Dominic Beggan, assistant professor of political science at Lamar University, recently returned from Israel where he took part in a two-week study on terrorism as an academic fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

The foundation, which is a non-profit, non-partisan committee, based in Washington, D.C., focuses on educating Americans about the terrorist threat to democracies worldwide.

In Israel, Beggan gathered information on terrorism for a new course he plans to teach in the future. Participants took part in a series of intensive seminars at the Tel Aviv University campus hosted by academic, diplomatic and military officials from India, Israel, Jordan, Turkey and the United States. Also, India¹s ambassador to Israel, Arun K. Singh, gave a lecture on India's war on terrorism.

During the trip Beggan met many scholars, high-level Israeli government officials and foreign dignitaries.

Beggan also was able to have a brief discussion with a member of Hamas in an Israeli maximum-security prison on the likelihood of a two-state solution. Hamas is the largest and most influential Palestinian militant movement and continues its refusal to recognize the state of Israel, a position that has led to crippling economic sanctions.

The group also traveled to the West Bank where they experienced first hand the daily tensions that exist between the Israeli settlers and the Palestinians that live near Ramallah.

"The people there are greeted by reminders of the dangers of this region as soon as they enter the West Bank. Visitors traveling in groups must get off the coach they are on and board a bulletproof coach that is escorted by a patrol car through the neighborhoods," said Beggan.

"This academic fellowship was a fantastic opportunity that enabled me to dev elop my knowledge and understanding of the region. Ultimately I look forward to sharing this experience with my students when I teach the new course sometime next year."