This article analyses the intellectual, religious, national and moral processes which a
democratic society has had to confront in its day-to-day routines under the ever-present
threat of terror. It discusses the effects of the terror over the character of Israeli society and
the critical debates in its system of education. As far as it can be ascertained through the
observations in this study, the general publics' attitude could be defined as a mildly moral
realistic one: people think that terror and violence have objective foundations but certainly
embody some subjective human conventions and beliefs.
Is it possible in a democratic society to aspire to peace during a long period of war
and terror, and how should moral education be taught in accordance with critical and
reflective principles in such circumstances? What are the intellectual and spiritual options to
explain the existence of terror in Israeli society, a daily fact of life that compels an entire
society to carry on with their day-to-day routines under the ever-present threat of terror?
How then, should teachers start their daily teaching routine or react in front of their pupils to
the reality of living with the constant threat of terrorism or actually experiencing acts of
terror?
These questions and many other similar questions are asked in every Israeli
classroom as well as in many other places all over the world.
By definition, it is quite
obvious that terror is a universal method of exercising power by spreading fear and horror.
In that case, if terror is a constant universal reality, should teachers put aside their regular
daily teaching in an attempt to give explanations again and again about what has happened?
Would this be a successful way of providing a channel to filter students' responses while
allowing them to vent their feelings? If...