[Apologies in advance for the heady and over-written nature of this particular blog entry]
One of my cousins in Israel said, "We are all brainwashed to some extent by some ideology".
I've been thinking of this statement in how we are all influenced by the forces around us: the media we consume, the books we read, our schools, religious organizations, families, friends, community, activities, camps, personal experiences. All of this contributes into shaping our world view and reinforcing it. And if one only hears a singular ideology, when an alternative point of view is presented, there is no context in which to accept it or even understand it. It's that much harder to see someone else's point of view if we grip so tightly to our own.
And, when we separate/segregate our lives from those that are not like us, it's that much easier to form a negative opinion or be distrustful about the other. We've all seen or experienced this.
One of the reasons I'm focusing on teenagers who are dedicated to peace building in the middle east for this documentary project is because this is the time in a person's life when their world view is forming. It's the time where they are beginning to have individual ideas that don't always align with their parents. It's the time where they are absorbing different pieces of information and having those life-changing experiences. It's when they are open to exploring other points of view and taking risks. But at the same time, adolescence can also be a time where they close themselves off if they are confronted with a negative experience.
It's the decisions they make in these formative years that can determine the trajectory of their lives, and these decisions they make should be instructive to us all. Not just in how they are forming their own sense of self, but in how we, as a society, are responsible for those influences that we've built and maintained. What types of messages are we putting into the world that are creating division whether directly or indirectly? And in what form are these influences presented?
Regarding the current wars in Israel/Palestine, It is no surprise that these external influences are happening everywhere in neighborhoods in Israel, West Bank, Gaza, cities in the United States, and throughout the world as well. I'd like to talk about some of these influences that I saw while on my visit in Israel. And, although I didn't enter the Palestinian territories on this trip, I hope to one day soon so I can include more balanced content depicting life there, too.
Can we agree on two experiences?
Before I begin, I hope we can generally agree on these two statements below before I make observations of the influences. I would more than happily make an edit to what I write if I missed something. Contact: dan@gordoneducation.org
The vast majority of Jews and Muslims alike condemn the violent attacks by Hamas on October 7th which violently killed over 1,200 innocent lives at a music festival - and took 251 innocent people hostage. The terrorists that committed this atrocity do no represent all Palestinians as a people nor do they represent Islam as a religion, and it would be wrong for me to conflate the two. In response to this terrorist attack, Israel has promoted signs virtually everywhere around the country for the hostages with the language of "Bring them Home" with the occasional "FCK HMS". And, I know for a fact if my family member was held hostage for over a year, I would be there, too, leading the charge every day until they were brought home safely. This is beyond heartbreaking for those who have family members killed or taken hostage. I had the opportunity to speak with a hostage's mother as well who is going through this daily trauma which felt by the majority of the country. No one should have to experience this.
The Israeli army next launched a mission in Gaza to retrieve the hostages and take down Hamas, and in doing so, has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, as reported. This number of deaths is unfathomable and far exceeds the number of Hamas terrorists. Entire innocent families have been erased in Gaza. Generations of Palestinians have been traumatized. Many of those living in Gaza are now in need of food and there is a vaccination campaign because rampant disease is imminent. Utterly devastating to witness. Most people that I've spoken to around Israel, including one of the hostage's mother, believe the the siege in Gaza should have ended and they should have a cease-fire. And whether you consider it a genocide or not, there is an enormous number of innocent people (women, children, etc) that have been killed in Gaza who didn't deserve to die.
I felt the need to write the above statements as I will be trying, however falteringly, to bring a basis of compassion for all people effected by the horrors of war, and to illuminate the motives for either side believing what they believe.
And, the reasons for these belief systems are often deeply rooted in the influences around them.
Let's get into it.
Educational influences.
In Israel, there are Jewish schools and there are Muslim schools. Except for very rare circumstances, the curriculum is never mixed. Jewish schools teach Torah and Muslim schools teach the Quran as a basic compulsory knowledge base. Already from a young age, we are setting up influences into a belief, history, and ideology. Growing up exposed to a singular religion, one is influenced by a sense of righteousness for their own religion and ideology.
A multi-ethnic/religious education setting is the opportunity for young people to learn about each other's traditions, religions, customs, similarities, differences. And, for over 99% of Israel, students are not afforded this opportunity. At the same, time, perhaps many prefer to stay separate to preserve their identity and culture. Many say a mixed education would not work.
I seems to me, the educational setting is one of the biggest influences that contributes to shaping an Israeli student's global view from a young age.
Poster/Sign/Sticker Influences.
While in Israel there were many posters, signs, billboards, stickers with the words "Bring them Home" referring to the hostages still held captive for over 400 days by Hamas. Businesses have the signs in their windows, people put these stickers on their cars alongside stickers that say "FCK HMS". And, on the sides of buildings, 50 ft. tall images of the face of three terrorists with crosshairs on their foreheads as if to say they have been or will be eliminated. The image on the side of a building is s a huge depiction of killing the enemy - something I have never seen before in the United States in such large display. All of these posters/signs/stickers around the country give the impression of a unified country at war.
Now, what posters and signs are we not seeing around Israel? We are not seeing the "Free Palestine" signs that are all across America with concentrations on college campuses and liberal leaning cities. We are not seeing signs/posters/stickers in Israel that present a loss of innocent life in Gaza because of this war. My question is: How does the absence of signage influence us?
And, more largely, what visual cues are we seeing or not seeing every day that could influence our own opinion? I believe these influential visual cues can apply to everybody no matter where we live in the world. We are influenced by what we see and read.
Group Think Influences.
I struck up a conversation with a 20-year-old Israeli soldier on the public bus from Givat Ela to Jerusalem. We chatted the whole way and he was telling me that there was a professional soccer match between Israelis and Arabs. During the Israeli National anthem, Arabs turned their back on the flag. And the Israelis, later on in the game chanted "We hope your village is burned". A soccer game quickly devolved into a match of invectives instead one of camaraderie.
And, if your friends and family members are caught up on one side either turning their back or on the other side chanting "we hope your village is burned", it's that much harder to go against the grain if everyone we know is following suit. We are influenced by the groups that surround us.
What groups do we identify with? Do we agree with everything they say? And, what if we don't? The group influences are powerful social mechanisms that can influence behavior, and I remember seeing the earliest expressions of this when I was a kid.
Clothing Accessories as a Type of Influence.
To remember the Israeli hostages, Israelis wear a yellow ribbon on their jacket, tied onto their car, or on the door handle of their home or business. The yellow ribbon becomes a symbol of unity and solidarity as a call to bring the hostages home.
And, in regards to an accessory that I have seen, though I was not in Palestinian territory, I know that Americans will don a keffiyeh as a sign of alliance with being Palestinian resistance. These are non-Arabs and Araba wearing keffiyehs as a sign of solidarity with the population in Gaza who are being continually displaced and under constant bombings.
Both of these clothing accessories have become a symbol of solidarity for a human cause, the cause and dignity of life!
Does it become a binary choice for people who choose to express compassion for all innocent lives?
Other Influences: social media, news, extracurricular activities, places of worship.
I could give examples of every type of influence that exists, but I am not writing a term paper here so I'm not trying to be exhaustive, but I want to draw attention to the idea that we are all products of influence. I'm not saying influences are good or bad, they are just forces that shape our lives, our opinions, and our world.
My overall questions are: Are we self-aware to understand all of the influences that are shaping our opinion? And what influences are we not seeing?
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