Seeking to shed new light on the Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip, approximately 40 students assumed the roles of various Israeli citizens yesterday afternoon, allowing the students to better understand Israeli sentiment about the process.
The role play was part of a program called "Engaging the Disengagement," an interactive discussion about the recent Israeli disengagement from Gaza.
The session was run by Alexandria Benjamin from the Israel-based Melitz Program, a non-profit, self-described educational institute without any political or religious agenda.
As a slide show about the disengagement played in the background, those present were asked to play the parts of different Israeli citizens in order to highlight Israeli feeling about the process.
One student assumed the role of a rabbi, and another took the role of a settler who had been removed from her home in Gaza.
Some issues brought to light were those of potential civil war, the plight of thousands of people forced to make new homes for themselves and the fact that there was never any national referendum on the topic.
After the simulation, the floor was opened for students to offer their personal opinions.
Danny Hillman, a College freshman who served in the Israeli army for three years before coming to Penn, was certain that disengagement was a step in the right direction.
"Too many soldiers have been killed defending a place not strategically important," he said.
However, others believe that that the withdrawal was a mistake.
As Benjamin pointed out during the seminar, while some people hope Israel is now on the fast track to peace, many see the pullout as a victory for militant terror groups operating in the area.
Although the disengagement plan was implemented more than a month ago, the highly controversial event remains an emotionally charged issue. The session offered students an outlet in a way that transcended political viewpoints.
"Sometimes I get emotionally wrapped up in Israel," said Liora Sitelman, a sophomore at Bryn Mawr College. "It helps me to see that other people care."
The event was sponsored in part by the Penn Israel Coalition.
PIC President and Wharton sophomore Melissa Hauptman was happy with the outcome of the event.
"The point was not only to deepen the understanding of the disengagement," she said, "but to help people appreciate ... that at the root of a political decision was a widespread yearning for peace, and that the process was carried out by both soldiers and settlers with pride and respect".
