On December 17th, more than 20 senior female Israeli leaders attended a seminar focused on the situation in East Jerusalem from a gendered perspective which provided a forum for an exchange between Israeli and Palestinian women. The seminar featured a panel of prominent female Palestinian leaders, including Nivine Sandouka, the founder of several female-focused NGOs in Palestine; Tahani Abu Raqqa, a politician and policy expert; and Riman Barakat, a CEO and NGO director. The panel addressed the current trends and obstacles towards achieving a two-state solution and the indispensable role of women in peace-building, reconciliation, and negotiations. Following a dynamic discussion, the participants then toured East Jerusalem to witness first hand the political and social reality on the ground, the historical background and the narratives on both sides
The seminar concluded with a call to action for the participants, who spanned positions in the media, political, local government, civil society, cultural and business spheres, to become involved with peacebuilding and peace advocacy within their respective fields.