Facts, Faces and Facets of Israel-Part 5-Internal Conflicts and Debates

LESSON 1 – THE STATE OF ISRAEL: HOW JEWISH SHOULD IT BE?

Goal

The goal of the lesson is to enable the students to grapple with the tension between Israel as a Jewish state and Israel as a free and democratic state.

Materials

Included in the kit: 4 question sheets

Included in the Student Reader: The Israeli Declaration of Independence

Suggested Lesson Plan

Step 1 (20 minutes)

The teacher should explain that this lesson will deal with the tension between Israel as a Jewish state and Israel as a free and democratic state. The teacher should then explain that the class will be divided into 4 groups with each group assigned a different question relating to this general theme. Divide the class into 4 groups and hand the question along with a “Things to Consider” sheet that each group must relate to as it decides on its position on the question. Ask each group to appoint a representative who will be responsible for reporting to the class on the question assigned to the group, the group’s decision on the question and the reasons behind it.

Walk around the room to ensure that the discussion is serious and relates to the issues raised in the “Things to Consider” sheet.

Step 2 (20 minutes)

 Reassemble the class and ask the representative of each group to present the question, the groups’ decision and the reasons behind it. 

Step 3 (5 minutes)

The teacher should then summarize the actual laws on the above questions. If there is time ask the students to comment on these laws.

Questions

Question 1

Should the study of the Bible be required in the general (non-religious) state school system?

Things to Consider

1. According to the underlined passages of the Declaration of Independence Israel is supposed to be a “Jewish state”.
2. The same Declaration also requires the state to be based on “freedom”, “equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex” and “freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture”.
3. About 17% of the Israeli Jewish population is considered to be religiously observant, 35% are traditional and the remainder are secular (non-observant).
4. Nevertheless, nearly half of those who define themselves as secular observe some aspects of Jewish tradition.
5. The Bible is the central text of Judaism and has been the central text of the Jewish people throughout Jewish history.
6. Forcing secular Jews to study Bible may alienate them from it instead of helping them connect to it.
7. The Bible to a large extent revolves around God – whose existence is denied by many secular Jews – and religion – which has little importance or meaning for many secular Jews.

Question 2

Should malls and public offices be closed on Shabbat?

Things to Consider

1. According to the underlined passages of the Declaration of Independence Israel is supposed to be a “Jewish state”.
2. The same Declaration also requires the state to be based on “freedom”, “equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex” and “freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture”.
3. About 17% of the Israeli Jewish population is considered to be religiously observant, 35% are traditional and the remainder are secular (non-observant).
4. Nevertheless, 77% of the population believes that marking Shabbat in some manner is important and 66% mark Shabbat through some of the traditional rituals such as lighting candles or a special meal.
5. Shabbat has been one of the central observances of Jewish tradition throughout Jewish history.
6. Since Israel currently has a six-day work-week Shabbat is the most convenient day for purchases and other official business.
7. Store owners may face severe financial losses if they are forced to close on Shabbat.

Question 3

Should Israel offer a framework for civil marriage and divorce for those who don’t want to go through the rabbinical courts?

Things to Consider

1. According to the underlined passages of the Declaration of Independence Israel is supposed to be a “Jewish state”.
2. The same Declaration also requires the state to be based on “freedom”, “equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex” and “freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture”.
3. About 17% of the Israeli Jewish population is considered to be religiously observant, 35% are traditional and the remainder are secular (non-observant).
4. More than 80% of all Jewish Israelis believe that life-cycles rituals should have a traditional Jewish character including 87% who believe that this principle applies to marriage. This includes the majority of those who define themselves as “secular”.
5. Jewish marriage has been one of the hallmarks of Jewish life throughout the ages.
6. If civil marriage and divorce are allowed then the children of women who divorce and then remarry in civil courts will be considered illegitimate in religious courts and they in turn will be unable to marry other Israeli Jews according to Jewish law.  
7. Prohibiting civil marriage in Israel will not entirely eliminate the above problem since couples living in Israel can arrange for civil marriages abroad.
8. If marriage and divorce can only be performed under the jurisdiction of rabbis and the rabbinate the question then arises as to which rabbis and which of the various Jewish religious denominations should control the rabbinate. If control is given to the Orthodox establishment because Orthodoxy is the dominant Jewish denomination in Israel then the state is essentially disqualifying the other Jewish denominations.

Question 4

Should it be permissible to sell non-kosher products in Israel?

Things to Consider

1. According to the underlined passages of the Declaration of Independence Israel is supposed to be a “Jewish state”.
2. The same Declaration also requires the state to be based on “freedom”, “equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex” and “freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture”.
3. About 17% of the Israeli Jewish population is considered to be religiously observant, 35% are traditional and the remainder are secular (non-observant).
4. Roughly 90% of the Israeli Jewish population observes, at least occasionally, some aspects of kashrut.
5. One of the hallmarks of Jewish life over the ages has been the observance of the laws of kashrut.
6. Limiting food sales in Israel to kosher products will severely hamper the competitiveness of the food industry.
7. Limiting food sales to kosher products deprives the average consumer of many of the pleasures of life enjoyed by people all around the world.

Actual Israeli Law

Question 1 – Bible study

The 1953 law of national education states: “primary education is to be based on Jewish cultural values and scientific achievements, on the love of the homeland and loyalty to the state of Israel and the people of Israel…”. Bible has, and continues to be, a required subject in the Israeli school system.

Questions 2-4 – malls and public offices, civil marriage and divorce, and the sale of non-kosher food

Much of the relationship between Judaism and state in Israel is rooted in what is known as the “Status Quo Agreement” reached between Ben-Gurion and the religious parties around or soon after the time of the establishment of the state. This agreement includes the following:

2. “Laws governing working hours and rest – The Sabbath and the Jewish holidays… are fixed says of rest in the state of Israel.” Government offices are closed on the Sabbath. However, whether or not malls remain open varies from one municipality to another. Interestingly, on the one hand there is no public transportation in most cities, no mail delivery, and the national airline -El Al – does not (yet) operate but on the other hand there is national television and radio and there are major sporting events.
3. “Laws concerning the jurisdiction of rabbinical courts (marriage and divorce) – matters of marriages and divorces of Jews in Israel, citizens of the state or residents therein, shall be within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Rabbinical courts. Marriages and divorces involving Jews will take place in accordance with the laws of the Torah”. – This is still the law today although it continues to be challenged by secular and non-Orthodox figures and groups.
4. “Laws restricting the raising of pigs – no person may raise, possess or slaughter pigs. The directives… will not apply (a) to settlement areas specifically listed in the supplement to this law: (b) to the raising, holding and slaughtering of pigs in scientific and research institutions and public zoos.”- It is permissible to sell non-kosher foods although government offices and the army are required to observe the laws of kashrut. Interestingly, while this law prohibits the raising of pig it does not prohibit the selling of pig.  

THE DECLARATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL
May 14, 1948

ERETZ-ISRAEL was the birthplace of the Jewish People. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped. Here they first attained to statehood, created cultural values of national and universal significance and gave to the world the eternal Book of Books.

Impelled by this historic and traditional attachment, Jews strove in every successive generation to re-establish themselves in their ancient homeland. In recent decades they returned in their masses. Pioneers, ma’pilim (immigrants) and defenders, they made deserts bloom, revived the Hebrew language, built villages and towns, and created a thriving community controlling its own economy and culture, loving peace but knowing how to defend itself, bringing the blessings of progress to all the country’s inhabitants, and aspiring towards independent nationhood.

The catastrophe which recently befell the Jewish people – the massacre of millions of Jews in Europe – was another clear demonstration of the urgency of solving the problem of its homelessness by re-establishing in Eretz-Israel the Jewish State, which would open the gates of the homeland wide to every Jew and confer upon the Jewish People the status of a fully privileged member of the comity of nations.

Survivors of the Nazi holocaust in Europe, as well as Jews from other parts of the world, continued to migrate to Eretz-Israel, undaunted by difficulties, restrictions and dangers, and never ceased to assert their right to a life of dignity, freedom and honest toil in their national homeland.

On the 29th November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz-Israel; the General Assembly required the inhabitants of Eretz-Israel to take such steps as were necessary on their part for the implementation of that resolution. This recognition by the United Nations of the right of the Jewish People to establish their State is irrevocable.

This right is the natural right of the Jewish People to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign State…by virtue of our natural and historic right and on the strength of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel.

THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

WE APPEAL to the United Nations to assist the Jewish people in the building-up of its State and to receive the State of Israel into the comity of nations.

WE APPEAL – in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months – to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.

WE EXTEND our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighbourliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.

WE APPEAL to the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora to rally round the Jews of Eretz-Israel in the tasks of immigration and upbuilding and to stand by them in the great struggle for the realization of the age-old dream – the redemption of Israel.

PLACING OUR TRUST IN THE ALMIGHTY, WE AFFIX OUR SIGNATURES TO THIS PROCLAMATION AT THIS SESSION OF THE PROVISIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE, ON THE SOIL OF THE HOMELAND, IN THE CITY OF TEL-AVIV, ON THIS SABBATH EVE, THE 5TH DAY OF IYAR, 5708 (14TH MAY 1948).

LESSON 2 – WHAT SHOULD BE THE STATUS OF ISRAELI ARABS?

Goal

The goal of this lesson is to encourage the students to grapple with the difficulties and tensions that relate to the Israeli-Arab population in Israel.

Materials

Included in the kit: 8 proposal sheets, the original and edited version of “Close and Far Away”, a page on which the students must cast their votes on the status of Israeli-Arabs.

Needed:  appropriate number of copies of the voting sheet, pens or pencils

Suggested Lesson Plan

Prior to class the teacher should post the 8 proposal sheets around the room.

Step 1 (3 minutes)

Provide a brief introduction on the history of Israeli-Arabs. The summary below should be helpful. Then tell the students that they are going to be asked to vote on a series of proposals (8) relating to Israeli Arabs. The proposals, along with arguments both pro and con, are posted around the classroom.

Step 2 (10-15 minutes)

Students should walk around the classroom freely studying each proposal and discussing them freely with other students. Remind them that this is the only opportunity they will have to discuss the proposals as they will soon be asked to vote on these proposals privately.

Step 3 (5 minutes)

The teacher should distribute to each student a copy of the 8 proposals on which the students will have to vote. It is important that the teacher maintain quiet in the classroom so that the voting can take place in confidentiality.

Step 4 (18 minutes)

Show the film clip from “Close and Far Away” which tells the story of two Israeli Arabs.

Step 5 (9-15 minutes)

Ask the students if anything in the film surprised them or disturbed them. Then ask them if, as a result of the film, they would consider changing their votes? Over which proposals would they consider changing their votes? Why the change?

Background on Israeli Arabs

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War many of the Palestinian Arabs fled or were forced to leave (see “Israel and the Palestinians: what are they fighting about – lesson 2”), and others remained in the territories that were brought under Jordanian or Egyptian control. Nevertheless, some 160,000,000 remained within Israel’s boundaries constituting roughly 18% of the total population of the state. Thus, the Arabs living in Palestine prior to the establishment of the state who had been a two-thirds majority of the population were now a minority of less than 20%. Today in Israel there are roughly 1,200,000 Arabs (75% Muslim, 17% Christian, 8% Druse and others) out of an estimated population of 6,000,000. Thus, the ratio of Israeli Jews to Israeli Arabs has hardly changed in over 50 years.

Today 70% of the Arab population lives in localities which are run by Arab governments. The rest live in mixed towns including Haifa, Acre, Jaffa, Lod, Ramleh and Upper Nazareth, and another 70,000 live in “unrecognized settlements”. 62% lives in the northern districts and Haifa, 29% in Jerusalem and 9% in the south.

The proposals and some pro and con arguments

1. Israeli Arabs must learn Bible and Zionism

PRO	CON
All citizens of Israel must learn about the cornerstones upon which the State of Israel was established	Arab citizens of Israel should not be required to study another people’s history, culture and religion.
According to the Israeli Declaration of Independence Israel is supposed to be a Jewish state	According to the Israeli Declaration of Independence Israel is supposed to “guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture”
Arabs in Israel will never be able to be part of Israeli society if they don’t understand it’s essential beliefs and values	Arabs in Israel are part of Israeli society by virtue of the fact that they are citizens of Israel. Who says that Israeli society should be defined by Judaism and Zionism?

2. Israeli Arabs must serve in the Israeli army

PRO	CON
Drafting Israeli Arabs will foster a greater loyalty to the state	How can Israel draft a population for whom the loyalty of a large percentage is toward Palestinian Arabs against whom Israel is currently fighting
The Israeli Declaration of Independence calls on Israeli Arabs to “to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions”	According to the Israeli Declaration of Independence, Israel is supposed to be a Jewish state. Why should Arab Israelis be asked to sacrifice their lives for Jews?
How can they expect equal rights if they don’t share equally in the responsibilities	The idea of drafting Israeli Arabs contradicts one of the basic principles of Zionist ideology which states that Jews should take responsibility for their own fate and fight for themselves.

3. Israeli Arabs may vote and be elected to government office.

PRO	CON
Allowing Israeli Arabs to vote and be elected will help eliminate any feelings of hostility that Arab Israelis may harbor against the state.	Many Israeli Arabs harbor feeling of hostility toward the State of Israel. They may vote against the better interests of the country.
The Israeli Declaration of Independence states that Israeli Arabs should “participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions”	How can Israel be a state for the Jews if the non-Jewish population is given equal representation?
Throughout our history we have suffered from our status as minorities and the denial of our rights. We must make sure never to treat minorities in Israel in the same way.	How can Israel preserve its character as a Jewish state if the non-Jewish population is given equal representation?

4. Israeli Arabs may represent Israel abroad.

PRO	CON
The Israeli Declaration of Independence states that Israeli Arabs should “participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions”. As full and equal citizens they should be allowed to represent Israel abroad.	The Israeli Declaration of Independence states that Israel is to be a Jewish state. How can a non-Jew be allowed to represent a Jewish state?
Allowing Israel Arabs to represent Israel abroad will help foster their sense of loyalty to the state.	How can Israeli Arabs who do not identify with the goals of the Jewish state represent the state abroad?
A democracy cannot discriminate against its minorities.	How can they expect equal rights if they don’t share equally in the responsibilities?

5. Israeli Arabs may enjoy the right of freedom of speech including the right to express support for acts of terror committed by Palestinian Arabs against citizens of Israel.

PRO	CON
The Israeli Declaration of Independence guarantees its citizens freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture.	How can a Jewish state support the right of its citizens to support acts of violence against fellow Jews?
Throughout our history we have suffered from our status as minorities and the denial of our rights. We must make sure never to treat minorities in Israel in the same way.	Freedom of speech cannot include the right to speak in support of harming other citizens.
A country that deprives some of its citizens of their right to free speech cannot be considered a democracy.	The State of Israel was created so that Jews can have a home where they can exercise their right to a life of dignity and freedom. How can it grant its citizens the right to support acts that undermine the very purpose of the state?

6. Israel must include elements from Arab culture and tradition on the state symbols in addition to Jewish symbols.

PRO	CON
The Israeli Declaration of Independence states that Israeli Arabs should “participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions”. Shouldn’t this principle also be reflected in the state symbols?	According to the Israeli Declaration of Independence Israel is supposed to be a Jewish state.
The presence of Jewish culture and tradition on state symbols is offensive to the Arab citizens of Israel. Either get rid of the Jewish symbols or include Arab symbols as well.	The Jews of Israel are the majority of the population. Shouldn’t the state symbols reflect the traditions and culture of the majority?
The Israeli Declaration of Independence “guarantees its citizens freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture”. How can Israeli Arabs express their culture freely if Jewish cultural symbols are part of the state’s formal culture?	Many Arab Israelis are hostile toward the State of Israel. Thus, it doesn’t make sense to include their culture on state symbols.

7. Israeli Arabs should not enjoy the right to formal days off during their own holidays.

PRO	CON
According to the Israeli Declaration of Independence Israel is supposed to be a Jewish state. In a Jewish state it is the Jewish holidays that should be recognized.	The Israeli Declaration of Independence “guarantees its citizens freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture”. How can Israeli Arabs express their religion and culture freely if they are not allowed to celebrate their holidays?
The Jews of Israel are the majority of the population. Why shouldn’t the national holidays be determined by the Jewish majority?	When Jews were the minority in other countries they were too often denied the right to celebrate their holidays. How can Jews subject other minorities to similar discrimination?
Giving them the right to celebrate their own holidays means that they can enjoy both sets of holidays. That in effect gives them preferential treatment over the Jews!	The Israeli Declaration of Independence appeals “to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions”. How can they be expected to do so if Israel doesn’t respect their right to celebrate their holidays?

8. Israeli Arabs may not move into Jewish settlements when the Jews do not want them there.

PRO	CON
According to the Israeli Declaration of Independence Israel is supposed to be a Jewish state. Thus, the right of Jews to create exclusively Jewish neighborhoods should be guaranteed.	The Israeli Declaration of Independence grants Israeli Arabs the right to participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship. How can they then be denied the right to settle in communities of their choice?
There are many feelings of hostility between Israeli Jews and Arabs. If Jews ask to remain separate from Arabs it is in the best interests of the country to grant them their request.	Allowing them to settle in Jewish communities will help ease the tensions that exist between the two populations.
The Israeli Declaration of Independence “guarantees its citizens freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture.” Doesn’t this include the freedom to set up in Israel communities with distinct cultures and religious lifestyles?	When Jews were minorities in other countries they were too often restricted in the areas of settlement. Should the Jewish state subject its minorities to similar discrimination?

LESSON 3 – WHAT PRICE SHOULD ISRAEL PAY TO BRING HOME ITS CAPTIVES?

Introduction

While moral dilemmas are by no means unique to Israel, in this and the following lesson, we have decided to focus on moral dilemmas which Israel has had to face and in which no clear cut resolutions have been reached. In this lesson we will focus on the “Tennenbaum Deal” which featured the release of 400 Palestinian terrorists in exchange for Elhanan Tennenbaum and the remains of 3 Israeli soldiers. Although the Israeli government ultimately approved the prisoner exchange, the debate and the controversy surrounding it has continued long afterwards.

Goal

The goal of this lesson is to encourage the students to grapple with one of the most difficult moral dilemmas that Israel has had to face in recent memory. In grappling with this dilemma the students will hopefully have a better understanding of the difficulties and challenges of life in Israel.

Materials

Needed: pens or pencils, paper

The Dilemma

In its ongoing war against terror, Israel has arrested thousands of Palestinians including those directly involved in terrorist acts as well as those who lent their support to terrorist acts. In the course of this war a number of Israeli soldiers and civilians have been taken hostage and were either killed or held in captivity by the Lebanon-based Hezbollah organization. Some of these captives were then used as bargaining chips to help attain the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

At the beginning of 2004, a deal was proposed by German mediators by which Israel would release roughly 400 Palestinian prisoners in return for the remains of 3 Israeli soldiers and kidnapped Israeli businessman Elhanan Tennenbaum. Although many terrorist would be included among the Palestinian prisoners to be released, Israel made it clear that none of the prisoners would be “terrorists with blood on their hands” – those who were directly involved in the murder of Israelis. An additional factor was the promise that Israel would receive information in the months ahead about the fate of the long-missing airman Ron Arad.

Israel knows that some of terrorists will likely resume terrorist activity once they are released. Indeed, this was the case when, in 1985, Israel released 1,150 prisoners in exchange for three soldiers kidnapped in Lebanon by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine many of those freed quickly rejoined the front and became activists in the first Palestinian Intifada that erupted two years later. On the other hand, Israel knows that the morale of the army depends to a large extent on the commitment that the government makes to secure the safety and wellbeing of its soldiers.

Should Israel agree to the prisoner exchange? Why or why not?

Suggested Lesson Plan

Note: In order to maximize the impact and meaning of a moral discussion such as this, it is highly recommended to follow the guidelines for moral discussions in a classroom setting developed in the early 1980’s under the leadership and inspiration of Dr. Lawrence Kohlberg from Harvard University, an expert on moral education.  (Those who wish to understand his general approach to moral education are encouraged to read Kohlberg, L. (1984) Essays on Moral Development, Volume I: The Philosophy of Moral Development. and(1985) Essays on Moral Development, Volume II: The Psychology of Moral Development, San Francisco: Harper + Row.) The suggested lesson plan follows these guidelines.

Step 1 (7 minutes)

The seats in the class should be arranged in a circle. Everyone should be seated and the teacher should read the dilemma aloud.

The teacher should then ask questions that require the students to identify the precise nature of the dilemma. The following are some examples:

1. What exactly were the terms of the proposed prisoner exchange?
2. Who is Ron Arad and how was he relevant to this prisoner exchange?
3. Who did Israel categorically refuse to release in this prisoner exchange?
4. What happened the last time Israel agreed to a major prisoner exchange?
5. What was the Israeli government’s dilemma?

Step 3 (5 minutes)

The teacher should hand out paper and pencils or pens and the students should write down what they think Israel should do in this situation and the major reasons for their decision. While the students are recording their decisions, the teacher should walk around the room to get an idea of the breakdown of the class on this issue. Then the teacher should ask for a show of hands, calling for the minority position first (so that the students who disagree with the majority viewpoint should not be intimidated).

Step 4 (10-15 minutes)

The students should be divided into small groups according to their positions. No group should consist of more than 4-6 students. If there are a larger number of students who adopted the same position then that group should be divided into 2 groups. If the entire class agrees on one particular position (which is extremely unlikely) then the class should be divided according to similarities in the reasons for their position.

Each group should then discuss the various reasons for their shared position and decide on the two best reasons for their position. Each group should then appoint a representative who will present these reasons to the class. During this time the teacher should move quickly from group to group to make sure that the students focus on the assigned task and to prevent digressions such as discussions about the facts of the dilemma rather than the reasons for their positions. Observing the progress of each group also helps the teacher decide how to open the discussion when the class reconvenes.

Step 5 (20-25 minutes)

The class should reconvene and the teacher should begin by asking the representative of the minority position to explain the two central reasons for the group’s position. At this point students from the opposing position are likely to respond and a lively discussion is likely to ensue. If not, the teacher should turn randomly to other students and ask what they think about what was just said. Once the conversation is flowing the role of the teacher is to keep it focused and orderly (i.e., to prevent it from turning into a shouting match). Furthermore, the teacher has to make sure to limit the discussion so that the other representative (s) will be able to present his/her group’s position and reasoning. In order to keep the discussion focused and to deepen their level of reasoning (which is the central purpose of dilemma discussions) the teacher should try to incorporate some or all of the following probe questions into the discussion.

Please keep in mind that the purpose of this exercise is not to advocate one position or the other but to deepen the level of reasoning of all the students. Thus, it is important to make sure that the probe questions are directed more or less equally towards both groups and that as many students as possible are challenged to reexamine their line of reasoning. It is also important to keep in mind that the issue is not “what would a person do in such circumstances” but “what should a person do”! The students often confuse the two issues and it is therefore important for the teacher to keep the discussion focused by forcing the students to address the appropriate question.

Sample Probe Questions:

1. How far should we have to go to protect the lives of other Jews?
2. Should it make any difference if, in order to secure the deal, Israel had to release terrorists with “blood on their hands”? Why?
3. What might happen to an army if it fails to do everything that it can to secure the release of its soldiers?
4. Would you change your position if the 3 soldiers were returned alive? Why?
5. Would your position change if the deal included not just the possibility of information about the fate of Ron Arad but his actual return alive?
6. Would it make a difference if Elhanan Tennenbaum were not kidnapped but went to Lebanon on his own volition as part of a drug deal? Why?
7. What would society be like if those who actively support the murder of innocent civilians are allowed to go free?
8. What if, realizing the enormous price that Israel is willing to pay to free its citizens from captivity, the terrorist organizations will intensify their efforts to kidnap more Israelis in the future?
9. Are there some lives which are more worthy of saving than others?
10. What do you think Elhanan Tennenbaum’s family would want Israel to do? What about the family’s of the 3 dead soldiers? What about Ron Arad’s family? What about the family’s of victims of terror? Why?

Step 6 (3 minutes)

After this (hopefully intense and heated) discussion the teacher should ask the students whether any of them changed their position as a result of this discussion. Explain that there is no right or wrong answer but that the purpose of this class was to encourage them to think seriously about the kinds of dilemmas and issues that the people living in Israel have to face.

LESSON 4 – SOLDIERS WHO REFUSE TO SERVE IN THE TERRITORIES

Goal

The goal of this lesson is to encourage the students to grapple with one of the complex moral dilemmas facing Israel today – the refusal of some soldiers to serve in the territories.

Materials

Needed: pens or pencils, paper

The Dilemma

Gil is an Israeli soldier who recently completed his basic military training. As part of his army service he was assigned patrol duty in Nablus, a Palestinian city in which dozens of terrorist attacks have been planned and from which they have been launched. In these attacks many Israeli civilians were wounded and killed. Included in this patrol duty are raids into homes of suspected terrorists and their accomplices and house to house combat with armed gunmen who shoot at them from private homes, schools, hospitals and alleyways. In this fighting innocent Palestinian civilians are often wounded or killed. Gil knew about this type of patrol duty before he joined the army but he was hoping that things would improve and that it would no longer be necessary. He also believed that he would be assigned patrol duty in areas within Israel’s internationally recognized borders and in which he wouldn’t have to engage in house to house combat and put innocent lives at risk. Gil is an avid Zionist but he has always opposed the occupation of the territories conquered in 1967 because he felt that Israel was robbing the Palestinians of their legitimate rights, rights that are recognized by the international community as well. Furthermore, he strongly opposes the kind of street combat that puts the lives of innocent people at risk. He has recently heard about a number of soldiers with similar sympathies who have been arrested for refusing to serve in the territories and he knows that if he refuses he too will most probably be put in jail.

Should Gil refuse to serve in the occupied territories? Why or why not?

Suggested Lesson Plan

This lesson should follow the basic formal of moral dilemma discussions as illustrated in the previous lesson.

Step 1 (7 minutes)

The seats in the class should be arranged in a circle for both the students and the teacher. The teacher should then read the dilemma aloud. The teacher should then ask questions that require the students to identify the precise nature of the dilemma. The following are some examples:

1. What types of things are soldiers expected to do in Nablus?
2. What was the problem that Gil had with doing this kind of army service?
3. What did he think he might be doing in the army other than patrolling in Nablus?
4. What happened to those soldiers who refused to serve in the territories?
5. What was Gil’s dilemma?

Step 2 (5 minutes)

The teacher should hand out paper and pencils or pens and the students should write down what they think Gil should do and the major reasons for their position. While the students are recording their positions the teacher should walk around the room to get an idea of the breakdown of the class on this dilemma. Then the teacher should ask for a show of hands, calling for the minority position first (so that the students who disagree with the majority viewpoint should not be intimidated).

Step 3 (10-15 minutes)

The students should be divided into small groups according to their positions. No group should consist of more than 4-6 students. If there are a larger number of students who adopted the same position then that group should be divided into 2 groups. If the entire class agrees on one particular position (which is extremely unlikely) then the class should be divided according to similarities in the reasons for their position.

Each group should then discuss the various reasons or their shared position and decide on the two best reasons for their position. Each group should then appoint a representative who will present these reasons to the class. During this time the teacher should move quickly from group to group to make sure that the students focus on the assigned task and to prevent digressions such as discussions about the facts of the dilemma rather than the reasons for their positions. Observing the progress of each group also helps the teacher decide how to open the discussion when the class reconvenes.

Step 5 (20-25 minutes)

The teacher should begin by asking the representative of the minority position to explain the two central reasons for the group’s position. At this point students from the opposing position are likely to respond and a lively discussion is likely to ensue. If not, the teacher should turn randomly to another student and ask what he/she thinks about what was just said. Once the conversation is flowing the role of the teacher is to keep it focused and orderly (i.e., to prevent it from turning into a shouting match). Furthermore, the teacher has to make sure to limit the discussion so that the other representative (s) will be able to present his/her group’s position and reasoning. In order to keep the discussion focused and to deepen their level of reasoning (which of course is the central purpose of dilemma discussions) the teacher should try to incorporate some or all of the following probe questions into the discussion. Please keep in mind that the purpose of this exercise is not to advocate one position or the other but to deepen the level of reasoning of all the students. Thus, it s important to make sure that the probe questions are directed more or less equally at both groups and that as many students as possible are challenged to reexamine their line of reasoning.

Sample Probe Questions:

1. Does it matter that whether the refusal to serve in the territories might endanger the lives of Jews who will be more vulnerable to terrorist attacks?
2. Is it ever alright to break the law?
3. Would it make a difference if Gil would not have to go to jail for refusing to serve in the territories?
4. Are there ever situations in which the lives of innocent civilians can be put at risk?
5. What would happen if everyone broke the law when they didn’t agree with it?
6. Are there ever situations in which a person should act in ways that he/she believes are immoral?
7. Would it have mattered if Gil didn’t know before he entered the army that army service might entail this kind of patrolling?
8. What obligations do citizens have to their countries? What obligations do they have towards other people? Which obligations are more important? Why?
9. Refusal to serve in the territories is still not widespread. Suppose it were widespread. Should that make a difference?
10. Should it matter if the terrorists were operating in Israeli towns and not in the occupied territories?

Step 6 (3 minutes)

After this (hopefully intense and heated) discussion the teacher should ask the students whether any of them changed their position as a result of this discussion. Explain that there is no right or wrong answer but that the purpose of this class was to encourage them to think seriously about the kinds of dilemmas and issues that the people living in Israel have to face.