School pupils vote in mock Israeli elections

OWN CORRESPONDENT

King David Linksfield’s project was spearheaded by Shinshin (Israeli educator) Michal Benstein, who worked with Habonim’s Sganit Mazkir Klali Eden Plein and other madrichim.

Preparations for the King David event began a week earlier, when each of the school committees was given information about one Israeli political party competing in the elections. They created political posters and slogans, which were displayed around the school for a week. Each committee chose a Grade 11 representative to speak for them when the school gathered for the special assembly earlier this week.

On the day, each representative explained the aims and ideologies of their political party. Students heard about the United Torah Judaism party, Likud, the Blue and White party, the Labor Party, and several others on the ballot.

Afterwards, they were divided into grades to cast their votes in specifically allocated voting areas.

Likewise, at Herzlia Middle and High School, pupils were exposed to the array of political parties running for election by student representatives, who delivered party manifestos, election promises, and showed party political videos.

Likud, the Democratic Progressive Party, Labor Party, United Torah Judaism, New Right Party, Meretz Party, and Blue and White Party were represented at the event, which was hosted by Tzachi Cohen, the head of the school’s Israel programme, and the Middle and High School Zionism Committee.

Following the presentations, ballot boxes were set up along with monitors, and pupils were given the chance to vote for the party of their choice.