Weldon (Don) Matthews
Associate Professor
History

In 2006 Weldon Matthews’ book, "Confronting an Empire, Constructing a Nation: Arab Nationalists and Popular Politics in the Palestine Mandate" was published by I.B. Tauris. Preliminary reviews have lauded this work as a meticulously researched analysis of the emergence of Palestinian nationalism in the mid-twentieth century. As such, it provides an important foundation for our understanding of the evolution of Palestinian politics in the post-colonial period. In addition, it is a significant contribution to the literature concerning wider patterns of Arab nationalism. The publication, "Confronting an Empire, Constructing a Nation," led Tel Aviv University to invite Matthews to attend a conference on contemporary problems in Arab-Israeli relations in the summer of 2006. This was a distinct honor. The purpose of this conference was to provide a venue for the leading scholars on Arab-Israeli relations to engage in on-going high level discussions. Matthews’ inclusion in this group is recognition of his stature as an expert in Arab nationalism.