ABSTRACT
A soldier stands in front of a miniature model of the Israeli Officer School in Mini Israel, where little cadets toy are marching in an endless loop. He jumps to attention and salutes them. His action can be interpreted in two opposite ways. He may be displaying his deep, heartfelt respect and admiration, replacing the toy soldiers for "real" ones; he may also be jesting, thereby subtly criticizing militarism, the practice of saluting, or maybe the model's presumptuousness to truthfully represent social reality. The popularity of the place can partly be attributed to its location, promising easy access from Israeli metropolitan centres. Its playful nature, with toy cars, trains, planes and people, a small football field and basketball court, and cut-to-size buildings, makes it a magnet for families and children. Mini Israel is a monument of and to the present, representing and "commemorating" a state in existence.
