[Michlib-l] MeL Minute: Current Events in Focus: Hamas, Gaza Strip, Israel, Palestine

[Ann Kaskinen]

[A white letter on a blue green and red background  Description automatically generated]On October 7, Hamas-led militants launched an assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip. Like many world affairs, this has opened discussions, disagreements, and a wide range of emotions here in the United States. It has also, undoubtedly, raised many questions both in our personal lives and those we share with middle and high school students. Like other current events that have a long history of conflict, the Michigan eLibrary<https://mel.org/welcome> (MeL) offers several eResources<https://mel.org/az.php> to help learners better understand and further consider the actions that we’re witnessing today.

Britannica School
To gain summary information related to topics such as Gaza Strip<https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Gaza-Strip/36255>, Hamas<https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Hamas/2732>, Hezbollah<https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Hezbollah/384132>, Israel<https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Israel/106444>, or Palestine<https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Palestine/108522>, Britannica School<http://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?database=eb> gives straight-forward, encyclopedic content. As students discover the details about the geographic region, culture, changes in leadership, political affiliations, and pivotal events, they can dig deeper with embedded, linked content to people and place names such as Benjamin Netanyahu<https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Benjamin-Netanyahu/2840>, Kaled Meshaal<https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Khaled-Meshaal/603641> and Plain of Sharon<https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Plain-of-Sharon/67160>. Primary Source documents that correlate to the article, like the Hamas Covenant 1988<https://school.eb.com/levels/high/additionalcontent/primarysources?id=161444&path=/primary_source/avalon/20th_century/hamas.asp>, can be found under the tab, Related.

eBook Collections
There are hundreds of eBooks in MeL that offer varying perspectives of historic events in this region. From the eBook High School Collection<https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?database=ebsco-e862xna> and translated from the original Hebrew work, Erased from Space and Consciousness: Israel and the Depopulated Villages of 1948<https://auth.mel.org/newera/check-direct?url=https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e862xna&AN=1048770&site=ehost-live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_Cover>, offers an aftermath perspective of Arab-Israel War of 1948. Other books in this collection include On Palestine<https://auth.mel.org/newera/check-direct?url=https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e862xna&AN=983402&site=ehost-live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_frontcover1> and The Origins of Israel, 1882-1948: A Documentary History<https://auth.mel.org/newera/check-direct?url=https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e862xna&AN=490306&site=ehost-live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_Cover>.

The eBook Academic Collection<https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?database=ebsco-e000xna> provides several titles related to the United States involvement through the years. These include Our American Israel: The Story of an Entangled Alliance<https://auth.mel.org/newera/check-direct?url=https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1868514&site=ehost-live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_Cover>, The Movement and the Middle East: How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Divided the American Left<https://auth.mel.org/newera/check-direct?url=https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=2248861&site=ehost-live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_Cover>, and Israel, the United States, and the War Against Hamas, July-August 2014: The Special Relationship under Scrutiny<https://auth.mel.org/newera/check-direct?url=https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=2135197&site=ehost-live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_Cover>.

Viewpoints and Jewish Studies Source
Highlighted in the featured content, both Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints<http://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?database=ovic> and Points of View Reference Center<https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?database=ebscoprofile-pov> provide thousands of news stories on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in audio and video from sources such as BBC, NPR, The Washington Post Videos, and NYTimes.com Video Collection. Additionally, both resources have hundreds of point/counterpoint perspectives for students to consider.

Finally, Jewish Studies Source<https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?database=ebsco-jss>, which offers “a multidisciplinary view of the study of the Jewish civilization from its historical origins to the present,” includes publications such as Jerusalem Viewpoints<https://auth.mel.org/newera/check-direct?url=https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=jss&jid=8VFK&site=ehost-live> and Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies<https://auth.mel.org/newera/check-direct?url=https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=jss&jid=HE6G&site=ehost-live>.

If you have any MeL eResources questions or issues, contact melerhelp at mcls.org<mailto:melerhelp at mcls.org> for help.

Brought to you by Ann Kaskinen from the MeL Team.

Supporting Michigan Libraries by Putting You First.

Want more information on MeL?  Stay tuned for the next MeL Minute available on many Michigan library listservs, visit http://mel.org<http://mel.org/>, or sign up for the MeL Minute and other Library of Michigan e-mail lists via GovDelivery<https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MILOM/subscriber/new>. We encourage you to share MeL Minutes with your colleagues and networks.

MeL eResources are available to Michigan residents or for Michigan library or school access only.

The MeL project is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library of Michigan.


Ann Kaskinen
MeL Engagement Specialist, K-12
Midwest Collaborative for Library Services
517-325-5333
kaskinena at mcls.org<mailto:kaskinena at mcls.org>
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