Israel’s civic education wars: a review of the literature and theoretical implications

Abstract

Civic education research in different national settings points to how citizenship conceptions act as factors that frame and steer practice. This review of research conducted in Israel over the last 40 years questions a reality in which the choice of a leading civic ideology is controversial, due to the fundamental aspects of citizenship in Israel that are still contested. By examining publications through the theoretical lens of citizenship conceptions, the main argument to be presented is that civics in Israel is not a unifying factor, enabling a framework for democratic discussion, but rather a means to advance sectarian political views. As will be demonstrated, this insight has theoretical implications relevant for other countries dealing with such issues.

Keywords:

• Literature reviews
• social studies
• civics
• Israel

Acknowledgements

This study is a development of a PhD dissertation conducted at Teachers College Columbia University under the guidance of Professor William Gaudelli, to whom I wish to extend my thanks. I also wish to thank the reviewer and editor for their helpful remarks and suggestions.

Notes

1. This study, and this historical review, relate to the Israeli educational arena and not to the educational system of the Palestinian Authority which follows its own autonomous curriculum (see, for example, Nordbruch 2002; Abukhayran 2013)

2. The study of civics is exempt from the Jewish ultra-orthodox educational track.

3. The term “Israeli-Palestinians” will be used to refer to Palestinian citizens of Israel, and not to the Palestinians of the Palestinian Authority. I acknowledge the fact that the term “Israeli-Arabs” is also used in the discourse but have intentionally chosen this terminology, respecting the choice of most Palestinian scholars who also use this term in order to relate to cultural and national affiliations of the members of this group. The word “Arab” will appear in relation to this group only in cases in which this is the original terminology of the referenced source.

4. For examples of such studies see Aviv Cohen (2016a, 2016b).