Narratives in Pencil: Using Graphic Novels to Teach Israeli-Palestinian Relations

This article argues that using graphic novels is an effective and valuable pedagogical tool to enhance the teaching of international relations, and specifically the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Graphic novels combine the best of film and prose in delivering a cognitive and affective experience that allows students to access the subject matter in a manner that complements the use of more conventional textbooks. Three such novels Palestine, by Joe Sacco (2001), Exit Wounds, by Rutu Modan (2007), and Waltz with Bashir, by Ari Folman and David Polonsky (2009) raise a number of important and relevant themes such as life under occupation and the shadow of terrorism, the intractability of conflict, the sources of violence, tensions within Israeli society, and collective memory and identity. After reviewing these three novels, this article discusses the benefits and challenges associated with using graphic novels in the political science classroom.