Perfect
Israel?
• Ask the students to spend a week following Israel in the
Israeli press on the Internet through either the Jerusalem Post Internet edition
or the Ha’aretz English language website.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=
JPost/P/FrontPage/FrontPage&cid=1002116796299
• Ask each student to bring in two articles: One should
show the ugly side of Israel and one should show the best side of Israel an
Israelis.
• In small groups let each student show both articles and
explain what they feel about them and why they chose them.
• The group as a whole should now make two collages –
one of “good” Israel and one of “bad” Israel.
• Discuss whether Israel needs to be a “Light to the
Nations” or whether it needs to be a nation like all the other nations.
Bring arguments for and against. You might want to bring in pieces from the
writings of Ahad Ha’am, A.D. Gordon or Rav Kook to suggest why they
think Israel must be different. [Look primarily in “The Zionist Idea”
by Arthur Hertzberg.] You might want to bring in pieces from Amos Oz suggesting
why Israel should not see itself in these terms. [See especially the last
pages of his “In the Land of Israel”.]
• Debate and sum up bringing the pros and cons of the issue.