The Arab–Israeli Conflict and the Case of The Lemon Tree

This article uses the The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan (2006) to demonstrate how one type of book, a literary non-fiction book written for popular audiences, can be used in a political science course such as one on the Arab–Israeli conflict. The book concisely presents multiple Arab– Israeli perspectives and enlivens the history and infuses it with both broader and deeper meaning. After a brief summary of the plot, the article gives examples of political science themes for which the book is a useful text: nationalism and the formation of national identity; the relationship between structure and agency; and the search for objective truth. The book also suggests many broad Arab–Israeli motifs. The article explains how the book was used in the classroom, including discussions, guidance sheets, and a longer paper assignment.