After landing in Israel our group of 34 icnext participants separated into our cohorts, each one having their own speaker. Cohort 10’s speaker was Benji Davis. Benji Davis grew up in America and later moved to Israel. In Israel he obtained a PhD on Middle East studies and history. To connect with our group, he began by asking many questions and would starting a fun conversation off of any idea. He explained how covid affected how people perceive Israel. When people had to stop visiting Israel it seemed as though it didn’t exist. This loosened the connection between Israel and the people who don’t live in Israel. Many people began to compare the political issues in America to Israel. This created a false perception of Israeli politics and the actual problems that exist. People failed to understand that what is true in America is not always true for Israel.
In America there is a movement called BDS (boycott, divest and sanction). Benji described BDS as an anti- Israel movement that blames Jewish Americans for the Israel/ Palestine conflict. I asked Benji what someone could do if they were called out by BDS, he answered “Can you argue with a drunk or a fool?”. He explained that it is almost impossible to try and get them to see the other side’s views or opinion and the best someone can do is stand their ground.
Benji explained the different areas where Palestinians tend to live and the different citizenships they may have. Everyone can have their own view on their identity no matter their citizenship. He also explained the Palestinian’s part in the government. Along with this Benji brought up how hard it may be to get the full story on a conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Some news sources leave out information so Israel will be painted in a bad light.
Even though we were totally exhausted from our travel, his lecture was very interesting, and he found different tactics to keep our attention. He would allow all views and would bring up current events which helped everyone’s understanding. Leaving this lecture i felt more knowledgeable about the conflict and how it affects people in America and Israel.
In America there is a movement called BDS (boycott, divest and sanction). Benji described BDS as an anti- Israel movement that blames Jewish Americans for the Israel/ Palestine conflict. I asked Benji what someone could do if they were called out by BDS, he answered “Can you argue with a drunk or a fool?”. He explained that it is almost impossible to try and get them to see the other side’s views or opinion and the best someone can do is stand their ground.
Benji explained the different areas where Palestinians tend to live and the different citizenships they may have. Everyone can have their own view on their identity no matter their citizenship. He also explained the Palestinian’s part in the government. Along with this Benji brought up how hard it may be to get the full story on a conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Some news sources leave out information so Israel will be painted in a bad light.
Even though we were totally exhausted from our travel, his lecture was very interesting, and he found different tactics to keep our attention. He would allow all views and would bring up current events which helped everyone’s understanding. Leaving this lecture i felt more knowledgeable about the conflict and how it affects people in America and Israel.