For the first time in 60 years, the chamber of Jerusalem’s Old Knesset building once again echoed with debate, as Hebrew University students launched Al HaMoked (“In the Spotlight”), a new debating society devoted to thoughtful, respectful public exchange. In a time when public discourse can often feel polarised and shallow, the initiative reflects the University’s enduring commitment to serious conversation, critical thinking and the free exchange of ideas.
Held in the historic Plenum Hall, the inaugural debate brought together students and leading public figures to consider the motion “Military Independence, or Regional Agreements.” Among the speakers were former senior military and political figures Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon, Uzi Dayan and Ksenia Svetlova, alongside Hebrew University military historian Prof Danny Orbach.
The event marked a striking return to a building that once stood at the centre of Israel’s democratic life. Now home to the Knesset Museum, the Old Knesset provided a fitting setting for a new generation of students to test ideas, challenge assumptions and engage in the kind of civil discourse that universities are uniquely placed to foster.
This initiative was the brainchild of Adam Freeman, a first-year Politics, Economics and Philosophy student, and is part of a programme run this year by the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. It speaks to a larger tradition at Hebrew University: one in which academic life is not confined to the classroom, but extends into civic life, public debate and the shaping of national conversation.
As one of Israel’s leading centres of scholarship and intellectual inquiry, the Hebrew University has long played an important role in fostering the kind of open dialogue that democratic societies depend on. This new student initiative carries that tradition forward, creating a space where evidence, argument and differing perspectives can be explored with rigour and respect.
Further debates are already planned for the coming academic year, suggesting that this first event may be the beginning of a welcome new tradition.