Approaching Conflicts
Contexts, Perspectives, and Values in Israel Education

Approaching Conflicts is designed to help educators and learners engage sensitive material with more confidence, ask more questions, and challenge assumptions for the purpose of a strong and meaningful relationship with Israel. Read More >>

Etgar-Keret-Sayed-Kashua

Stories with Happy Endings:

In the summer of 2014 – after a conflict that caused many Israelis, Jews and Arabs, to feel a growing despair for the possibilities of peace – prominent Israeli Palestinian writer Sayed Kashua announced his plans to immigrate to America. Afterwards, in a public exchange of letters, Kashua wrote to Etgar Keret, a popular Israeli Jewish author, to further discuss his decision. The two, longtime friends, discuss their lives and families among lingering possibilities of peace and coexistence while expressing exhaustion with continuing violence and conflict.

Israel and Gaza on Twitter

The News in 140 Characters or Less

In today's world, reporting on the news is as prevalent in social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram) as it is in conventional media outlets (TV, newspapers, radio, websites). In the summer of 2014, as conflict erupted in Israel and Gaza, the world watched in real time as the story unfolded. First-hand accounts were uploaded by witnesses to the conflict immediately as the events were taking place. Like with so many other news events nowadays, the presence of social media reporting changes the way the world views conflict.

 

Our Approach

Leading thinkers in Israel Education were assembled to develop an approach to understanding conflicts in Israel, built upon strong educational pillars, framing values, and engaging content.

Conflicts are a part of the human condition on all levels, every part of society, human history, and any age. How do we engage with conflicts in an educational way? 

Our approach seeks to understand conflict in a broader context and help educators connect through themes and concepts that have relevance and meaning to their learners.

The ongoing tension between Arabs, Jews, Palestinians, and the Jewish State—while the subject of much of this content—is not the only way in which to understand life in Israel.

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Educational Pillars

Approaching Conflicts provides a learner-centered approach for engaging with the complexities of the conflict. It emphasizes relationship building, identity formation, and critical thinking—a reasoned, reflective and higher order thinking. These techniques provide a means for addressing ambiguity when confronting difficult issues. This inquiry and deliberation based pedagogical approach allows for a broad representation of diverse ideas, viewpoints, and narratives on a range of issues. It also encourages learners to reflect on and develop perspectives on complex issues arising in Israel today.

Approaching Conflicts is:

  • Thematic & Values Driven
  • Inquiry Based & Learner Centered
  • Focused on Identity Development
  • Exploring Moral & Ethical Response
  • Engaged in Diverse Narratives & Perspective-Taking
  • Encouraging Dialogue & Deliberation
  • Modeling Cooperative Learning
  • Timely & Timeless
  • Immersive & Integrated
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Framing Values

Approaching Conflicts frames content within larger values which have both timely and timeless attributes. Examples of these themes include:

  • Empathy & Understanding: Engaging Diverse Narratives
  • The Sanctity of Life: Making Moral Decisions in Complex Situations
  • Home & Homeland: What Makes a Home?
  • Remembrance & Retelling: Conflicts in the Memory of a People & A Nation
  • Plurality and Division: Between Unity & Uniformity
  • Pursuit of Peace: Dreams vs. Realities, Hopes vs. Limitation
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