Assignment
Mission 3: Settlements
Brief: You have now played the third mission in Global Conflicts: Palestine, and are expected to discuss and reflect on the experiences. Below you will first find questions related to the game and then questions of a more general nature. Finally, you can write an article drawing on the game experience and the additional material on this website.
To answer the questions in this worksheet use your experiences from the game and refer to the material on this website.
1. Game review:
a). Please provide a short factual resume of the mission.
b). Please explain the motivations, actions and perception of the key people you ran into (one line each).
Mohammad:
Benjamin:
Baz:
Nabil:
c). Please give your own explanation of what happened in the game mission.
d). How would you have acted as an Israeli or Palestinian?
e). How does Benyamin perceive the Palestinians? What is the basis for this perception - consider the role of culture, history, religion & ethnicity?
f). How does Mohammad perceive the settlers? What is the basis for this perception - consider the role of culture, history, religion & ethnicity?
2. Beyond the game
You may have a hard time answering the questions below if you were a sloppy and superficial journalist. Luckily, you can either go back and play the game or use some of the material on this website.
a). What implications do the settlements have for the Israeli-Palestinian relations?
b). What reasoning do Israelis use for the settlements? What arguments do you think are valid for making settlements? How do history, culture, economy, legal rights and security serve as an explanation for the settlements?
c). How do Palestinians perceive the settlements? What arguments do Palestinians use against the settlements. How do history, culture, economy and legal rights color this perception?
d). How would you criticize Israel's policy on settlements and the actions of the settlers?
e). How would you criticize the approach of the Palestinians? Do you think the Palestinians are innocent victims? Why/why not?
f). Locate at least three maps about settlements on the website, and track the changes in settlements across time. Explain the development below. What was the situation before 1878, where the first map is from?
g). Choose at least three sources from the theme material or video section that have their different perspectives on the settlement issue. Discuss the background for the accounts and underlying agendas of the sources. (For example: UN Resolution 446, Video Living near settlements and article “Why we need settlements. Now!”).
3). Write a better story
In the game you have a limited amount of time for writing and researching the story with access to only a few sources. Now you have a chance to pursue an even better researched story by using sources on our website and from other places. In general there are three different types of stories you can choose from: news story, feature story & opinion story.
Use one of the three templates to help you make the best story. Remember you can use quotes, pictures and sources from this web-site.
Choose between the following subjects from the game world:
a). Palestine Today: Is extremely interested in stories about the abuse that goes on by settlers. This includes issues such as settler violence, the stealing of land from Palestinians and so on. Try to find a story that chronicles the struggles of the little man.
b). Global News: Is interested in a general story about the settler situation and related problems. You should try to dig up a story that can be told from both angles - maybe you can find something about ownership of land?
c). The Israeli Post: Would like for you to cover the problems that the settlers are having with the local Palestinian population. Try to look into a story that deals with issues of attacks or legal issues regarding the rights to the lands and the devotion of the settlers.