1.        For the chanichim to have better understanding of the way the Israeli political system works.

2.        To deal with and better understand some of the political debates/conflicts in Israel.

Materials - for 100 chanichim in 2 groups

For each of the 8 parties - 15 descriptions of each party ("ID") one for each chanich For each of the 8 parties - topic cards - there will be 25 copies of each topic card

100 stickers - 25 of each 4 colors to mark each chanich according to topics, to mark who goes to each committee

16 boards for coalition making

Pieces of paper with the names of each party and how many seats they got, to put on the board - 80 for each party. Little stickers to stick them onto the boards

Part 1 – 8 Groups Get to know your Party - 15 minutes

The convention body will be devided into 2 groups of 50 each.

Each group will get a short introduction about the political system in Israel: parties, knesset, 120 seats, coalition, representation, opposition…

Each of those 2 groups will then be devided into 8 groups.

Each sub-group will represent an Israeli political party.

The parties are

1.        Likkud

2.        Labor

3.        Shinuy

4.        Shas

5.        Mafdal

6.        Ha’Ichud Ha’Leumi

7.        Meretz

8.        Chadash

Each group will receive an "ID card" which will describe the partie's agenda.

The group will be asked to read the card and to understand they are going to represent this party during this peulah.

The Chanichim must be explained that the entire peula is NOT a political debate or persuasion session with the other parties. They should try to represent their own partie's opinion, since they are the knesset members who have been elected, and they will not be changing their minds or their peer's minds. The goal of the peula is to get to understand the partie's agenda and the Israeli political system

Part 2 – 4 Topics – 10 minutes

Each chanich in each party (sub-group) will receive 8 of the same cards. There will be 4 kinds of cards destributed amongst each party.

Each card will explain their party’s opinion about each one of the following 4 topics –

1.        A Jewish State vs. a state for all citizens

2.        Seperate state & Church (state & Synagogue)

3.        Dismantling the settlements

4.        National priorities

Each group will read and discuss shortly the way their party sees each one of these 4 topics. 

I think we don't need the stickers if they get the card in rheir hand with their own topic.

While they are discussing, mark the chanichim with 4 different colors of stickers.

Part 3 – Committees – 15 minutes

Each sub-group will send 1-2 representatives (or more, if the groups are larger) to each committee, according to the stickers they were marked with or the topic card they recieved

Each committee will deal with one of the four topics.

 

The representatives from each party will explain their partie’s beliefes and opinion about the specific topic the committee is discussing.

Each party's representatives will hand the cards he has in his and to the other parties’ representatives, and they will all hear a brief description explaining their partie's opinion for the specific committee’s topic. In that way, eventually, each representative will have the rest of the parties’ opinions, regarding the topic they discussed at the committee, in writing.

 

Part 4 – coming up with a potential coalition / opposition – 20 minutes

 

All Parties’ representatives will reconviene with their party.

The leader of the peula will explain to the entire group (50 chanichim) the conditions to create a coalition – that it should have a certain size, or if it is small, that it should have enough support from the outside.

 

Each representative will give a short explanation about the committee they just participated in. On each of the 4 topics the party should discuss:

·         What were the 8 partie's opinions about the discussed topic.

·         From those parties, who are similar enough in their opinions to your party, to join in on a coalition regarding the topic discussed?

·         What parties will your party will never join in a coalition, because their opinions are too far apart regarding the topic discussed?

·          Place the 8 parties on the board **.

 

**The Board –

 

Each Party will receive a board, which will help placing the different parties, regarding the different 4 topics:

 

1.        A Jewish State Vs. state for all citizens.
2.        Separate state & Church
3.        Settlements dismantling
4.        National Priorities

 

 

Part 5 – Coalition presentations– 20 minutes

 

Each sub-group will present its potential coalition, or more than one if they have so, or will explain why they cannot agree to any coalition, and they are choosing to stay in the opposition.

 

Part 6 – sikkum – 15 minutes

Each 2 parties will join, so there will be 4 groups.

* What did you learn from the peula?

* What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Israeli system?

* What are the main issues in Israeli elections?

* What are the major changes in this Knesset? (The continuous growing of right wing, the emerging of shinuy which reflects the deepening social gaps in Israeli society: religios / non religious, the shrinking of left wing and shas)?

* What seems to be the coalition options in Israel now?

* Why was there such a low turnout in the percentage of voting?