Blog #5 Mock Elections and Last Weekend

This past week we were in charge of doing a project on a Israeli political party of our choice with a partner and presenting it in front of the class on Thursday.  Michelle and I chose to do the party Yesh Atid headed by Yair Lapid.  We had a lot of fun researching Yesh Atid and learning about a party neither of us knew anything about before.  And it turns out not too many know much about them either since they were just formed last year before elections.
It is hard to believe that a party formed by a journalist with no political background was able to form a party in one year and gain 19 seats in the Knesset.  Even more hard to believe is the fact that all 19 members of his party that got a seat have never served in the Knesset before.  We had a somewhat of a difficult time doing research for this party because of the fact that they are so young.  We could not find any academic journals or books on them, only newspaper articles online.  However, we did find books and journals on the party, Shinui.  Shinui is the precursor to Yesh Atid and was headed by Yair Lapid's father, Tommy Lapid.  Both parties generally have the same ideologies and it was interesting to see the evolution from party to party.
We created a Powerpoint based on the points of our party's platform and our educated guesses of what their platform could change to in the future.  Our presentation to the class went well, as we had a lot of fun and tied for the second-most votes with 3.  Then we got to go through the process of forming a coalition with the winners Meretz, and the other parties that would join.  We were happy with getting Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, as we felt that in those areas Yesh Atid would make a huge impact because their platform outlines and calls for an education reform and deals with the question of the Haredim.
Overall it was a great experience to role play and experience a simulation of how the Knesset operates.  We also enjoyed being the youngest students in our program getting to represent the youngest party in the Knesset.
It is very hard to believe that tomorrow night I leave to go back home to little old Michigan.  I have had the time of my life during this month and a half in Israel and have memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to study abroad in Israel and to be a part of a culture so old and dear to my own culture.  I have learned much more than about the Israeli political system while here.  Simply by walking around the Old City, or down the street, I have learned what everyday life really is like in Israel and how to act in an Israeli manner.  Hopefully I don't bring the bad manners back with me!

Pool Parties, and Conscription

Last weekend we went to a pool party up north in Tivon, we had been invited by an Israeli, Nir, whom Julia had met while she was teaching English in Ecuador. Nir has been incredible to us ever since we've met him, he's always helping us with everything, making sure we have the best time possible, and learning as much as we can about his homeland. 

Anyway, Nir invited us up, and since we were already in the area because of a class trip we had to take him up on the offer. It was one of the few chances we've had in Israel to interact with people our age. That's been one of the weirdest parts about this entire trip, almost everyone our age is serving in the IDF, or is abroad because they just finished their military service and so are getting out of this country and going as far away as they possibly can for a short escape. I know I would want to do the same in their position (and that’s when Nir and Julia met, so I would say it worked out pretty well).

            The pool party was a blast, as pool parties always are, it was really interesting to see the differences between how an American party like that would have gone versus how the Israeli party went. There were a lot of similarities, but also some random cultural differences.

What I really wanted to talk to them about though, was their opions on being conscripted into the IDF, on being forced to serve in a civilian army to defend their country. Before I came to Israel and talked to civilians whom had been conscripted, I had a very favorable view of this concept of a mandatory national service. It has a ton of benefits: it gives you a connection to your country, it shows you what it is to serve a higher ideal of some sort, it teaches you what it means to sacrifice, and it shows you how much more you can do than you think you can. I wasn’t envisioning a purely military national service, but something that has options like Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Teach for America, whatever. Of course, it would never be implemented in the States, it’s far too much governmental control for our right-wing friends and it would be expensive beyond belief. I still thought of it as a very nice ideal, even if impractical.

That’s changed since I’ve gotten here and talked with current soldiers and, especially, the friends we made at the pool party. They have plenty of good things to say about their service, it taught them discipline, it taught them to be organized, and it showed them what a true war would mean to the populace. But, bottom line, it sucked. You lose prime years of your life. Men serve approximately from 18-21, and women from 18-20. They kept coming back to how you’re supposed to spend those years at school, partying, and learning how to be an adult. Instead, right out of high school you’re thrown into basic training and before you know it you’re manning a checkpoint at a border crossing and your decisions could have significant impact on the security of your entire country, your family, your friends, everyone. This isn’t the kind of pressure 18 year olds should be under. They should be stressing out about finals and girls, not whether or not someone is friend or foe.

Of course, militaries will always be made up of young adults, that’s just how it works, but choice is crucial in this matter. There is a difference between someone who has volunteered into the military, and someone who is conscripted in.

I suppose I should qualify a little bit. I do believe the Israeli conscription is the right thing for Israel to do, and necessary for its survival. They wouldn’t have won the Six Days War or the Yom Kippur War without their reserves. Everyone I’ve talked to has been proud of their service. They’ve all agreed, however, that it takes a massive toll on all of them, and a future where it isn’t necessary is definitely the preferred path. Bottom line, war sucks.

Cultural Hegemony

In Professor Mendelsson’s class, we discussed the Kulturkampf in Israeli society.  I think it really resonated with me for several reasons.  I think I’m fascinated by the duality of Israeli society.  To some extent, it has greatly opened up and become more pluralistic and multi-cultural.  Mizrahi music is on the radio and in the bars, Yemeni food is delicious and not so hard to find, etc.  What I find fascinating, however, is how much discrimination happens here.  In talking to some of my new Israeli friends, I’ve heard terrible things said about Palestinians, Bedouins, the Haredim and other minority groups.  Crazy stories and over-generalizations.

As offended and shocked as I may have been in most cases, I am glad that I’m hearing these things.  Not because they’re good things to be said, but because they are viewpoints found in Israeli society that I’m not hearing from the academic setting.  I by no means agree with the majority of what’s said about Bedouins or Palestianians, etc., but I think it’s a good balance to the academic narrative.

Instead of the Bedouins being victimized and forced to settle and give up their traditional ways, I now see more of the complexities of the Bedouin story, since Wafa’s father himself said that most Bedouin-Israelis wanted to settle down.  An Israeli Jewish friend agreed that they wanted to settle down, but then painted a picture of lazy welfare beneficiaries who steal nice cars and tax-payer dollars.  I think it’s a much better perspective than I had on birthright or in the spring semester, because I have seen more varied opinions and experiences.

All of my secular Israeli friends complain about the Haredim and their government stipends.  While I understand the various ideologies from class, I now see why the conflict between secular and ultra-orthodox is so tense.

While Israel may have been growing more open and tolerant to pluralism, having abandoned the Labour parties model of the “New Jew”, there is still a level of Kulturkampf going on in Israeli society, but now the parties are struggling for acceptance alongside one another.

Regional Politics 101?

Part of the reason I love Israeli studies is that I get to learn more about the rest of the region as well.  This was particularly true last week, when we had a speaker come in to discuss the broader conflicts of the “Muddle” East and how they are all separate, yet intertwined.  I now know more about the divisions and politics of: Egypt, Syria, Iran/Iraq, Sunni/Shia, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Israel’s relationship with it’s neighbors.  I feel terrible for not remembering his name, but he was by far my favorite lecturer of the trip.

His rationale for Israeli allying itself with the Sunni’s was fascinating (and logical), and I think I support it based upon his reasoning.  I’m not as gung-ho as he is about the idea, but I think he did a great job of explaining a broader context along side domestic conflicts.  The way he described the Muslim Brotherhood as more pragmatic than ideological is also very interesting, since they have ties with Hamas in Gaza.  While the entire regional political situation appears to be an absolute Balagan, he did a great job of helping me personally in wrapping my head around the issues and connections.

As an International Relations major, I think it’s definitely easier to look at domestic and foreign separately, but in this region, that becomes difficult.  Sometimes I’m great at putting two separate historical events in different countries together and finding the connections, but usually, I get that “OH!” moment when it’s explained to me.  In 90 minutes of lecturing, I got so many of those moments, that now, while I still am no middle-east expert, I find much of the talk about the region much much more accessible.

His explanations not only helped with the regional politics, but the interregional politics.  As a Western European Studies specialist, I find that his explanations also helped us see through an external lens.  Especially with the Syrian conflict, he was able to help me see connections between this civil war and it’s impacts on the West.  With the Russian Federation and Iran arming the Assad regime, it helps understand why the West is less likely to help the Rebels for fear of a new proxy war that might hurt post-Cold War Russo-Western relations.

In summary, I loved this lecture.

Sarah Kovan - blog post 5

It’s hard to believe that I am already leaving this beautiful country, to imagine that I have spent 10 weeks in this foreign place. And, that being said, it’s amazing how a place that is so far away can feel so close to home. So, in this last blog post I’m not going to talk about a specific thing I learned in class or a tedious bit of information from some past field trip, instead I’m going to talk about my experiences in general.

The in class simulation of an Israel general election that we did this past Thursday fabulously incorporated the different tidbits of information and Israeli characteristics that I have gained while being in Israel. To begin, Israelis are incredibly forthright in their demeanor, never failing to challenge your statement or question your authority. When I first arrived in Israel, this was intimidating. I often found myself relinquishing to their strong and confrontational personalities. However, I have come to love and embrace this. Professor Aronoff was the person who really opened up my mind to this personality characteristic. For every trip that we went on, Aronoff would be this first to question the authority, to ask others to speak to us, to go out of her way to request what she wanted. This not only greatly improved our trips, but also showed me the importance of questioning what is around you and never settling for what you are given. Being invited to the after party for the documentary we went to watch and speaking with a figurehead for the Parent Circle are two examples of the importance of going out of the way to ask simple requests and being forthright and strong in your demeanor. In our simulation, the class did an excellent job representing this trait. We have all learned over the past weeks to argue for what we want, question the authority figure (Meretz) and at the same time negotiate for what we are requesting. Not only did I take away this Israeli trait, however, but the elections also gave me a very good insight into how the Israeli government is run. It is a riveting and exciting adventure to try and form a coalition.

Finally, as Amanda Kruzel held up her “love” shirt, I was reminded of the importance of finding the good in everyone. Israel is a country that has been tormented by a history of conflict and tensions. Yet, at the end of the day these will only end when we learn to trust all of humanity. When we come together, as did the two Parent Circle speakers, and unite to try and create equal rights for all Israelis and end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

And with that, I board the plane tonight and fly back to quiet and calm Michigan. However, my mind and heart will forever be engrossed in Israeli politics and society.

Until next time… 

between right and right

In his article “between right and right” Amos Oz writes that, “The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a Wild West movie. It is not a struggle between good and evil, rather it is a tragedy in the ancient and most precise sense of the word: a clash between right and right, a clash between one very powerful, deep and convincing claim, and another very different but no less convincing, no less powerful, no less humane claim.”

I appreciated the wisdom of this article and it helped me connect more deeply with the Parent’s Circle meeting.  The article by Amos Oz gave me an eloquent framework to understand and place the conversation that took this past Monday night.  With Oz I could read about the deep pain that is held by people on both sides of this conflict and with the parent’s circle I could see that pain that he spoke of and how it touches people from all walks of life here.

I think the Parent’s Circle’s activities help work towards what Oz claims is missing from the dialogue in this land.  He says that any compromise will be painful because Israelis and Palestinians have “equally deep, though different historical and emotional roots in the country...Many Israeli Jews don’t recognize how deep is the Palestinian emotional connection to the land. And many Palestinians fail to recognize just how deep is the Jewish connection to the same land. And the recognition comes in a painful way and as a painful process for both nations.  It is a route paved with shattered dreams and broken illusions and injured hopes and blown-up slogans from the past on both sides.”  The Parent’s Circle is a way for people on both sides, or from outside of the conflict, to see how hurt both the Israelis and Palestinians are.  It is way to recognize the dual tragedy that is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  A conflict between two victims is a very sad thing and both Amos Oz and the Parent’s Circle helped me see that and empathize with the two sides of the conflict.

Israel, to a Hopeful Future

I wouldn’t trade the experience I’ve had on this study abroad trip for anything.  I expanded my knowledge on various issues concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Israeli structure of government, the fragile relations between Arabs and Jews, the Israeli military and its reputation among the Israeli public, and the inequality problems that Ethiopian Israelis face in the country.  Although there has been a lot of information to absorb, especially considering that the issues facing Israel are relatively foreign to my knowledge, I feel exponentially more informed about Israeli policies than when I first arrived.  Regarding the issue of the continued installation of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, I believe the settlements should be stopped before any steps towards peace are taken.  This is my opinion, because continuing the building of settlements symbolizes the support of the status quo.  Within this context, the status quo means that the differences and problems between Palestinians and Israelis are swept under the rug and ignored.  This strategy will never solve anything.    

Furthermore, I am very thankful for the opportunities that have been opened for me as a result of working with the Ethiopian National Project.  Volunteering for the organization opened my eyes to the realities of the current condition of Ethiopian Israelis.  They suffer from inequality, however they are aware of their opportunities to grow and better their condition.  The ENP and similar organizations aim to close the gap in education between the minority Ethiopian population and the majority Israeli population.  Over the course of my research, I have found that within the past decade, the gap has been closing.  In order to realize an obvious change in Israeli society regarding this issue, the ENP needs more volunteers and workers who are willing to go into the field to teach and inspire the young Ethiopian students.  This is why I have agreed to continue working with the organization by spreading word of their goals, and bolstering support for the cause.  I am excited to see what the future holds for Ethiopian Israelis.  With the sustained support that the community has been receiving along with a hopeful increase in support, the future is bright.