As part of our reconciliation program for young leaders, we conducted a tour of East Jerusalem led jointly by Palestinian and Israeli guides on 8th October. The tour explored the complexities of both peoples connection to the land and the different narratives that exist.
Stops included: Jabel Mukaber (a predominantly Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem), Talpiot, Damascus Gate. The group met with an ultra-Orthodox Rabbi who shared his view on the commonalities between Islam and Judaism, and how this can impact co-existence. He also spoke about the importance of preserving the status quo on the Temple Mount with an emphasis on finding solutions through dialogue. Another speaker included Mahmoud Muna, the head of the Educational Bookshop, who spoke about the complex identity and political reality of East Jerusalemites. At the end of the meeting, he told the group: “by not choosing the two-state solution, you are creating one-state.”
Influential young women and men from diverse sections of Israeli society walked the conflict and saw with their own eyes that Jerusalem does not have to be a zero-sum issue, there is potential for change and coexistence through greater acceptance and understanding of the other side.
This project is conducted in partnership, and with the support of, the European Union.
