Peaceful Co-Existence Among Israelis and Palestinians: Vision for a Shared Future

Experience the Event

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Wednesday, December 11, 2024 12:00 pm

Join us for a conversation among Israelis, Palestinians, and others who care deeply about the region and seek to break through the status quo and overcome division and polarization. Supported by the work of the OneVoice Movement, these peacemakers advocate for a shared future that unlocks the full potential of both peoples. They also seek to empower voices that foster depolarization in discourse about the region in the United States in order to build support for the notion that Israeli-Palestinian coexistence is possible.

This event is co-sponsored by the Notre Dame International Security Center (NDISC) and the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion and the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the Keough School of Global Affairs. 

This November 11, 2024 conversation was part of the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum that answers the question “What Do We Owe Each Other?”

Since its establishment in 2005, each year the Notre Dame Forum invites campus-wide dialogue about issues of importance to the University, the nation, and the larger world. This year’s theme, chosen by Father Dowd, invites reflection on our responsibilities to one another. In a world where ideological and cultural divisions seem to have deepened, the Forum aims to bring people together across differences to face the most pressing challenges of our time.

Meet the Moderator: Lisa Schirch

Lisa Schirch is the Richard G. Starmann, Sr. Professor of the Practice of Peace Studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame. She has 30 years of experience in peacebuilding research, policy advocacy, practice, and teaching. Her current research focuses on the positive roles of technology in “peacetech” and “digital peacebuilding.” She also holds the title of senior research fellow with the Toda Peace Institute, where she coordinates with civil society and technology companies to experiment and innovate new technologies that can scale social cohesion.

Meet the Speaker: Nidal Foqaha

Nidal Foqaha is the director general of the Palestinian Peace Coalition. He leads a nonprofit Palestinian organization that works to promote a peaceful settlement for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution as envisioned in the Geneva Initiative. Foqaha has contributed to several political dialogues, including on security, borders, Jerusalem, water, and refugees, as well as reconciliation-related issues. Previously, Foqaha served as an adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization secretary general (2003–2008) and a team member of the Palestinian-Israeli Joint Economic Committee (1999–2001), a committee in charge of dealing with economic issues as part of the economic agreements between the two sides. Foqaha co-chairs the Two-State Solution Coalition, a coalition of Palestinian and Israeli civil society organizations that promotes the two-state solution as an endgame settlement for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Meet the Speaker: Ezzeldeen Masri

Ezzeldeen Masri is the chief field officer of the PeaceWorks Foundation and OneVoice Movement. He was born in Gaza City. From 2005 to 2006, he was first secretary in the Palestinian Diplomatic Corps overseeing organizations working on promoting peace between Israel and Palestine. In November 2006, he opened OneVoice’s Palestine-Gaza office and was appointed as the executive director. After the end of the first Gaza War, he moved to Ramallah City and accepted the job of director of development in OneVoice Palestine. In 2011, he moved back to the Gaza Strip and was appointed as director of OneVoice-Gaza. He returned to the United States in 2015 and is currently the PeaceWorks Foundation and OneVoice Movement chief field officer.

Meet the Speaker: Tehila Wenger

Tehila Wenger is the deputy director of the Geneva Initiative. The Geneva Initiative is a nongovernmental organization that promotes peace between Israelis and Palestinians through diplomatic, educational, and public tools. Tehila Wenger’s work at the Geneva Initiative includes organizing and facilitating joint dialogue forums for key stakeholders, managing advocacy and outreach with Israeli decision-makers and international stakeholders, and coordinating research projects on the topics of reconciliation, Jerusalem, and the two-state solution. Previously, she participated in the Dorot Fellowship in Israel (2015–16) and coordinated Jewish-Muslim dialogue initiatives as part of the Yakar Tel Aviv cultural center.