The Old Knesset building in downtown Jerusalem hosted its first debate in 60 years on Monday, with the launch of a Hebrew University student initiative aimed at encouraging a civilized exchange of ideas.

Al HaMoked (The Spotlight), an apolitical initiative, is modeled on the Oxford and Cambridge debating societies established in the 19th century.

The motion of Monday’s debate was “Military Independence, or Regional Agreements.” The speakers were Moshe (“Bogie”) Ya’alon, a former IDF chief of staff and former Likud defense minister, who subsequently moved to the political center before quitting politics and becoming a staunch critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Uzi Dayan, a former deputy chief of staff, National Security Council head and Likud party lawmaker; Ksenia Svetlova, a former Knesset member (Hatnua) and executive director of the Regional Organization For Peace, Economics & Security; and Hebrew University military historian Prof. Danny Orbach.

Two-thirds of the roughly 100 students in the audience voted to prioritize regional agreements, supporting Ya’alon and Svetlova, although all the speakers noted that military strength and diplomacy went hand in hand.

After the formal debate, the speakers moved upstairs to continue lengthy discussions with different circles of students.

The idea was the brainchild of a first-year Politics, Economics and Philosophy student, Adam Freeman, as part of........

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