Russian-Speaking Young Leadership Course

A cohort of 25 young Russian-speaking Israeli leaders, including journalists, social media influencers, students, and more, participated in a course on the conflict and the two-state solution this past month. Activities included an introductory workshop with a historical overview of negotiations and an introduction to the Geneva Initiative’s solution model, a two-day seminar deep dive into the core issues of the conflict, a geopolitical tour of East Jerusalem, and numerous unmediated discussions with a range of Palestinians voices. The Russian-speaking community in Israel is a large and influential sector of Israeli society, often treated as a “spoiler” demographic for a future peace process despite the diversity resulting from generational, geographic, and immigration wave differences.