1. The chanichim should understand that the issue of disengagement is not black and white, and there are emotional, ideological, political and personal sentiments behind each and every opinion.

2. The chanichim should see that this is an issue that every Israeli cares about, and that American Jews should think about and attempt to form opinions about as well.

madrichim to represent each side of the argument that are comfortable debating and acting as that person

-Each of the stereotypes will talk for 2 minutes. After all of them we will open the floor for questions to any of the characters. Characters can respond to each other. A moderated Sicha will follow. (the characters are each written out below)

What biases is each of the characters bringing in with them?

Shira – It’s her home, everyone should feel bad for her even if pro disengagement. Would you move to Aza with your kids or is it too dangerous?

Yossi – Already kicked out once with Yamit. Now they can give away every part of Israel. Cemetery is here – you would move graves? People want to be buried in Israel! They were told to come here after Yamit and to develop the land, which they did. You can only get Bodek vegetables here – Gush Katif is helping Israel economically.

Mira – Lot’s of places in Israel that are dangerous too and not giving those up! Soldiers can’t refuse orders either way. You need to defend Jews wherever you are. IDF is for world wide security of Jews.

Nir: Religious vs. secular. Anti settler stereotype as crazy. Opposite hashkafa to Gadi, does not see kedushat Eretz Israel as be all and end all of everything.

Gadi: How far do we take civil disobedience? Do you feel that this is such a horrible thing that you need to go this far in protesting? Where do we draw the line if ever? Issue of soldiers pulling out settlers- what would you do??

R’ Idan: Moderate rabbi, what do you do with rabbis who are saying the opposite? Can you disagree with disengagement and not be violent??

• Issue of ideology – Reishit Tzmichut Geulatenu – driving the more fanatical movement.
• This isn’t religious vs. secular, you can be religious and be against disengagement.
• Civil War – collecting guns from settlers
• What to do with the yishuvim when we leave – burn them, hand them to Arabs
• Settlers were told to come here by the government – even from Yamit
• How far do we take civil disobedience? Tire burning, orange shirts, protest rallies
• Should soldiers pull out settlers if they disagree with the pullout? Or do they have to follow their orders
• Demographic issue – do the settlements have a future?
• Do we feel comfortable telling Jews they can’t live in an area and has to be Jew-free? Can Jews kick out other Jews??
• Is this setting a bad precedent for future parts of Israel?

• How do the Israeli kids feel – let them tell their stories – how they relate to this.

Americans:

• Do we feel as passionately about this as Israelis do?
• Should we?
• Is there room for Americans to criticizer the Israeli government? We don’t live there, but isn’t it the homeland of all Jews and leaving Aza affects us too.

Conclusion:

• No easy answers
• Sinat chinam – R’ Akiva’s students – not respecting each others’ political opinions, bar kochva revolt. Seeing the face behind each opinion and feel empathy for the people who will be leaving and who are against it.
• No one is happy with this and no one will be satisfied. People who are pro aren’t evil, but are doing what they think is the best for the future of Am Israel.
• Care about the issue!!!!

SHIRA

Shira is a 10 year old girl from Netzarim. She is not interested in politics and does not understand what is going on. Yes, the bombs and rockets falling are scary, but this is her home and she does not want to leave. She doesn’t want to have to live somewhere else and have to make new friends and live in a new town. This is her home, her shul is here, her school, and her house, everything she’s known. It’s so beautiful here and no other town will be able to replace it.

YOSSI:

A 40 year old from Neve Dekalim. He and his family lived in Yamit in Sinai until they were uprooted and came to live here. Yossi works here growing Bodek vegetables that are sold all over Israel and in Chutz La’aretz. He has put his whole life into developing the small piece of desert that he was given when he came from Yamit, into a giant hydroponics vegetable farm. This is his entire livelihood and how he supports his family. More then that, this place is his home. His brother is buried here in a cemetery near by. What is to happen to his grave and to the vegetable farm if he leaves? Are we just to hand it over to the Arabs??

MIRA:

A secular woman from Petach Tikva, whose son seriously wounded in Tzahal while defending a checkpoint in Aza. Mira is very frustrated as she feels that her son was wounded while trying to defend an un-defendable settlement. There are X Jews in Aza surrounded by X Arabs! Demographically it is not worth it for Jews to stay in Aza, and it is not fair for soldiers and their families to risk their lives defending a place with no foreseeable future. She has 2 other sons, both of whom have signed a petition saying that they will refuse to serve in Tzahal if they have to serve in Aza.

NIR:

A secular cab driver from Ranana. He doesn’t have such strong opinions about the disengagement but is getting more and angrier at the settlers who are blocking the roads and burning tires on an almost daily basis. This is making it hard for his to drive around and do his job. They are ruining the country! What makes Aza so special anyway? If it’s a problem, let’s just get out. There is plenty of room in the Negev for people to move and we need new settlements there too.

GADI:

Gadi is in a Heseder Yeshiva up north in Rosh Pinah. Every week he has been bussing into Jerusalem in his bright orange t-shirt, setting up rallies where people burn tires and block key highways in protest. With the deadline for the pullout coming up, he has left Yeshiva, stocked up on food, and is heading to Gush Katif to help resist the pullout when it happens. Eretz Israel was given to the Jews by G-d and it is assur mideoraita to give up even an inch of it!! Gadi’s army service is coming up and he refuses to do his duty if he is ordered to evict settlers from Aza. Jews do not uproot other Jews!! Yehudi eino megaresh yehudi!!

RAV IDAN

R’ Idan is a Rosh Yeshiva in Beer Sheva. He is very upset about what is happening to his Yeshiva students. Students are getting so violent at rallies that they are being arrested and sent to jail, they are burning tires, and there are videos of them on the news calling secular soldiers and policemen “Nazis”. What has happened to ahavat chinam? Yes, the land has kedusha but so do the people. What ever happened to Ahavat Chinam?? He has recently forbidden students from attending rallies and seriously considering outlawing orange T-shirts in the Beit Midrash.