Georgetown hosted delegations of Palestinians and Israelis in an interfaith dialogue Wednesday. The discussions, facilitated by members of the Campus Ministry, Pat Conroy S.J., Imam Yahya Hendi and Rabbi Harold White, allowed for cultural exchange on recent violence in the Middle East.
The Palestinian delegation, consisting of Christians and Muslims, was led by Zoughbi Zoughbi, Director of the Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center in Bethlehem. Zoughbi said his group’s mission is to encourage Americans to take a thoughtful look at this issue.
“We want to entice collective responsibility,” Zoughbi said, referring to the U.S. funding that makes up a quarter of Israel’s budget. “We want Americans to ask, ‘Where are our taxes going?’”
Zoughbi also said he tries to provide trauma relief to victims of violence and locate jobs for Palestinians restricted to live within a few miles of land.
White said he thought Israeli Jews could invite peace by leaving all settlements on the West Bank, initiating joint projects with Palestinians and continuing cultural exchanges.
“I don’t think we Jews have done enough,” White said. “There’s nothing that beats face to face contact.”
