“One is aware that the most rancorous discussions about Israel take place at a student level. So we get to a group of students prior to them even getting to university, to at least have one bite of the cherry.”
John Levy, the director of the Academic Study Group (ASG), walks a fine line when it comes to educating children about Israel and the Middle East.
He is there, he says, to highlight the scientific and other contributions made by the Jewish state and to “nudge” opinion. On behalf of his organisation, Mr Levy, 71, has been delivering educational talks in schools up and down the country for decades.
One of his first talks of the new school year was to 140 or so newly-inducted sixth form pupils of Mossbourne Community Academy, which sits on the site of the old Hackney Downs School in East London. Harold Pinter and Michael Caine were both educated at the school, seen as a breeding-ground for some of the greatest artistic and academic talent of the 20th century.
Besides being one of the capital’s best performing schools ,Mossbourne can also boast a diverse student body, with more than 100 languages spoken by its pupils and teaching staff.
The “fascinating mish-mash”, as Mr Levy describes it, is illustrated when he asks whether anyone in the audience is of Middle Eastern heritage. Plenty of hands shoot up (few, if any, are Israeli).
In a 45-minute slot during the pupils’ first period of the day, what Mr Levy chose to omit would be just as important as what made the cut.
A former Lambeth Council social worker and later Zionist Federation employee, he began by pointing to the achievements and resources enjoyed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others.
Israel is not mentioned until at least 15 minutes. If his objective is to indoctrinate the children into Zionism, it is imperceptible (especially to the 16-year-old mind).
When he does, he sermonises about Israel’s academic and scientific achievements, as well as its human capital. His engaging oratory, which keeps all eyes on him for his entire slot, is almost rabbi-like (he is the son of Isaac Levy, the late rabbi of Hampstead United Synagogue ).
“The ideas pouring out of Israel which span biomedical sciences, cyber security, agricultural development —you name it,” he told the children.
“There is no politics attached to it. Israel is absolutely at the vanguard of new thinking and new ideas. It’s a premier league player when it comes to this stuff.”
Also discussed is the other half of ASG’s mission: connecting UK-based academics with their counterparts in the Jewish state, in a bid to create long-lasting ties with Israel’s research institutions.
Not to paint an unrealistically rosy picture of the Middle East, Mr Levy then came to the region’s “problematics”.
“Now I’m afraid I have to make your life very difficult now,” he began. “I’ve said glowing things about this area, and I think it’s a brilliant place.
“But I also have to say to you it’s as scary a part of the world as could be. The last eight years the Middle East has gone into a very angry phase. Tensions are writ large.”
The Arab Spring of 2011 — and its failure to establish democratic governments in almost all of the nations of the Middle East — was used by Mr Levy most strikingly to illustrate the region’s shortcomings, especially in relation to his audience’s home city.
But there’s no mention of Palestine — which was something of an elephant in the room, especially with such a large Middle Eastern contingent among his listeners.
Sixteen-year-old Nadim Samhan, whose father is Palestinian, told the JC he “would have loved to hear something on Palestine”, but expressed an understanding of Mr Levy’s “difficult” position.
“I liked how [Mr Levy] tried put the politics out of it, so he didn’t confuse people,” Nadim said.
“His organisation is trying to link academics with each other, to benefit the whole world. It’s a good thing that he’s trying to encourage people to get involved with the Middle East.
“I understand why he didn’t [discuss Palestine]. It’s difficult. I have my own ideas about it, but I try to separate that from discussions of technology and innovation — the things he spoke about in Israel. It’s just very difficult to discuss anything about the region without picking a side.”
Mr Levy later echoed Nadim’s words, admitting that, on occasion, his discussions of Israel and Palestine have ruffled feathers, especially among some teachers.
His policy, he said, is generally to avoid it and talk in glowing terms of Israel’s academic and economic success, rather than stray into questions of statehood.
“If we were going to adopt an adversarial stance, then really we should be in the political game,” he said. “Rather, we see ourselves as an educational body, engaging audiences and raising their thoughtful, critical awareness.
“If push comes to shove, and the spotlight focuses on Israel-Palestine, one has to be very honest and say there is much about governance in Israel that is splendid — and much about the military administration which is remarkable.
“But unfortunately there’s also a downside. Occupation of a population that doesn’t want you there, by definition, is going to create negative vibes. It’s tricky.”
