Yossi Klein Halevi and Mohammad Darawshe, two internationally-recognized thinkers on navigating the deeply-held divisions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, will speak during a live Zoom event moderated by Chancellor Robert J. Jones on Tuesday, April 6 at 12 pm. This event is free and registration is open to the public. Register at go.illinois.edu/InDialogue.
“At a time when the social isolation of the pandemic and the rise in divisive, hateful rhetoric have fractured our connections with one another, we are fortunate to have this opportunity to be in dialogue with Yossi Klein Halevi and Mohammad Darawshe,” said Sean Garrick, vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion. “Engaging in difficult dialogues on issues about which we fundamentally disagree is key to shared understanding and renewed community.”
After a conversation with Chancellor Jones, Mr. Halevi and Mr. Darawshe will answer questions submitted in advance by registered participants. This event will be the first in a series to be led by Mr. Halevi and Mr. Darawshe, which will include a reading and meetings with students and campus leaders next semester.
“Yossi Klein Halevi and Mohammad Darawshe have achieved something truly remarkable,” said Dara Goldman, director of the Program in Jewish Culture and Society and a professor of Spanish. “They have managed to sustain a serious dialogue about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (not to mention a friendship) despite having markedly different positions. We are excited to have this opportunity to hear from them about what they have learned together and explore how their example might help us to more productively talk and—especially—listen to one another.”
Yossi Klein Halevi is the New York Times bestselling author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, his evocative attempt to untangle the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the feelings that confront him. He is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Together with Imam Abdullah Antepli of Duke University, he co-directs the Institute's Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), which teaches emerging young Muslim American leaders about Judaism, Jewish identity and Israel.
Mohammad Darawshe is a leading political analyst who has spent more than three decades advocating for Israel’s Arab sector. The Director of Planning, Equality and Shared Society at Givat Haviva, Israel's oldest organization promoting cohesion and understanding between its Jewish and Arab citizens, Darawshe is an Arab with an Israeli passport—a Muslim, Palestinian citizen of the State of Israel. Like 20 percent of Israel’s population, he is—in his words—a child of both identities.
Event Information
In Dialogue: Yossi Klein Halevi and Mohammad Darawshe on Israel and Palestine. Moderated by Chancellor Robert J. Jones. Tuesday, April 6, 12 p.m. Sponsored by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and the Program in Jewish Culture & Society. For more information and to register, visit go.illinois.edu/InDialogue.
