I really intended to make tonight’s list of items short—not more than 4, say, well, maybe 5. But unfortunately, there is news. I only now added item 8—‘Today in Palestine.’ I only now read it, and saw that the initial items in it, plus many others are must reads. In it you will learn that special Israeli assassination forces took photos of their Palestinian victims and kept them, took pride in their ‘work’ and more. I did not see the TV program on which this was aired, but it must have been gruesome. A few of the items in 8 were sent yesterday, but if you read nothing more than the summaries of those that were not sent, you will learn much more than you can imagine. Tomorrow I won’t be emailing you, so you can split the reading into 2 days. Will be back Wednesday.
Item 1 reports that Israeli police broke a Palestinian youth’s arm when arresting him. Israeli police and IOF brutality is nothing new. But of course if one considers Palestinians as a whole to be one’s enemy or lesser beings, then brutality comes quite naturally. I wonder if those who perform these acts would do the same to animals, to their pets, if they have any?
Item 2 is disgusting but typical. Israel has been for all its history trying to wipe out any history of Palestinian Muslims and Christians. But in this case, to claim that Deir Yassin was abandoned, when in point of fact a large portion of its residents were massacred by Jewish terrorists, causing others to flee, is going way too far. Even Benny Morris, who is a confirmed Zionist and no liberal, says repeatedly in ‘The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem’ that what happened in Deir Yassin was a massacre.
In item 3 Amira Hass reports that the Palestinian so-called economic boom is unsustainable without foreign aid.
Item 4 reports that France ‘slams’ Israel for its plan to construct more housing for Jews in East Jerusalem. Nice that France reacts. Would that more governments would. But reacting is hardly enough! Where are the sanctions? Where are the boycotts? When will western governments begin to treat Israel as they should—as a pariah?
Item 5, “The Day After,” refers to September and the day after the Palestinians approach the UN and request its recognition of their state on the 1967 lines. The report reveals the violence that the military is preparing to use, and also reveals what Israelis are exposed to. The whole thing would be totally unnecessary had Israel agreed to recognize Palestine on the 1967 lines instead of insisting on continuing its colonization for the Greater Israel. Israel, by this method, will ultimately lose. Unfortunately, it will likely be in violence.
Item 6 is a brief report telling us that Israel’s ambassador to the UN is telling American Jewish leaders what to do regarding the Palestinian endeavor to receive UN recognition. This is Chutzpa with a capitol C! I mean this is real Audacity! This is, in short, Israel mixing into American policy. Are these leaders addressed Americans first or Israeli-lovers first? They had better decide.
Item 7 is beautiful except for the last line. But then, in a militaristic society, that statement is to be expected. I won’t reveal it. The item itself is about ‘Strangers no More,’ the documentary about refugee children in an Israeli school, a film that won an Oscar. But although these kids all feel Israeli in every respect, and although they act like Israelis, Israel is so afraid of the demographic status of Israel that its Minister of the Interior wants all these kids deported to their ‘home’ countries. Many of them know no other home but Israel. The minister’s dictum is what comes of living in a tribal society! Fear of the ‘other.’ Shame!
Item 8, as I said, is the latest compilation of ‘Today in Palestine.’
Wish that I could send you more pleasant reading. Maybe some day.
All the best,
Dorothy
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1. Haaretz,
June 20, 2011
Silwan youth claims cops broke his arm during arrest
The teenager was arrested by policemen dressed in civilian clothes at his uncle’s grocery store, a short while after a group of youths threw stones at police deployed nearby.
The arm of a 14-year-old youth from Silwan was apparently broken during his arrest by police on suspicion of throwing stones on Friday.
The teenager was arrested by four policemen dressed in civilian clothes at midday, at his uncle’s grocery store, a short while after a group of youths threw stones at police deployed nearby.
The boy’s father says that the officers used violence both during the teen’s arrest and thereafter.
“The policemen said they had identified him by his shirt,” the boy’s father said, “even though he was in the store at the time the stones were thrown.”
“One of the policemen pulled him roughly and took him into the vehicle. In the car they handcuffed his hands behind his back. He asked the policeman to handcuff him with his hands in the front, but the policeman refused and all the way [to the station], he pulled his head down and beat him,” the father claims.
The teen was questioned in the presence of his father, at the station, and was later released by a judge to house arrest.
Following his release, he was checked at Hadassah University Hospital, Mount Scopus, where he was diagnosed with a possible fracture in his arm and bruises in the neck.
Police said in response that during the incident last Friday, “the youth was arrested after having thrown stones at the policemen, he was brought to the station and his parents were called in. The judge remanded him in custody for questioning. The investigation was carried out in the presence of the father, and then the youth was released to house arrest. At no time, neither before the judge, nor during the questioning, did the youth claim he had pain in his arm or anywhere else.”
This is not the first time that the youth in question has been arrested. About a year and a half ago, he was arrested early one morning at his home for throwing a single stone, which apparently hit no one.
Last week, prior to the more recent arrest, attorney Shlomo Lecker filed a claim for damages against the police for that first incident. Lecker argues there that the youth suffered serious psychological harm as a result of the violent arrest he was subjected to in the middle of the night.
Based on the medical documents presented by Lecker in the lawsuit, the youth was diagnosed with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, suffers from nightmares, wets his bed and has received psychiatric medication.
Following that first arrest, a complaint was filed with the Israel Police’s internal investigations department, due to the violence used by the arresting officers, but the case was closed. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel submitted an appeal against the decision to close the case in November 2010, but to date no response has been forthcoming from the investigations department.
Lecker says the police decided to bring charges against his client a day before the statute of limitations related to such minor offenses was due to expire.
“It is very unusual to press charges for one stone that did not hit anyone, against a 12-and-a-half year-old,” Lecker said.
During the past year there has been unrest in the East Jerusalem neighborhood, with youths throwing stones at police and settlers’ cars. To curtail what is being called “the children’s intifada” by the locals, the police has been arresting minors. In 2010, some 1,200 children were questioned on suspicion of throwing stones, 759 were arrested, and in 226 cases charges were pressed.
Some of the arrests and interrogations appear to be illegal, even though the police maintains it acts in accordance with the law.
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2, Haaretz,
June 20, 2011
Invite describes Deir Yassin as ‘abandoned Arab village’
Jewish paramilitary organizations’ massacre of about 100 villagers is glossed over in case of selective memory.
In the invitation to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Kfar Shaul psychiatric hospital, set up on the remains of the village of Deir Yassin, the Arab village is described as such: “In the outskirts of Jerusalem, hidden from sight, the abandoned Arab village of Deir Yassin stands in isolation; a veritable treasure for the health and welfare services seeking housing for the hundreds who require physical and mental healing.”
Deir Yassin was the site where members of the Irgun and Lehi paramilitary organizations massacred about 100 villagers.
Under the photograph of one of the “abandoned” stone houses used by the hospital, a caption notes that “a protected ‘work village,’ was quickly set up, meant for temporary residence, professional training and physical and mental care.”
The person signed on the invitation to the event, “Kfar Shaul: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow” – scheduled to take place later this month at the Begin Heritage Center – is Dr. Alexander Teitelbaum, who chairs the Jerusalem branch of the Psychiatric Association in Israel and heads a department at the Kfar Shaul hospital.
Among those scheduled to speak at the event are Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, MK Rachel Adatto (Kadima ), and Dr. Gad Lubin, who heads the mental health division at the Health Ministry.
Not all found the invitation in good taste. In a letter to Teitelbaum, Dr. Yehuda Abramovitch, a department head at the Be’er Yaakov-Nes Tziona Mental Health Center, wrote that he was disturbed that the Deir Yassin massacre was not mentioned. In response, representatives of the hospital administration said that “the hospital decided, upon serious consideration, to be ‘smart’ and not ‘just’ in this matter, when it is clear to us all that there will be those who argue against being ‘smart’ and being ‘just.'”
The hospital added that the intention was to celebrate an anniversary for medical education, research and treatment, and this did not require “digging” up old wounds.
Abramovitch told Haaretz that he will not be attending the event because he had plans to be abroad on that day, but even if he were in Israel, he would not take part.
In his letter, Abramovitch wrote that “as mental health experts we seek to broaden awareness among the populations we treat, countering denials, encouraging those seeking our counsel to be brave and take responsibility for their situation. Is it not appropriate, then, on the 60th anniversary of the Kfar Shaul Hospital, to remember the past and pain of the other, and honestly look into our shared past?”
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3, Haaretz,
June 20, 2011
Palestinian economic boom unsustainable without overseas donations
If the Palestinian economy is growing, then why are unemployment figures up?
How nice it would be if statistics and events on the ground would line up in a logical, orderly manner, without any inconsistencies. How easy it would be to report then.
The following event was reported on Saturday by the Palestinian news agency Ma’an: Homeless residents of the southern Gaza Strip blocked access to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East ) summer camps to protest the fact that the organization has not yet rebuilt their homes, which Israel destroyed during the second intifada. According to the demonstrators, 40,000 refugee families have lost their homes since 2000, but UNRWA has preferred to give priority to rebuilding homes destroyed by Israel in Operation Cast Lead.
Even if the figures are not precise, it underscores the distress and insult felt by those who inhabited those houses destroyed in 2001, then in 2003 and in 2004 in the refugee camps of Khan Yunis and Rafah. In order to protect the fortified and spacious settlements surrounded by greenery that were just 20 meters away, Israeli army bulldozers razed those crowded rows of gray houses, with asbestos roofs surrounded by sand. Guided by the logic of generals and Caterpillar commanders, the houses were taken down one by one.
Following delays that cost many lives, the settlements were eventually evacuated. Their residents were generously compensated. But the residents of the camps, refugees from Yibne and Burayr, Isdud and Beit Tima, continue to wander from one temporary apartment to another. They are waiting for UNRWA to compensate them for the homes that Israel destroyed. They are demonstrating against UNRWA, even though the real address for their complaints should the Knesset in Jerusalem and the Defense Ministry compound in Tel Aviv. But of course, they cannot obtain entry permits into Israel.
And here comes the surprising statistic: The June issue of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Economic Bulletin, published by The Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute MAS (with headquarters in Ramallah ), reports that unemployment in the Gaza Strip plummeted from 37.4 percent in the last quarter of 2010 to 30.8 percent in the first quarter of 2011 (with most of the added jobs in agriculture ). In the West Bank, on the other hand, unemployment rose slightly from 16.9 percent in the last quarter of 2010 to 17.4 percent in the first quarter of this year.
It is too early to say whether these quarterly changes indicate a trend that should be cause for concern. But a report by UNRWA, which analyzed developments in the West Bank job market in the second half of 2010, did find that unemployment is on an upward trend. Just to make things more confusing, the UNRWA report also includes in its labor force figures those unemployed who have given up looking for work. That explains why according to its figures,, in the first half of 2010, the unemployment rate on the West Bank was a much higher 25 percent – up from 21.7 percent In the first half of 2010 and 23.6 percent in the second half of 2009. The UNRWA figures seem to signal deceleration of economic growth.
The economic reports published by UNRWA are designed to gauge employment trends among Palestinian refugees so that the agency can adapt its policies and projects accordingly. The latest report, published last week, found that in the second half of 2010, the size of the West Bank refugee labor force declined, as compared with the second half of 2009. The refugee labor force participation rate dropped from 43.7 percent (among total working age refugees ) to 40 percent. The total Palestinian labor force participate rate (refugees and non-refugees ) is higher, comprising 47 percent of the total working age population.
It could be an error in calculation (which becomes likelier the smaller the sampling ), says Dr. Salem Ajluni, the author of the study. And perhaps more refugees of working age are studying or taking care of an elderly parent at home. UNRWA will need to continue to study the matter.
What is clear is that unemployment among Palestinian refugees has increased. After dropping from 26.7 percent at the end of 2009 to 25.5 percent in the first half of 2010, it went up to 27.9 percent in the second half of 2010. Wages in this group are also relatively low. According to the UNRWA figures, at the end of 2009, the real average monthly salary among Palestinian refugees in the West Bank was NIS 1,665, compared with NIS 1,815 among non-refugees. At the end of 2010, the real average monthly salary among refugees was NIS 1,614, compared with NIS 1,795 among non-refugees.
Ajluni, who was born in the United States and is the scion of a Palestinian family from Ramallah, has been studying the economy of the occupied Palestinian territories for the past 20 years. He has worked in various UN agencies and Palestinian Authority ministries. Since 2006, he has been employed by UNRWA. “I went to look for the flourishing West Bank economy, which everyone is talking about,” he said yesterday. He does not have to look far: The MAS economic bulletin reported a 9.3 percent increase in Palestinian GDP in 2010, and a per capita increase of 6.1 percent.
But Ajluni also sees what is happening in the job market. “True, there are investments, but most of them are in construction,” he says. “These are not investments that create long-term jobs. Although I’ve seen an increase in jobs, there is a greater increase in the number of unemployed. The absolute number of people who have found work is about a quarter of those who looked for work. It’s true that there is commercial activity and about 90,000 jobs in commerce and in the public sector on the West Bank and a similar number in the Gaza Strip whose salaries create buying power.”
Still, whenever donations from abroad are delayed, he notes, so are salary payments. “Without annual external assistance to the tune of about $1 billion from the donor countries, this is not a sustainable situation. I’m not the only one saying this. So is the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and [Palestinian Prime Minister] Salam Fayyad.”
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4. Jerusalem Post,
June 20, 2011
Photo by: Ariel Jerozolimski/The Jerusalem Post)
‘France slams plan for e. J’lem housing expansion’
French Foreign Minister: East Jerusalem building “is illegal in eyes of int’l law”; calls for peace talks based on French proposal, AFP says.
France on Monday criticized the Jerusalem Local Planning and Building Council of Jerusalem’s decision on Sunday to expand some 2,000 homes in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of the city, which is over the Green Line.
“Our position is constant: settlement building is illegal in the eyes of international law, in the West Bank as well as in east Jerusalem,” French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said, AFP reported.
The spokesman also called on Israel and the Palestinians to “resume negotiations based on principles contained in the French initiative presented by [French Foreign Minister] Alain Juppe to Mr. [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu and Mr. [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud] Abbas during his recent visit to the Middle East, and to refrain from unilateral gestures which undermine the trust necessary for this resumption,” according to the report.
France, earlier this month said it was considering a French proposal for an international peace conference in Paris later this summer. The idea of the conference was suggested in Jerusalem by visiting French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé.
Speaking after Netanyahu met with Juppé Thursday, a government sources said that “the French proposed different ideas, and we are looking at them.”
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, however, almost immediately expressed displeasure with the French proposal. Clinton said that “there is no agreement that the parties will resume negotiations. And I think the idea of any gathering, a conference or a meeting, has to be linked to a willingness by the parties to resume negotiating.”
Herb Keinon contributed to this report
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5. Ynet,
June 20, 2011
The Day After
IDF soldiers prepare for every eventuality Photo: Reuters
IDF prepares for September declaration
Will officers need visa to arrest terror suspects in West Bank? Additional resources, training exercises, deployment – all part of army’s plan ahead of possible declaration of Palestinian state at UN. Senior military officials agree: Future remains unclear
The Israel Defense Forces is finding it hard to predict what will happen after the possible declaration of a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September, but in the meantime it is holding training exercises, maps are being updated and even the state of mind on Facebook is being looked into.
The IDF is also preparing engineering resources, purchasing and expanding existing crowd dispersion equipment and mainly, preparing for every eventuality – from the mainstream to the extreme. Ynet is taking a first look at the “Migdal Oz” plan which details how the IDF is planning on maintaining order in the West Bank on the “day after”.
Deliberations held over the last few weeks among senior GOC Central Command officials have raised one major question – the status of IDF officers and troops after the planned Palestinian declaration of statehood: Will an officer seeking to arrest a terror suspect in Nablus or Ramallah be required to present a visa or passport? And how is he supposed to act in such a situation?
Preparing for Worst
None of those present at the deliberations could supply an answer, which indicates that the Defense Establishment is heading for a period of uncertainty in the West Bank. The defense and civil coordination outlook remains hazy: What kinds of protests should they expect? Which side will the Palestinian Authority take?
And yet the defense establishment’s calendars don’t have any special mentions or substantial alterations ahead of events in September. Military officials believe it will take some time for the Palestinian citizens to examine their new status against the actual changes.
A different theory sees the Palestinians quickly reaching a state of frustration and disillusionment which could lead them to “let off steam”. Among the extreme scenarios: riots, and confrontations on settlements and IDF bases.
‘Naksa Day’ protests (Photo: EPA)
A third theory states that the IDF’s chief mission is to prepare for war and expected riots cannot become the troops’ main pursuit. “I don’t intend to halt training at any price. We need to remember that this is not a large tactical event,” the commander of one of the divisions noted.
Central Command Chief Major-General Avi Mizrahi who has been keeping a close eye on the deployment has passed on his recommendations to the Chief of Staff Major General Benny Gantz. They include expanding the ring of troops set to deal with riots in other sectors.
A large part of the “Migdal Oz” plan deals with the acquisition and expansion of crowd dispersal methods. GOC Central Command recently acquired more than double of their usual annual crowd dispersal resources order.
‘Like Syrian infiltrators’
In addition to the usual resources they have also purchased the “Scream” acoustical system which basically makes noise at an increased volume that assists in dispersing crowds. The IDF has also purchased appropriate protection methods for riot areas. The equipment is all set to be in IDF hands by August.
The IDF has also been carrying out infrastructural adjustments, for example, elevating military outposts. They have also prepared concrete barricades which will be put in place if the need arises during massive protests.
Crowd dispersal methods in action (Photo: Reuters)
Nevertheless the IDF has made it clear that while it hopes to stop protestors in a way that would keep the number of casualties at a minimum, if there is no other option they will open fire.
Military sources said that from the army’s perspective, if the Palestinians were to infiltrate the fence surrounding Beit El or Yitzhar, this would be dealt with in the same manner as the infiltrators from Syria. “We will fire at the lower extremities,” said one military official.
Within the framework of all these preparations the IDF is taking two main scenarios into consideration: Popular protests without the Palestinian Authority’s direct support, maybe even with prevention efforts from the Palestinian security apparatus. The second scenario is an all out Intifada organized by the Palestinian Authority.
The first option is obviously easier to deal with from the IDF’s standpoint. And yet, the IDF would be able to strike at the new state’s infrastructure, including security installations thus sending a very assertive message. A “bank” of possible targets is being collected under the radar. No one wishes to make use of it but the option is firmly on the table.
Critical influence
The Palestinians will not be in a hurry to endanger their infrastructure so it is hard to estimate whether the protests will be organized by the newly formed state. If security coordination continues then it can be hoped that the incidents will be confined.
There is an additional variable that must be taken into account – the Hamas who, in light of the unity agreement with Fatah is more prominent in the West Bank and so could be a fermenting factor.
“We are heading for a murky period that hides many dangers,” summarized one senior officer. “As an army we need to be prepared for every possible scenario. It is possible that we will have to face a complicated situation that will change all that we have become familiar with in the West Bank over the last few years. That is what we are preparing for.”
The Israeli policy which will be decided on in Jerusalem will have a critical influence on the future. As he prepared to end his term in office, the outgoing Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin said that Israel, without recognizing the newly formed state would face opposition from the international community which could hurt its own status.
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6. Haaretz,
June 20, 2011
Israel’s UN ambassador tells U.S. Jews: Prepare for September vote on Palestinian state
Ron Prosor urges leaders at closed session of the Conference of Presidents of major Jewish American Organizations to use connections to stop upcoming UN vote.
Israel’s new ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor urged Jewish American leaders on Monday to form a clear and operational plan ahead of the United Nations vote in September regarding unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.
During a closed meeting of the Conference of Presidents of major Jewish American Organizations in New York, Prosor said that talk was not enough at such a crucial time, and that the U.S. Jewish community must prepare a clear operational plan.
In an unconventional appeal for unity, the new ambassador, who started serving as Israel’s UN envoy less than a week ago, urged the Jewish leaders to work together despite their differences ahead of the September vote.
Prosor stressed before the Jewish leaders that they must take advantage of the Jewish community’s connections with decision makers in order to get results.
Prosor also said that regardless of the outcome of the UN vote, a Palestinian state will not be created and added that the UN is not authorized to dictate borders between countries. He stressed that a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state will bring about another cycle of violence that will only lead to a dead end.
Least week Prosor said that the September vote was at the center of the Israeli delegation’s life.
“The mission regarding the unilateral declaration is one heck of a challenge, but I believe the chances of the declaration to succeed are actually very small. It will only bring things back and take nothing forward; I say that as the director general of the Foreign Ministry during the disengagement from Gaza. Unilateral moves are not constructive,” Prosor said after his first day on the job, emphasizing that there was still time to act before the vote.
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7. The Guardian
20 June 2011
Strangers No More celebrates Oscar win at Israel’s melting pot schoolAcademy award-winning documentary hands round its statuettes at Tel Aviv school, despite many pupils facing deportation
Esther Aikpehae, who was featured in the Academy Award-winning Strangers No More gets her hands on an Oscar statuette. Photograph: Ariel Schalit/AP
There’s not much that is usual about the Bialik Rogozin School in Tel Aviv – so the pupils took it in their stride when the end of term was celebrated with two Oscar statuettes being handed around.
This year’s Academy award for best documentary was won by Strangers No More, which tells the story of students from the school, 70% of whom are immigrants, many from the world’s most dangerous countries.
On Monday, the film’s directors, Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon, brought their Oscars to share with the schoolchildren and to allow them to bask in a little reflected glory.
With 832 pupils from 48 countries, including Muslims, Christians and Jews, the children might not share that much in common, but one thing was for sure – they all wanted to get their hands on the Oscar.
“This is a tribute to the miracle that is Bialik Rogozin. The moment we came here, we found love and we are still in love with this school and everyone who has found a home here,” said Goodman as the school celebrated with readings and awards while some of the girls nervously carried out dance routines, interrupted by the occasional misstep and technical glitch.
“If we received an Oscar, it’s because these kids opened their hearts to us. All we did was capture it,” said Goodman’s co-director Simon.
Many of the students face deportation and the government is due to make its decision on their futures.
“They might postpone it but it still leaves the kids living in fear,” said Simon.
In recent years, Israel has received 35,000 asylum seekers and refugees from across Africa. It also has tens of thousands of foreign workers who have overstayed their visas, some of whom have children born in Israel.
Non-Jewish migration has created confusion in Israel. The ministry of the interior, headed by a minister from the ultra-orthodox Shas party, is keen to cut the numbers but others are proud that Israel has become a refuge.
The film documents a year in the life of the school, focusing on three students: Esther Aikpehae, who fled South Africa after her mother was murdered; Johannes Mulugeta from Eritrea, who had not previously attended school; and Mohammed Adam, who walked to Israel from Darfur in Sudan after seeing his grandmother and father murdered in front of him. All three have temporary residence permits.
The school is due to receive Israel’s national education prize from the president, Shimon Peres, but headteacher Karen Tal pointed out it was not easy running a school where so many pupils were worried about their future.
“We have a deal with the pupils: we keep the routine and aim for educational achievement which will give them confidence at a time when they have no roots. The other side is that we are very active in agitating on behalf of the students. I speak to prominent people all the time and we have set up an action committee and hosted guests from all over the world,” she said.
Goodman believes the school is an example to others all over the world that struggle to provide good education in multicultural environments.
“How can you take kids from 48 countries and and educate them? The answer is, give them the right opportunity and the right atmosphere and they will come together and learn. Here, being different is the norm,” she said.
Tal’s vision for the school and the country is of a society based on shared responsibility. “In our vision, all students who come to Israel, whether they are Jewish, Muslim or Christian, have made a statement that they want to be part of that society and all that means. If that means military service or civil service, then that is part of our duty.”