Orange Section Peace Summit

The Promises Peace Summit

Orange Section English 6

We finished B.Z. Goldberg's movie Promises, during which students took notes on one particular character for our role play exercises. Students then put on name tags with their characters' names, and then they held informal negotiation sessions where they moved around the tables, speaking to other characters, seeing if they could “build alliances”—work through differences or imagine new proposals. They rotated from group to group and discussed alliance building for three-five minutes with every other character, staying in character when they discussed their differences and imagined new proposals.

They then used the experiences in their informal negotiation sessions to make whatever modifications they wanted to the answers to the five questions below.

The Promises Peace Summit was one of the last class days of the unit where we took the five questions one by one and ask for proposals and discussion, and after discussion, we brought these to a vote. Again, students stayed in character during the Peace Summit, while I took notes for us, displaying agreements and disagreements on the overhead. 

1. What rights should the Palestinian refugees have?


ORANGE PROPOSAL #1: Shlomo: The Palestinian refugees should be able to go where they want as long as they get checked for guns and other weapons first.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #1: Yes: 5; No: 6      Proposal Denied


ORANGE PROPOSAL #2: Sanabel: The Palestinian refugees should be able to return to houses that their ancestors had that are in Israel.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #2: Yes: 5; No: 6      Proposal Denied


ORANGE PROPOSAL #3: Daniel: The West Bank and Gaza should be for Palestinians, and Israelis should live in other parts of Israel.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #3: Yes: 7; No: 3      Proposal Denied


ORANGE PROPOSAL #4: Faraj: Remove checkpoints and walls. The Palestinian refugees should be able to live wherever they want.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #4: Yes: 6; No: 6      Chair votes yes; Proposal Passed


ORANGE PROPOSAL #5: Moishe: The Palestinian refugees should go to another Arab country, and Israelis should have all of Israel.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #5: Yes: 4; No: 7      Proposal Denied



2. What should be the status of Jerusalem?


ORANGE PROPOSAL #1: Mahmoud: Jerusalem should be controlled by Palestinians, but Israelis should be able to enter.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #1: Yes: 4; No: 6      Proposal Denied


ORANGE PROPOSAL #2: Daniel: Jerusalem should be controlled by Israelis, but Palestinians should be able to enter.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #2: Yes: 4; No: 8      Proposal Denied


ORANGE PROPOSAL #3: Faraj: Jerusalem should not have restrictions or checkpoints except at entrance to sacred sites like Dome of Rock or Western Wall.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #3: Yes: 6; No: 6      Chair votes yes; Proposal Passed


ORANGE PROPOSAL #4: Moishe: Jersulaem should be for Israelis, and only Israelis can enter.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #4: Yes: 4; No: 8      Proposal Denied


ORANGE PROPOSAL #5: Sanabel: Jerusalem should be open to everyone.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #5: Yes: 6; No: 6      Chair votes yes; Proposal Passed


ORANGE PROPOSAL #6: Shlomo: Return to old boundaries before 1967 War: Eastern Jerusalem, including old city, goes to Palestinians and western Jerusalem goes to Israelis.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #6: Yes: 3; No: 9      Proposal Denied



3. What should be the status of the West Bank and Gaza, currently occupied by Israel?


ORANGE PROPOSAL #1: Daniel: West Bank and Gaza should be for Palestinians, and Israelis should leave.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #1: Yes: 8; No: 4      Proposal Passed


ORANGE PROPOSAL #2: Moishe: Israelis should have all rights to West Bank and Gaza, and Palestinians shouldn't be allowed to go there.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #2: Yes: 4; No: 5      Proposal Denied



4. Should the United States give aid to either the Israelis or Palestinians-or to both of them? If so, what kind of aid?


ORANGE PROPOSAL #1: Moishe: U.S. should give military aid to Israel and not Palestinians.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #1: Yes: 2; No: 10      Proposal Denied


ORANGE PROPOSAL #2: Mahmoud: Humanitarian and military aid should go to Palestinians only.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #2: Yes: 3; No: 9      Proposal Denied


ORANGE PROPOSAL #3: Shlomo: No aid to either country.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #3: Yes: 8; No: 4      Proposal Passed


ORANGE PROPOSAL #4: Daniel: Humanitarian aid to both sides, not military.


ORANGE VOTE ON PROPOSAL #4: Yes: 6; No: 6      Chair votes yes; Proposal Passed