
Towardstheendoftheirmilitaryservice,youngIsraelisaregivenanotherchancetoobtainaschool-leavingcertificateiftheydon’thaveitalready.Forthreeconsecutiveweeks,civiceducationistheorderoftheday.Inuniformandwiththeirgunsalwayswithinreach,thestudentsdiscusspluralism,discrimination,humanrights,thecomplexdefinitionoftheJewishStateandtheIsraeli-Palestinianconflict.<br/> Thecamerasoberlyobservestheheateddebates,inwhichalarminglyintransigentviewsareexpressed.Apartfromtheliberalteacher,noonebelievesinthepossibilityofpeacefulcoexistence.Arabsareallterroristswhoshouldbeaccordednorights.Anyonewhodisagreesisdisparagedasa“leftist”.<br/> There’snodoubtthattheattitudesoftheseyoungsoldiershavebeenshapedbymilitarydiscourseandtheirexperienceswithinthearmy,servingtohardentheirpositionsandleavingthemwithouttheabilitytodifferentiate.YetgiventhatnearlyeveryoneinIsraelpassesthroughtheinstitutionofthemilitary,theclassroombecomesamicrocosmofthemajorityofsociety.Perhapslifeoutsideofthebarrackswillhelpthemgetafewthingsstraight.