The David Project is constantly creating updated materials to help expand your knowledge of Israel
Primers, Briefings, Discussion Guides & Suggested Readings
The following resources will help you further investigate historical and contemporary issues related to Israel. They provide an easy-to-understand overview of complex and difficult matters.
Israeli Elections Discussion Guide and Analysis
Elections for the 19th Knesset took place in Israel on Tuesday, January 22. The David Project prepared a guide to the Israeli elections in order to help students, teachers and campus professionals better understand the Israeli electoral system, the parties who ran, and the main issues concerning Israelis in this most recent election. This document provides information to help students effectively discuss Israel’s elections with others.
Download the PDF of our 2013 Israeli Elections Discussion Guide
Understanding the Settlements Primer
The Settlements Primer answers the questions we receive from high school and college students throughout the year. The primer focuses on addressing the history of the settlements movement, settler motivation, and settlement locations, as well as unpacking issues surrounding the legality of the settlements. The goal of the primer is to foster more nuanced conversations about these communities, while also breaking down the stereotype that the settlements are a monolithic entity.
Operation Pillar of Defense: Special Briefing & Discussion Guide
Events in Israel unfolded very quickly, and Operation Pillar of Defense was surely discussed on campus. The David Project prepared an initial special briefing, as well as an updated one as the conflict continued, in order to help campus professionals and student leaders better understand what led to the outburst in conflict and how to effectively discuss it with others. Additionally, we have published seven recommendations on how to respond on campus.
Click the images below to view the PDFs of our Operation Pillar of Defense briefings.
Click the image below to view the full PDF of an article about Proportional Force.
The David Project Recommendations for How to Respond on Campus
Below are seven tips about how you can engage students on campus in a constructive dialogue around Operation Pillar of Defense.
- Educate yourselves and your peers. Discuss with your Israel group and the larger Israel community what is going on, collect information, and educate yourselves on the situation. Click here for our conversation guide to “Pillar of Defense.” Create a safe space for students grappling with the conflict to ask questions.
- Show public support. Show support for Israel by holding a public display of solidarity with the people of Israel. This show of support can be in the form of tabling or a larger gathering like a rally. You should aim to create a space to show your commitment to Israel, while welcoming discussion, questions, and information sharing.
- Don’t counter-protest. Do not directly engage with anti-Israel protests and rallies. We do not want to increase attention to anti-Israel activity and inadvertently amplify the voice of Israel’s detractors. Our job is not to stop an anti-Israel rally from happening on campus. Rather, we should educate our peers and encourage understanding and conversation about the situation. Likewise, avoid inflammatory postings on Facebook, Twitter, etc. or posting in open forums. These kinds of posts tend generate needless rancor and undermine our own standing.
- Connect with your partners. Email, call and sit down to talk with your contacts on campus from the various partner organizations and communities. Share information with them , welcome their questions and ask them what questions they are hearing from their constituents. Provide updates as events transpire. Start a campaign to engage students one-on-one. Your willingness to engage in these conversations will show the community that you want to hear their concerns but also that you wish to share your grasp of the current conflict
- Mobilize support. Ask students to sign an open letter to the mayor of Sderot that lets him know the students of your university support the people of his city and stand with innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians. A draft letter can be found here. The David Project’s grants program is available to help fund the publishing of the letter in your campus newspaper or other campus space.
- Humanize Israel and Israelis. Find opportunities to connect your peers and your campus with your friends, family and peers in Israel. If you know someone in Israel studying abroad, on a gap-year program, or living there, ask them to Skype or video chat with you and your friends so that you can hear first hand what is happening in Israel and what it is like to be in Tel Aviv, Sderot, Jerusalem or other cities right now.
- Provide public information. Write an op-ed providing more information on Operation Pillar of Defense and your perspective. We’d be happy to help!
Unilateral Declaration of Independence Primer
The Unilateral Declaration of Independence Primer provides students with a historical and pragmatic understanding of the Palestinians’ quest for statehood on the international stage. Through the lens of Mahmoud Abbas’ September 2011 historic appeal to the UN, the primer explores issues of state recognition, tension among nations, and the status of peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Suggested Readings
The following link lists some suggested readings and primary sources to further your knowledge of Israel.
If you would like additional resources or recommendations, please contact us at education@davidproject.org.