The lecture will be divided into three parts. 

Part one will attempt to separate rhetoric from reality by examining key political, economic and social conditions and dynamics in Gaza before and after the summer 2014 conflict, identifying Gazas major challenges and constraints. 

Part two will address (and critique) the role of the international community, past and present, particularly with regard to planned reconstruction efforts. 

Part three will argue for a new revisionist framework for Gaza specifically and Palestine more generally if meaningful and sustainable economic and political change is to be realized.

The Bustani Middle East Seminar is organized under the auspices of the MIT Center for International Studies, which conducts research on contemporary international issues and provides an opportunity for faculty and students to share perspectives and exchange views. Each year the Bustani Seminar invites scholars, journalists, consultants, and other experts from the Middle East, Europe, and the United States to MIT to present recent research findings on contemporary politics, society and culture, and economic and technological development in the Middle East.

Web site: http://web.mit.edu/cis/bustani/