YSU hosts Model Knesset simulation

Fourteen students in Youngstown State University’s Israeli Politics class will present a "Model Knesset" simulation of Israel’s parliament 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 25 in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center on campus.

“Each student in the class has been assigned an Israeli party to represent in a coalition-building exercise,” said Adam Fuller, assistant professor of Politics and International Relations. Fuller said that while "Model UN" and "Model Congress" are common programs at universities and colleges across the country, "Model Knesset" programs are rare.

“YSU will be one of the few campuses in which a simulation of Israeli government will take place,” he said. “So this will be a unique experience.”

Fuller noted that Israel is the only democratic country in the Middle East. It is just as politically divided as the United States, if not more so, but it is no less democratic, he said.

“This is an opportunity for YSU students and hopefully the wider Youngstown community to learn about how Israel's parliamentary system works differently from the American model,” he added. “The goal of the event is to educate our students about the political, social, ethnic, religious and economic divisions in Israel and what their implications are in Israeli government.”

Bonnie Burdman of the Youngstown Jewish Federation is assisting in the event; Burdman and Fuller will co-judge. The event is free and open to the public.