Israel & the Palestinians: Hadracha Guide

From the resources listed below, we can access a wealth of material and analysis. On the Internet and on TV, we are inundated with images and reporting. The most difficult challenge is actually how to take this on board judiciously and use it to lead a productive activity or discussion.

For example, all these images have an impact, and the average youth leader or teacher may feel torn between the images and the personal commitment and feelings about Israel. How can we untangle the distressing impressions and the information - firstly, for ourselves and then for our students? Is there information which is missing and which would show a picture more consistent with our personal image of Israel?

Leading a Discussion /Activity

Please read the pointers below before you plan your activity.
1. Decide where you want to take this activity - to posters, drama or role-plays, a wall newspaper, an internet Forum [such as the one below], letters to specific people or newspapers, and prepare the materials and the time-scale.
2. If in school or youth organization, this should be planned at a staff meeting, in order to decide the goals and depth of coverage, establish what the participants know and the most suitable approaches.
3. The various online curricula offer you an opportunity to balance the resources and articles, so please use these links. Do copy the images from the websites recommended below [but not for younger children].
4. We recommend that an activity be built from where the young people are, so that if they have seen pictures or articles, the first thing you work on is how they feel about it, going round the entire group. It is important to legitimise these feelings and hint that there is probably more to it than meets the eye; gain agreement to continue the exploration.
5. How do the group feel about Israel today? How did they feel about Israel before this happened? What are their main questions?
6. Some of these questions will relate to why Israel apparently carried out a particular response; others will be more emotional. You can assure them you are going to explore them together.
7. Use the responses below to assist you with the curricular materials on the named websites.
8. Lead towards a creative activity which has a purpose for the participants and will allow them time to digest and translate what they are learning.
9. Review - what is going on, where it can go, what we fear, what we hope for, and how we feel about Israel.

Recommended Websites

1. Israel & the Palestinians: The Test of Leadership - with recommended links to articles, resources.
http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/actual/conflict/oct2000.html

2. Discussion Forum for above units:
http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/forums/Thread.cfm?CFApp=17&Thread_ID=588&mc=1

3. Cleveland Jewish Education Center - Response Curriculum
http://www.jecc.org/edres/curric/irc/mecrisis.htm

4. IDFwebsite -
English updates: Response by IDF to Lynch and Desecration
http://www.idf.il/english/announcements/2000/october/12.stm
For pictures of the 2 soldiers, please see:
http://www.idf.il/english/announcements/2000/october/13.stm

Hebrew Links

http://www.idf.il/hebrew/news/main.stm

http://www.start.co.il/startnews.asp to all the newspapers

http://www.haaretz.co.il/news/index.stm
http://images.maariv.co.il/

http://www.nana.co.il/

Issues and Reflections

1. Q: Who stands to gain from the fact that Palestinian children are in the frontline of demonstrations and Molotov cocktail throwing?
A: Someone who wants to gain points in the international media and gain the support of world public opinion.

2. Did you know that Ehud Barak was prepared to go far beyond the Israeli consensus on concessions, in order to give peace a chance?

3. Did you know that Yasser Arafat was ready to sign an agreement in Paris recenlty, in order to end the current violence and promote the peace process? He has worked on the Peace Process for 7 years - why do you think he refused - are there other factors involved?

4. Is there a connection between the escalation in Palestinian violence and Yasser Arafat's refusal to sign an agreement in Paris?

5. Q: What message is received from the release of over 150 Hamas terrorists from PA jails?
A: Possibly, that the Peace Process has reached an impasse; Definitely, that this is an expression of Chairman Arafat's level of commitment to the efforts to finalise an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

6. Q: Why has there been no loss of life in the Israeli demonstrations, while loss of life has risen in the Palestinian demonstrations?
A: Israeli demonstrators have not used Molotov cocktails, or firearms, and not even engaged in stone-throwing, while the Palestinian media has called on their children, teenagers, young adults and police to employ all these life-threatening means in street combat.

7. Q: We don't see pictures of Palestinians shooting at Israelis any more - why?
A: Because during the daytime, the Palestinian militia groups avoid using firearms. It is easier to shoot undetected at night, and the foreign news camera crews don't film the major disturbances at night.

8. Q: What is the difference between the Israeli response and the Palestinian response to loss of life?
A: The Israeli media is not inciting violence, and is even discouraging it; Israeli officials and reporters regret any loss of life and express sorrow, while explaining that the IDF responds under duress and only when in danger. The Palestinian media and officials, on the other hand, continue to incite violence and mob hysteria, celebrating the death of every Israeli Jew.

9. Q: During the Intifada [1987-1993] Israel's Arab population remained uninvolved in the unrest. Are we now witnessing a new era with the eruption of violence among Israeli Arabs?
A: Israeli Jewish and Arab community leaders and public figures have been in constant dialogue since the outbreak of violence in Arab towns and villages, and the situation has calmed down, although still tense.

10. Q: Would Israeli Arabs prefer to be part of a future Palestinian state?
A: 93% of those polled recently, who do identify with the Palestinian cause, prefer to remain under Israeli sovereignty.

11. Did you know that Palestinian leaders (Arafat, Erekat, etc.) are transmitting dual messages: one to the Arab world, and quite another to the democratic world?

12. Give an example where the media presents the Palestinians as the underdog and the Israelis as aggressors.

Examples:

AP press misreporting photographs;

BBC/CNN The Israeli destruction of the Ramallah police station was described as a "reprisal" for the "killing of 2 Israeli soldiers"; the fact that it was a mob lynch was not mentioned, nor was it mentioned that the PA was even warned by Israel to evacuate the building ahead of the IDF response, in order to avoid loss of life.]

Q: Why is this so convincing?
A: Because:
Israel is perceived as a strong country, while the Palestinians do not have their own state. Israel is also bound by the rules and principles of a democracy, while Arafat's regime is undemocratic - to the extent that it is even willing to sacrifice innocent lives for media purposes.

Wednesday, October 25, 2000 09:51:05