Hey guys,
The conflict between Palestinians and Israeli, which has been raging since before the creation of the modern State of Israel in 1948, has once again been renewed… this time in the realm of an educational field trip.
Israeli Education Minister Gideon Saar plans to send schoolchildren on field trip to a disputed holy sites in the West Bank. The West Bank (of the Jordan River) is one of the “occupied territories” of which Israel retains control… it is land that the Palestinians and the Arab world at large claim Israel has no right to and that it was taken by force.
The site of the field trip is the burial place of the biblical prophet Abraham, Ibrahimi to Muslims. Saad claims that the site is vital to Israeli identity and children need to be able to visit it; however Palestinian children are forbidden to walk on the street which leads to the tomb. The site is sacred to both Israeli Jews and Palestinians Muslims because Abraham is the traditional patriarch of both faiths.
I’m not sure it is a good idea to put students in such a dangerous situation. Hebron (the local area where the grave is located) has been known to be a violent area, and one of the most contested of the “occupied territories.” However Israeli claims that the area is vital to Israeli and Jewish identity, and depriving children of the opportunity to visit it robs them of their heritage and history… can’t the same be said of Palestinians Muslims?
What do you think?
They shouldn't put the kids in that situation...no matter how educational it is. And as far as the people fighting, they are all in the wrong here. If it is an area important to everyone, then everyone should be allowed there, someone with authority needs to step in and get rid of this, They'll probably get killed though.....well, this is a tough situation, but it doesen't mean the kids need to be involved.
ReplyDelete~Victoria D.
That is a hard situation to get around, but the field trip should be cancelled. Although it will bring the kids closer to their faith, the government will be held liable if something terrible were to happen. Also, young lives shouldn't be put in danger here. The conflict has nothing to do with them and bringing them all there at once could be dangerous. Although it could be a problem, most Muslims aren't like the stereotypical radicals that people expect them to be, but the risk is too high.
ReplyDelete-Brandon