seriously take him you won't regret it!

When I think of Professor Gelvin's Palestinian Israeli conflict course, one word comes to mind...NATIONALISM. Professor Gelvin takes a really unique approach to the conflict by knocking out the typical "religious struggle" explanation and instead focusing on the conflict as a clash of nationalisms. He is a great lecturer who will offer you amazing insight to one of the most politically and emotionally charged conflicts of our time. So, if you take this class, take it to learn not to get an easy A. I was able to pull off a solid A and I think I can attribute it to 1) already having a general background of the conflict 2) doing most of the reading 3) starting my papers early!! He assigns two papers that are only 5-6 pages but very information intensive. Do not leave the paper for the night before because they take careful consideration and planning to make sure you get all the information he is asking for without going over the page limit. Take organized notes, they will save your life. I would bring a laptop because he is nonstop when he lectures and it is difficult to keep up. The final, was one of the most intense I've ever taken. He gives you 5 essay questions you must prepare for and in the end he only chooses two for you to write on the final. His questions are structured in such a way that you might have to cover 60- 100 years of history in one. It took me all 3 hours and two blue books to complete the final. Moral of the story: take the class and come out informed but along the way stay on top of the material and do NOT leave anything in this class for the night before. It is 100% worth it