The Explosion on Ahalan Street: Boundaries of Jewish-Arab tolerance and coexistence

The paper examines the 1986 production of The Explosion on Ahalan Street by Israel’s Orna Porat Theatre for Children and the controversy it sparked. The play, which portrayed a mixed Jewish-Arab family and dealt with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, breached taboos in theatre for young audiences and exposed the limits of Israel’s educational policies on Jewish-Arab coexistence. While initially supported by the Ministry of Education, the play faced growing opposition from right-wing critics and politicians, ultimately leading to the withdrawal of official recommendation for school audiences. The debate surrounding the play revealed contrasting views on the role of political content in TYA and perceptions of children’s ability to engage with complex issues. Theatre critics grappled with balancing artistic critique and support for the play’s social importance as controversy grew. The paper argues that the production became an “exception” that challenged the boundaries of tolerance within Israel’s coexistence policy. It concludes that the play’s reception demonstrated young audiences’ capacity for nuanced engagement with political topics, contrary to assumptions about children’s innocence or impressionability.