Core Issues Behind the Escalating Conflict in the Middle East

Escalating Conflict in the Middle East

Read the summary, watch the video and answer the discussion questions below. To read the transcript of the video below, click here.

John Yang discusses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with two experts on policy in the Middle East and the violence that has broken out in the past week, a level not seen since in several years.  

• As in 2014, Gaza has been the focal point of the most intense violence, including bombings by Israel that have killed dozens of Palestinians and rockets launched from Gaza that have killed a smaller number of Israelis.
• Experts Aaron David Miller and Shibley Telhami point out that one concerning feature of the past week’s escalation is the violence in the streets between Jewish and Arab civilians in cities throughout Israel.

Discussion: The Escalation of Conflict in the Middle East

Warm up questions: Have your students identify the 5Ws and an H:

• Who is interviewed for this piece?
• Why is this conflict in Israel different from past ones, according to these experts?
• What are some of the political and other reasons violence has flared?
• How do these experts think the conflict might end?
• Where is some of the worst violence occurring?

Focus questions: Do you think the United States can or should have a role in helping end the current conflict? If so, what should that role be?

Media literacy: Who would you most want to hear from to better understand what are some of the “core issues” in Israel and Palestine right now?

Additional resources: It can be difficult to understand the current conflict in Israel and Palestine from just a single news story. You may want to use some past NewsHour broadcasts to provide more context (Note: Some of these broadcast pieces contain graphic or disturbing imagery and teachers may want to view ahead before showing students).

Republished with permission from PBS Newshour Extra