On 14th November, a group of young Israeli leaders travelled to Ramallah to meet with their Palestinian counterparts to explore the issue of narratives, to build trust and identify ways to work together to promote reconciliation. The activity followed on from a series of parallel knowledge-building meetings attended by participants on both sides to prepare them for constructive encounters with the the other side. Speakers included:
- Director of Peace Now, Shaqued Morag who shared analysis about the impact of settlement building on achieving the two-state solution: what is solvable through land swaps as part of a political solution and which areas will need to be evacuated
- Director of the Palestinian Peace Coalition, Nidal Foqaha, presented dynamics in Palestinian society including public opinion, generational gaps and geographical differences between the West Bank and Gaza.
In the second half of the day, the participants undertook at activity that focused on deconstructed some of the most prevalent myths that circulate in both societies e.g. ‘Most Palestinians don’t condemn violence against Israeli citizens’ or ‘All Israelis support settlement expansion.’ By refuting the myths and presenting the facts behind these narratives, it helped both sides to increase their empathy and trust for the other. Future meetings will include more in-depth joint seminars.
All of the participants are influential and have access to various levels of decision-making within their communities. Many are parliamentary assistants, student leaders and social and political activists.
