Victim themes in contemporary history curricula for state junior high schools in Israel – Can the past construct future consciousness of victimhood?

National victim themes in history curricula in Israel actually present a real dilemma for any educational system which is preoccupied with the past: On one hand, many historical chapters, which include the narrative of the victim, refer to genuine suffering, historical periods and the national ethos of Jews and Israelis. On the other hand, excessive use of the victim’s narrative in educational materials might in fact educate towards inherent mistrust and even perpetuate hostility. The dilemma mentioned is being portrayed in the corpus of contemporary history curricula in Israel, which include the victim’s narrative of the Jewish people.