Until I turned 28, my interactions with Israelis were only with the soldiers at the checkpoints in the West Bank. Growing up, I never had the chance to have a discussion with anyone from the Israeli side. My first positive interaction with the “other side” was when I came back home from studying abroad and did an internship at an Israeli startup in Tel-Aviv. During my time studying to get my MBA at Tel-Aviv University, I became aware of the Charney Resolution Center.
I learned that the CRC was built for the purpose of motivating people to pursue peace from all over the world and its ongoing role that it plays by organizing peace talk simulations between the youth from both sides (Israeli and Palestinian). One of the simulations is the annual Peace Talks with EMIS (Eastern Mediterranean International School) students that take place in the Center located in the Green Village where they all study and live together.
The Charney Resolution Center was built in honor of the late Leon Charney who played a key role behind the scenes in the establishment of the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978. These simulations are giving teenagers the chance to become aware, responsible, and ultimately influential citizens and leaders in their own communities. Personally, I never had the chance to overcome obstacles like this when I was their age and I’m very appreciative that they have this chance now. I realize that positive change cannot happen overnight. It’s a process until we reach the ultimate goal of coexistence between both nations.
The simulation with the EMIS students last month was the first one I witnessed. It was an exhilarating and incredible experience to see those teenagers engage in passionate debates and discuss very sensitive topics and issues for both sides. The students also came up with agreements and creative solutions for the conflict and still came out as friends.
I was proud to be part of that experience and I look forward to many more. In the end, I realized that in order to have any type of discussion, first of all we should acknowledge our opposites, acknowledge their existence and their rights.
Through all this experience, I learned so much about myself, the other side, and most importantly I learned that there is still hope.