The history of the Jews

Today we had to wake up really early again. At this point I am used to 6:30 breakfast, but I loved the days when we enjoyed a later breakfast. Well anyway, we started the day with a trip to Mount Herzl to see the national cemetery. We ended up getting there a little early, so we had time to talk through everything that we have been hearing and seeing during our past few days in Bethlehem. One important question that stuck out to me from our conversation had to do with idea of justice. What does justice look like? Justice for Israel? Justice for Palestine? We have heard over and over again to pray for peace and justice in this land, but every individual has their own idea of what that should look like.

After our discussion, we were able to walk through the cemetery. The cemetery is the burial site of many people that are significant to the formation and history of the state of Israel. There were also memorials throughout the cemetery.

We then made our way to the Holocaust museum. Right when we entered, we are faced with video clips of what life looked like for Jews before WWII. From this first point, it was easy to tell that the museum focused on a specific narrative of the Holocaust- the Jewish people. The narrative began with information about anti-semitism and Nazi propaganda. From the museum, I learned that there were almost stages in the treatment of the Jews during WWII. The first was marked by an extreme increase in anti-semitism and mistreatment of the Jewish people. Jews were marked with a Star of David patch on their clothes (which is now proudly displayed on Israel's flag), and they were humiliated. Words that stuck out to me as I walked through this section were: terror, humiliation, abuse, and forced labor. The next section talked about the Ghettos that Jews were forced to live in throughout Europe and the museum tried to re-create what life would have been life for them. 43,500 Jews died from disease and starvation in the Ghettos. As the war continued, many of these Ghettos turned into transit camps that served as preparation before death camps. I will not go into more detail about the treatment of Jews because we can learn that from any holocaust/WWII narrative. What made this museum different was all of the information about how the Jews had no where to go. Country after country denied them access into their land, and so the Jews were stuck in Europe. Even after WWII ended, the surviving Jews did not have a safe place to return to because of anti-semitism that still existed and restrictive immigration laws. This is the context and reality of the formation of the state of Israel. WWII ended, and the Zionist movement was growing stronger.

From touring the Holocaust museum, our group was able to get a better understanding of the perspective of the people of Israel. Never again do they want to be vulnerable. They have their own state now, so they can protect the Jewish people from any force that threatens them. It was a busy morning, but an important part of our trip.

Melissa Kramer

Disclaimer: written by an International Relations major released into the confines of a highly secured government building.

After spending the morning at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery and Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial and museum, our journey in Jerusalem continued to a place where current statesmen seek to further the legacy of the State. The Knesset, or “gathering,” is Israel’s legislative body and derives its name from the “Great Assembly,” a congregation of the 12 tribal elders during the Second Temple period. Like the Great Assembly, the modern gathering also consists of 120 members and represents all the modern “tribes” of Israeli society.

The Knesset is located on a hill with other important Israeli buildings, including the Supreme Court, Israel museum, and Hebrew university. The main building was built in 1966 with a new addition finished six years ago. While many of us expected a grandiose building celebrating Israel’s rise out of hardship and conflict, it is actually quite simple and plain. Yes, it has all the latest technology and security to make daily tasks and governance efficient and safe. But as far as a national landmark and landscape-defining structure, the Knesset doesn’t quite fit the bill in my opinion. The square exterior consists of concrete and Jerusalem limestone and the interior has few decorations. After listening to our tour guide, however, I believe this was part of the design. Our guide repeatedly emphasized the importance of democratic governance and transparency. From the windows overlooking surrounding neighborhoods to allowing citizens to sit in on committee meetings, open communication with the electorate is an essential aspect of Israel’s domestic politics. Simplicity encourages the democratically elected statesmen to remain in touch with the people.

During our 90-minute walk through the building, we saw a copy of Israel’s Declaration of Independence; viewed the Attendance Board, which reveals the members of parliament currently within the building; walked along faction/party offices; sat in the Committee on the Status of Women meeting room; and finished in the Plenary Chamber. At each location we discussed the respective legislative processes and structure, many of which closely resemble the British parliamentary system. The tour enabled us to delve deeper into domestic politics. Many of our conversations, especially in the last week, have dealt with the Arab-Israeli conflict and Israeli policies toward the Palestinians in particular. Elected officials certainly play a role in forming these policies.

Unlike the United States, Israel has a parliamentary system. Elections are held every four years and citizens vote for parties rather than individual candidates. Each party publishes a list of its candidates ranked from 1 to 120. If a particular party receives 10% of the popular vote, then it receives 10% of the seats in the Knesset (12 seats). Thus, the candidates ranked 1 to 12 earn the seats in parliament. In other words, when Israeli citizens vote for the party they do not vote “blindly.” In order for a party to be eligible to win any seats in the Knesset, they must receive the threshold level of 3.25% of the popular vote. In addition, Israeli citizens do not directly elect their prime minister and president. The party with the majority of seats in the Knesset then elects the prime minister, who is the most powerful member in Israeli government. If no party has a majority of seats, then the parties seek to form coalitions with one another in order to attain a majority.

Currently, the Likud Party, a center-right nationalistic faction, has successfully forged the coalition comprising the government. Benjamin Netanyahu, a member of the Likud Party, holds the post as Prime Minister. The next elections are scheduled for November of 2017.

Colin Ogrady