Vice President Cheney: U.S. Supports Israel, Won't Support Terrorist PA State, Won't Allow Iran to Have Nuclear Weapons

Speaking at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee 2006 Policy Conference Tuesday, Vice President Cheney said: "All of us share a fundamental belief - that the freedom and security of Israel are vital interests to the United States of America....We are, as President Bush has said, natural allies."

"If the leaders of Hamas desire the help of America and the international community to build an independent, prosperous Palestinian state, then the way forward is very clear. The Palestinian government must recognize Israel's right to exist. And Hamas must renounce terror and dismantle the infrastructure of terror. One thing is certain: The United States will not be a party to the establishment of a Palestinian state that sponsors terror and violence."

"The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course, the international community is prepared to impose meaningful consequences. For our part, the United States is keeping all options on the table in addressing the irresponsible conduct of the regime. And we join other nations in sending that regime a clear message: We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon." (White House/Washington Post)

Hamas Encouraging Children to Die for Allah on Website
by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook

Hamas has a special web site for children, al-fateh.net, where violence is glorified and death for Allah is labelled a "victory." Al-Fateh means 'The Conqueror.' The Shahada (Death for Allah) deaths of terrorists during attacks against Israel are presented to children as a time of celebration. A mother is quoted on the website as saying that when she heard that her son had become a shahid (martyr), she bought dates, candies and coffee to give out.

The website features a page entitled 'Stories of the Shahids.' The current story honors Hamas suicide terrorist Naseem Ja'abari who killed 16 people in a bus bombing in Beersheba on August 31, 2004.

The drawing of the religious girl participating in the violence appears both on the homepage as well as a second page with a poem glorifying fighting, Jihad, and Shahada. Israel is referred to as "thief" and "invader," and its defeat in battle is both desired and anticipated. (Palestinian Media Watch)

U.S. "Will Always be by Israel's Side," Clinton Says by Ron Csillag

The United States' relationship with Israel will be "solid for a long time to come," former U.S. President Bill Clinton told supporters of the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies in Toronto last week.

"No matter what happens, we will always be there by Israel's side," the 42nd American president told some 1,800 people attending the sold-out Spirit of Hope Benefit at the Toronto Performing Arts Center. "We're not about to allow Hamas or anyone else destroy Israel."

In a 40-minute extemporaneous talk that was warmly received, Clinton touched on many topics, including the Middle East, the growing interdependence of the world, and the deadly riots that followed publication of Danish editorial cartoons depicting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.

Clinton said he "sympathized" with the reason Palestinians voted for Hamas in recent parliamentary elections because the average Palestinian is worse off now than a decade ago. "They cast a vote for something more immediate and tangible. I get that. But that doesn't mean we can ignore a core commitment to terror and the destruction of Israel."

Clinton earned applause when he said the west should suspend financial aid to Hamas until it renounces terror and recognizes Israel. Democracy, he said, "is more than about winning a race. It's also about the rule of law, minority rights and the renunciation of extra-legal violence against civilians." (Canadian Jewish News)

French Students to Study Anti-Semitism and Racism in School Tolerance Project by Amiram Barkat

Starting next year, thousands of high school students in Paris suburbs will study 30 key terms related to anti-Semitism, racism, democracy and the Israeli-Arab conflict.

The entries were written by prominent intellectuals and public figures from the three major religions, as part of a project to promote interfaith tolerance that was initiated by Hashomer Hatzair and the Jewish Agency for Israel.

A preliminary agreement to distribute booklets containing the 30 basic terms was reached recently at a meeting with top administrative officials for Ile-de-France, the region that includes the Paris suburbs. Ile-de-France has France's largest concentration of Muslim immigrants. The booklets were submitted to the Education Ministry two years ago, and two weeks ago the approval arrived.

The 30 entries cover a variety of subjects: Zionist and Jewish history, Islam and the Arabs, democracy in France, the Israeli-Arab conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Entries were composed by members of the various groups, including Hashomer Hatzair, the French Union of Jewish Students, secular Muslim associations, youth groups for North African immigrants, national student organizations, and the youth movements of French trade unions and major political parties. (Ha'aretz)

A Father's Blessing

When Panamanian lawyer Rachel Franco-Mashiah went to New York to help her ailing father, she didn't imagine that within a few months she would be immigrating to Israel as a parliamentary aide to a member of Knesset.

In New York, Rachel went to the Jewish Agency with a young Jewish Russian girl who was considering aliyah (immigration to Israel) and needed help with the paper work. When Rachel was approached by emissary Nili Sessler about aliyah, Rachel said, "What would I do in Israel?" Nili then asked her "What would you like to do there?" Rachel jokingly replied, "If you get me a position in the Parliament, I will make aliyah!"

Totally casual, the two women made a verbal contract - if the Jewish Agency would find her an internship in the Knesset, Rachel would make aliyah. A surprise phone call from the Jewish Agency asked her to pack her bags since a position as a parliamentary aide was awaiting her.

Rachel, 31, came to Israel at the beginning of September 2002, a few days before the Knesset dissolved, dashing Rachel's hopes of working in the Knesset, at least not until elections were held months later. "I kept my part by making aliyah, now the Jewish Agency had to keep their part and find me a job in the Knesset."

Rachel contacted Vered Layish, coordinator of the Jewish Agency's Internship Program. Rachel didn't want to work with just any Knesset member, but with a lawyer in order to learn the ropes of legislation on the highest level.

Vered worked tirelessly and found Rachel a position as parliamentary aide of MK Reshef Chen, a lawyer and then a member of the Shinui faction. "It was an amazing experience. By working for him I learned the legislative process from A-Z." During her internship Rachel assisted with the drafting and researching of bills, including research into laws of other countries. She answered inquiries from citizens. (Jewish Agency for Israel)

Non-Activists: Only 44 Percent of Young Israelis Plan to Vote
by Itamar Eichner

The general elections are three weeks away, but young Israeli voters are not particularly excited by the upcoming vote, a new survey shows. A special poll by the Kol Ehad (One Voice) movement shows worrying figures: Most young voters today are not at all interested in the elections. The poll, conducted by the Maagar Mohot Institute, found that among 503 Israelis aged 18-32, only 44 percent are planning to cast their ballots on Election Day.

Females and immigrants display an even greater level of apathy: 59 percent of young women and 72 percent of immigrants said they are not planning to vote. Some 52 percent of respondents – 77 percent of them secular - admitted that the elections did not interest them.

About 39 percent said they thought their vote would not influence the results. (Ynet News)

Set up a mock Israel election in your school or youth group at israelvotes.com.

A Healing Place for Children by Shoshana Kordova

Thirty percent of Petach Tikvah's Schneider Hospital's patients are Arabs from Israel or the Palestinian Authority, about 10 percent higher than the proportion of Arabs in the Israeli population.

Schneider also has a few dozen patients a year - "not enough," said Schneider director Marc Mimouni - from Arab countries, mostly Jordan. The hospital occasionally has patients from Saudi Arabia too, and last winter, an Iraqi teenager underwent surgery at Schneider to correct a congenital heart defect.

Schneider also runs child development centers located in Israeli Arab towns that, among other tasks, help train residents to provide the chronic care needed for patients with thalassemia, a chronic blood disease prevalent among Arabs. The hospital recently held a child development seminar for Israeli Arab kindergarten teachers, and runs a program to conduct cardiac catheterization on Palestinian children. Some say it was the first local hospital to recognize the need for such extensive facilities dedicated solely to children.

At the end of last year, Schneider doctors carried out a multiple organ transplant from a 12-year-old Palestinian boy from Jenin who was fatally shot by Israel Defense Forces soldiers in November, in what the army said was a mistake; the boy was holding a toy gun during an exchange of fire between militants and soldiers. After the boy's parents decided to donate his organs, Schneider carried out five transplants in one night (a sixth was performed at Beilinson Hospital). Organ recipients included an 8-year-old ultra-Orthodox boy and a 12-year-old Druze girl.

Twenty years ago, Israeli hospitals would send children to the United States for open-heart surgery rather than perform them in Israel, recalled Mimouni. Today, not only does Schneider perform open-heart surgery, but now that the hospital carries out multiple organ transplants, the director said, "I have often been asked, 'How did you manage to do what we can't do in the United States?'" (Israel21c)

'Breaking the Ice' for Peace through Trans-Desert Trek
by Rafael D. Frankel

Shoving off on a journey was never taken so literally before. With a battery in one of the two 1960s-era German fire trucks - which is to take them across the Sahara Desert - low on juice, 10 people from around the world who were setting out on the journey together had to get out and push their way from Jerusalem's Jaffa Gate until the engine turned over.

It was a fitting beginning to their trip, sponsored by the German-based organization Breaking the Ice, which seeks to promote greater peace through individual understanding and cooperation. The near month-long journey will take participants hailing from Israel, the Palestinian territories, Afghanistan, Iraq, the United States, Iran, and Russia across deserts in Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Libya.

Standing near an olive tree which the group hopes to present to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi upon its arrival in Tripoli, Israeli participant Gil Fogiel said he is bringing a message with him.

"I want to ask [Gaddafi] to address his brothers in Iran to follow his example of abandoning nuclear power and pursuing peace and understanding with the rest of the world," Fogiel said. (Jerusalem Post)

Uday Hussein's Double Visits Israel by Roee Mendel

The man who faced the crowd of journalists wore a black suit, sunglasses and a moustache adorned his face. It was difficult to not be impressed with the tragic resemblance between Latif Yahiya and Uday Hussein, the son of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein - a resemblance that dictated Yahiya's course of life.

Latif, 42, a lawyer by profession, arrived in Israel to take part in a special journey from Jerusalem to Libya organized by the Berlin-based Breaking the Ice organization, along with a group of other members from rivaling countries. [See article above.]

The group will departure from Jerusalem, and arrive in Tripoli, Libya, 5,500 kilometers away, passing through Ramallah, Jericho, Beit Shean, Amman, the Suez Canal and through the Sahara Desert. Both participants and organizers hope that the journey will help create trust and maybe help foster an atmosphere of dialogue between western and Muslim countries.

For many years Yahiya was exposed to incitement against Israel by the Iraqi media. During Saddam's era, Israel was depicted as a cruel, abusive occupier of Palestinians, he says. "I imagined the Jews as two-headed beasts rather than humans," Yahiya admits. Still, he says he will never forget the first time he met an Israeli in Vienna. "We befriended each other, did business together and visited each other's family," Yahiya said. "He even invited me to come to Israel, but I was afraid. A lot happened since then. Today I have many friends from Israel."

The Iraqi double said that when he arrived in Israel he expected to undergo strict searches and possibly denied entry, but was allowed through without an incident while Americans around him were thoroughly screened. Yahiya says he was stunned by the respectful behavior. "Israel is amazing and I'm excited to visit here," he concluded. (Ynet News)

Actress Sharon Stone in Israel to Promote Peace

Hollywood star Sharon Stone kicked off her first visit to Israel on Wednesday in a bid to promote peace and celebrate International Women's Day. The award-winning actress is in town for five days as a guest of the Peres Center for Peace, a foundation run by Nobel laureate and former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres. Stone told a joint news conference with Peres that she had always wanted to come to Israel, despite the country's security problems.

She later showed off her sporting prowess in a football kickabout with children. Stone, a successful businesswoman, is slated to visit several projects aimed at promoting peace, including a kindergarten for Israeli and Palestinian children in Jaffa, on the Mediterranean just south of Tel Aviv. (AFP/Yahoo News)

Arab Woman Eyes Foreign Service by Itamar Eichner

Rania Jubran, a 26 year-old lawyer from Haifa, is about to make history and become the first Israeli-Arab ever to be accepted to the prestigious Foreign Ministry cadet training course.

Jubran successfully passed a rigorous series of tests and evaluations and is due to start the course this coming April. If she completes her training, she will be the first Arab diplomat to be admitted to the Foreign Service through the course, Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported last week.

Jubran is a member of one of the most renowned, respected and pioneering families in the Arab community in Israel. Her father, High Court of Justice Judge Salim Jubran, was the first Arab to ever serve in that capacity in the country, while her brother, Attorney Assad Jubran, was the first flight attendant to work for the national airline El Al and was later appointed first Arab director at the Israeli Electric Company.

In 1995, Ali Yahia was appointed Israel's ambassador to Finland, and was the first Israeli-Arab in the Foreign Service. However, Yahia did not go through the Service's training course. Several Druze and one Bedouin Israelis have also been admitted to the course in the past. (Ynet News)

Gittelman Students Return from Israel Trip by Hema Easley

Mira Lazaroff returned from a 17-day visit to Israel earlier this week, awed by the culture and sights of the country she's long considered a second home. "It was probably one the best things that ever happened in my whole life," said Lazaroff, from the Reuben Gittelman Hebrew Day School in New City, remembering the dramatic Jerusalem skyline.

The Milford, PA, resident was among 22 Reuben Gittelman students who went to Israel. The visit, which graduating students from the school make annually, is meant to be the culmination of years of Judaic studies and for many of the children their first trip to the land they are familiar with only through movies, maps or conversations with others.

"It was so rewarding," said Anat Valdman, the director of student affairs who supervised the students during the visit. "There is no curriculum that can give you the spirit if you don't have it, no synagogue that can teach it to you."

Their itinerary included planting trees in a forest outside Tel Aviv, visiting historical sites, including the government building where the country's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, announced the creation of the state of Israel and the spot where Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. The teens also went to the Golan Heights, where they visited an Israeli military base and Kibbutz Ketura, which offers a joint environmental study program for Israeli and Palestinian children. (Journal News)

Young U.S. Leaders Visit Israel by Merav Kristal

Some 1,200 young American Jewish leaders ended their visit to Israel this week. The leaders were in the country in order to get to know Israel better, beyond the news report and newspaper headlines. The visitors, who came to Israel on behalf of the United Jewish Communities, included educated Jews aged 22-24. The visitors made sure to visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem, of course, but most of their four-day stay was dedicated to looking into the social and cultural life in the Holy Land.

The busy schedule prepared for the future leaders included discussions on such issues as the media, security, society, and other matters currently on the Israeli agenda. Later, the visitors toured Tel Aviv, enjoyed meals at local restaurants, and also visited an absorption center for immigrants from Ethiopia.

One of the project's organizers, Jenny Meyerhoff, said 70 percent of the visitors were in Israel for the first time. "We wanted them to see how we survived and how we're flourishing as a nation," she said. "Our objective in this tour is to open the door to everything that is amazing about being Jewish."

Visitors were able to see Israel is a young, technologically advanced society, which beyond its history is also lively, Meyerhoff noted, adding that Israel is "not only security problems and religious fundamentalism." (Ynet News)

Jam Session

The cream of Israel and New York's young jazz talent came together in late February for a hot in-school jam session. While visiting the big apple, students from Israel's Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts dropped into a jazz class at New York's La Guardia High School of the Performing Arts, and these amazingly talented kids immediately came together in a meeting of jazz minds. The Israeli students' ensemble, called Big Band, also performed at New York's world-famous jazz club, Birdland. Click to view video. (Israel Video Blog)

Israeli Superstars Rock the Diaspora by Amy Klein

Two of Israel's greatest rockers - Shlomo Artzi (pictured) and Shalom Chanoch - are leaving Israel, albeit briefly, pairing up for a joint three-concert tour to promote their new album, "Live at Caesaria," in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, homes to Israel's largest expat communities.

Although Israeli stars have toured America for years - consider Idan Reichl's recent popularity at the Kodak Theatre - this tour will be the Israeli equivalent of say, Billy Joel and Elton John touring together. These two Israeli mega-singer/songwriters have produced hundreds of pop songs over more than four decades, and they continue to sell out concerts despite their advancing ages - both are nearing 60.

But unlike Joel and John, who are increasingly relegated to "soft rock" and appeal primarily to their original Gen-X and Baby Boomer fans, the Israeli rockers still enthrall their original fans from the 1960s and 1970s, even as they have captured the hearts of later generations. Part of the pair's cross-generational appeal is, of course, due to the fact that Israel is a small country, without much room for niche markets: Rock is rock. (Not like America, with its hundreds of Grammy categories.) But it's also because the two men, in a way, are Israeli rock. No, they are Israel: Chanoch was born in 1946, and Artzi was born in 1948.

Click to hear musical samples from Shalom Chanoch, Shlomo Artzi and the two singers together. (Jewish Journal of Los Angeles)

The Holy Grail in the Holy Land? by Hannah Brown

'Frightening children is a good thing," Terry Gilliam told a standing-room-only audience at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque last week after a screening of his most recent film, The Brothers Grimm. Dressed in a flowing white shirt and white cowboy hat, the director explained, "The modern world seems to be frightened of frightening children. But children are not so easily frightened. They're parasites, vampires. They suck everything out of you. I don't feel sorry for them," he said, adding, "I've got three."

Outrageous comments are nothing new for Gilliam, who is in Israel to direct the Russian clown, Slava Polunin, in the show, "Diabolo," that is running at the Noga Theater in Jaffa. The director, who started out as the only American member of the irreverent British comedy troupe, Monty Python's Flying Circus, and created the group's bizarre animated cartoons, has directed some of the most brilliant and difficult to categorize films in movies today. Often funny, several of his films have depicted nightmarish worlds of the future, such as Brazil (1985) and 12 Monkeys (1995).

This is Gilliam's second visit to Israel, but he said we won't be seeing a movie with a Middle Eastern setting from him any time soon. "I usually make films about things I know about. I'm not a Middle East expert," he said. (Jerusalem Post)

Abbas Is Not Relevant by Yossi Alpher

Some people of good will want to make Abbas "relevant" in the hope that this will render an Israeli-Palestinian peace process possible. They point out that Hamas did not get a majority of Palestinian votes, merely a majority of Legislative Council mandates, hence Abbas still represents the Palestinian majority. They note that most Palestinians, including many Hamas voters, continue to support immediate negotiations toward a two-state solution.

But Abbas is not relevant to the current situation, and for now a peace process is not possible. Abbas is a good person with noble sentiments. But he is incapable of acting decisively, and unable to deliver on his commitments. He promised to disarm the militias - those of Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad - and could not. Even if he had a mandate to negotiate and the capacity to do so, peace talks with him would likely fail. In the unlikely event that they succeeded, Abbas would not be able to deliver, because he does not have a mandate. Hamas does. The writer is a former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies. (Ha'aretz)

Charleston, SC High School Debate: Should the U.S. Recognize the Hamas Palestinian Authority as Legitimate?

Yes, Ali Collins, Dreher High School

In recent years, especially during the Bush administration, it has been U.S. policy to encourage, and even create, democracy in the Middle East. Isn't that what we have been attempting to do in Iraq? But if we refuse to recognize the Hamas government as legitimate, we are directly abandoning this policy.

The Palestinian people overwhelmingly voted for Hamas in a free and democratic election. Isn't it hypocritical of us as Americans to support only those democratic governments that elect the leaders whose policies and rhetoric we approve? Admittedly, Hamas' long-standing, often-stated mission is to destroy Israel. But now that Hamas is the legitimate government, its leaders may find that such a position is untenable in real politics.

Furthermore, Hamas is not simply a terrorist organization. It is the largest provider of public services in the Palestinian Authority, including hospitals, schools, orphanages and charities. These are laudable activities America should support.

No, John Hodgson, Dutch Fork High School

It's true that President Bush has found himself between a rock and a hard place with the election of Hamas as the ruling party in the Palestinian Authority. It's true that Bush said he accepted the need for a Palestinian state, and recognized its right to exist. But no matter what Bush or any supporter of a new Palestinian state has said, the problem remains a problem, and we cannot simply live with the results peaceably.

Hamas has built its platform on the destruction of Israel. It does not recognize the right for Israel to exist; the majority of the party does not want peace between Israelis and Arabs. Hamas sees Israel as an invader that cannot be tolerated in any amount - it has proven again and again it will not stop terrorist attacks and coercion until Israel ceases to exist. The United States has tried to build peace between Israel and the Palestinians with the actions of Jimmy Carter's and Bill Clinton's peace talks and with Bush's recognition of the Palestinians right to a state, but to no avail. What can we learn from this? We can learn that militant terrorist supporters such as Hamas are not to be trusted, especially when they proclaim loudly their violent agenda. (Post and Courier Teen Forum)

The Strategic Logic of Israel's Security Barrier
by Col. (Res.) Danny Tirza

Ben-Gurion International Airport is only eleven kilometers from the "green line," and Israel has real concerns over the potential threat of missiles launched against aircraft. Al-Qaeda tried to shoot down an Israeli Arkia aircraft with a missile in Mombasa, Kenya, in 2002 and it was a miracle that nobody was killed at that time. Due to weather conditions, there are seventy days a year when aircraft flying in and out of Israel must fly above the West Bank. We wanted to build a double fence in the area near the airport in order to secure it from missiles, but there are 19,000 Palestinians living in this area and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Israel could not leave people to live in enclaves.

Why wasn't the fence built on the "green line" - the 1949 ceasefire line? From a security perspective, mountains dominate valleys. To provide security, Israel must control the high ground in order to dominate the area and not have others dominate us. The "green line" leaves Israel in a fragile security situation. In all government decisions it was emphasized that the line the army was building was only a security line and it would not be the line for future negotiations. (Institute for Contemporary Affairs - Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)

Before Shakespeare's birth, a Hebrew language drama, "An Eloquent Marriage Farce," was written by a Jewish-Italian writer. A few works were written by rabbis in 17th century Amsterdam, where the Sephardic Jewish community had both flourishing religious and secular Jewish cultures. These early Hebrew plays were about biblical or mystical subjects.

From the time of their emancipation in the 19th Century to World War II, Central European Jews were very active and sometimes even dominant in certain forms of European theater.

The first theater company of the pre-state Yishuv (Jewish community in Israel) was called HaBimah (The Stage). The company was originally founded in Russia in 1917 and, reflecting the growth of Zionism, performed its plays only in Hebrew. The company's most famous play was called "The Dybbuk," a tale of young lovers and the woman's "possession" by a spirit. In 1926, some of the company moved to the United States, while others decided to settle in Tel Aviv in what was then called Palestine. In 1945, HaBimah moved into the building in which it now resides, in the heart of Tel Aviv. In 1958 it became the National Theater of Israel.

Theater in Israel has a rich and varied history and was less afraid than its Diaspora counterparts to deal with solely Jewish themes. Israeli theater has often dealt with the core issues of identity, Jewishness, secular-religious tensions and other subjects such as the Holocaust and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Throughout the years Israel has had no shortage of first-class playwrights. Natan Alterman, Hayyim Nahman Bialik, Ephraim Kishon, Hanoch Levin, and Aharon Megged are just a few of the more famous and internationally recognized.

Theater Unites Diverse Communities in Israel

The many waves of immigrants to the land of Israel also brought their cultures, including theater. Perhaps the best example is called Gesher (Bridge). Gesher was founded in 1991 by immigrants from the former Soviet Union but it attracts both immigrants and native Israelis alike. Gesher's innovative style of acting and directing is attributed to Yvgeny Arye, a well-known stage and screen director from Moscow. The Gesher Theater has won acclaim in Israel and has gained international recognition in France, the United States and Russia.

The Ethiopian community in Israel has also found its voice in the theater. Currently touring the U.S. is a play called "It Sounds Better in Amharic," a one-man show that details the yearning for and journey to Israel from Ethiopia in a nostalgic and funny manner. The co-writer and actor, Yossi Vassa (pictured), moved to Israel in 1985 and has already established himself in Israel's mainstream with his comic routine in the popular Israeli show "Am Yisrael Live", which is modeled on "Saturday Night Live."

Click to watch video clips of "It Sounds Better in Amharic."

The English-speaking Aliya (immigration) is not without its thespians either. A very popular play performing around Israel for English-speaking audiences is called "The Aliya Monologues." In his show dedicated to Olim, David Kilimnick takes the audience through the reality of life as a single immigrant, Israel experiences, holidays and family left behind.

The Israeli theater is also performing in Hebrew for English-speakers. Soon American audiences will hear Hamlet's classic "To be or not to be" soliloquy performed in Hebrew. The Cameri Theater Company will perform William Shakespeare's classic tragedy as part of the Shakespeare in Washington festival in Washington, D.C. in January 2007.

Theater's Role in the Peace Process

Theater in Israel is also used as a tool for bringing Arab and Jewish Israelis together. Peace Child Israel (PCI) was founded in 1988 by David Gordon and Yael Drouyannoff to teach coexistence using theater and the arts. "We educate for democratic values, tolerance and mutual respect," PCI states. "Arab and Jewish teens work with counterparts from around the country to create original dramas about coexistence. The plays in Arabic and Hebrew are performed for family, friends and the public at-large."

Not just on the stage but also under the big-top of the circus, Jewish and Arab youth are performing acts of co-existence. The Jerusalem Circus Association (JCA) was established 11 years ago. The circus appeals to a wide ethnic and cultural audience as a vehicle for dialogue and coexistence between Jewish and Arab youth in Jerusalem. "Learning circus arts is a fun way for youth from different social and economic backgrounds to come together and meet in a safe and equal environment," JCA founder and general director Elisheva Jortner explained.

Israeli theatrical expertise is also used many miles from any stage to help treat children with laughter. A group of doctors and volunteers recently traveled to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to help children infected with HIV/AIDS. The group included two Israeli volunteers and two "medical clowns" from the children's ward at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. The project in Israel is hailed as a success, and today it is being implemented in over 12 hospitals throughout the country, with over 30 professional medical clowns involved.

The theater presents to its audiences tragedy and happiness, song and sadness, surprise and sympathy. All of these emotions and elements are present in the Purim story. They are also all present in the history of the Jewish people. No wonder, therefore, that theater is so popular in Israel. (The Israel HighWay)

Additional Reading

Theater by Wikipedia

All about Jewish Theater by Prof. Shimon Levy (www.jewish-theatre.com)

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