I hope everyone is doing well.
You may have already discussed this, but just in case, I am writing to draw your attention to a public manifestation of some of the issues we have discussed in the course that will unfold on Sunday.
On Sunday, Jews will mark Tish'a Be'av (Lit. the 9th of the month of Av in the Jewish calendar), the date supposedly the two Jewish temples were destroyed. One by the Babylonians 586 BC and one by the Romans in 70 AD.
It is a day of fasting, and in many places, local businesses, especially food and entertainment, will be closed.
As you may know, in the Jewish calendar, a day starts at sunset the day earlier (so Sunday starts Saturday night). This is only a religious framing, as real life follows the 24-hour clock (the day starts at 00:01 AM)
Though marked mostly by religious people, it is nevertheless a reminder of the centrality of ancient narratives relating to past Jewish presence in the land in the modern Israeli public sphere, including the crisis of the temple's destruction.
One common framing in the last few years is the stressing (By Politicians and intellectuals) of how internal fighting among Jews during the Roman siege on Jerusalem in 70 AD, led to the destruction. Many also use it as an example of how radicalism could lead to destruction.
It is a further example of how national and religious perspectives are intertwined.
Finally, the actual date this year is on Saturday, but due to the importance of the Jewish Sabbath, it is marked this year a day later.
On a separate note, I am attaching an article of mine that just got published. It analyzed Israel's geostrategic posture over time. We will only get to these issues later in the summer but may be of interest.
Looking forward to seeing you on Monday
Udi