Gil Hoffman was raised in Chicago, studied at Northwestern University’s School of Journalism, and now lives in Israel with his wife and kids. He is the chief political correspondent for the Jerusalem Post and is well connected with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. He is known as the “most optimistic man in Israel” by Israel Television, and has been interviewed by many major news stations and major figures around the world.
Q: Do you find that teenagers follow their parents’ political views?
A: Typically, children in Israel are more informed about politics than children in America. For example, the news Chanel is ranked as the third highest viewed Chanel in Israel. When kids grow up in Israel, they are encouraged to be involved with politics.
Q: Why can’t people find a political party that has the same views as them concerning political issues AND economic issues?
A: Even if there were many political parties, it is very rare that there will EVER be one party that has all of the same views as anyone else.
Q: Do people usually stay with the same political party their whole life?
A: It used to be like that, but then everyone started changing their opinions and views because they did not connect or agree with the views of the groups anymore. In the past, sticking with a political group was like having a “marriage”, but now people typically change opinions and do not stick with the same ones their whole life.
Q: Do adolescents usually have opposite feelings and views than their parents or other adults?
A: When growing up, kids typically have extreme views. If they want to keep all of the land then they want to keep ALL of the land, and if they want to share with Palestine then they want to SHARE everything with Palestine. When they grow up though, they usually settle down and become more moderate. In this day and age, younger kids usually side with the right wing around issues of peace and security.