Lecturers
During the program a variety of speakers from multiple backgrounds and with different points of view will meet with the group. It is our intention to incorporate people who are actively involved in the life of the country, but since the situation is constantly evolving, the encounters and lecturers can only be finalized as we approach the starting dates of the seminar. As reference we present a list of lecturers who participated in previous courses with their positions at the time of the lecture:
Academics
- Dr. Mustafa Abu Sway, Al-Quds University
- Dr. Judith Bóxer, Director of the Political Science Post Graduate studies, UNAM
- José Benarroch, Department of Public Relations, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Prof. Mohammed Dajani-Daoudi, led delegation of Palestinian students from Al-Quds University to Auschwitz
- Ittay Flesher, Fellow of the Melton Centre's Senior Educators Program, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Dr. Arie Kacowicz, Professor of International Relations, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Dr. Mario Sznajder, Professor of Political Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Dr. Ophir Yarden, Director of Education, Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel, Senior lecturer, Jewish and Israel Studies, Brigham Young University’s Jerusalem Center
- Dr. Waseem Younis, Director of PR of Al-Qasemi Islamic College
Activists and NGO members
- Ali Abu Awad, founder of Tagheer (Change), a Palestinian national movement promoting nonviolence, Co-Founder Roots/Shorashim/Judur
- Haj Ibrahim Abu El-Hawa, Palestinian Muslim Peacemaker, Director Ibrahim PeaceHouse
- Noor Awad, Palestinian peace activist
- Aaron Barnea, Member, Bereaved Israeli-Palestinian Families for Peace and Reconciliation
- Loren Becic, Friends association of Gush Katif (Evacuated Jewish settlement in Gaza)
- Noam Bedein, Sderot Media Center
- Jonathan Elkhoury, a Lebanese Christian refugee living in Israel, son of a former South Lebanon Army (SLA) officer
- Mazen Faraj, Member, Bereaved Israeli-Palestinian Families for Peace and Reconciliation
- Rabbi Shaul David Judelman, Co-Founder of Roots/Shorashim/Judur
- Saman Khoury, Palestinian member of the Geneva initiative Directors committee
- Moran Levanoni, Israeli Flying Aid (IFA)
- Ibtisam Mahamid, Palestinian peaceworker' founder of the Women's Interfaith Encounter
- Eliyahu McLean, co-director Abrahamic Reunion
- Paul Nordhausen-Besalel, Beit Noah
- Michal Radoshitzky, Director of Foreign Affairs, Geneva Initiative
- Rabbi Hanan Schlessinger, Co-Founder of Roots/Shorashim/Judur
- Nimer Sultani, Arab Human Rights activist, Graduate Law Student at Harvard University
Government Officials
- Sammir Bataj, Arab member of Akko’s Municipal Council
- Jaim Barbian, Mayor of the city of Kiryat Shmona, border town with Lebanon
- Tal Gat, Department for Non-Proliferation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Emanuele Giaufret, EU Ambassador to Israel
- Daniel Kutner, Director of Palestinian and Jordan issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Emmanuel Nahshon, Spokesman, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Yigal Palmor, Former Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Marina Rosenberg, Director, Middle East Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Alon Schuster, Mayor of Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, a few kilometers away from the Gaza border
- Ilan Sztulman, Adjunct director of the Information Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Zoher Yahia, Chairman of the Municipal Council of Kfar Kara
Members of Political Parties
- Benny Begin, Member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament), the Likud Party
- Michal Biran, Member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament), Labor Party
- Nofar Gafni, member of the Labor political party
- Davidi Hermelin, Chairman of the Young Likud Congress
- Dror Mizrahi, Youth director of the Meretz political party
- Avraham Neguise, Member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament), the Likud Party
- Eyal Raviv, member of the Labor political party
- Matan Schwartz, Chairperson, Yesh Atid Party Chapter, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Ahmad Tibi, Member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament), Joint List
- Manuel Trajtenberg, Member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament), Labor Party
Military Staff
- Col. Michael Cirulnik, Chief Commander of the commercial route between Gaza and Israel
- Shadi Kaseem Grafat, Bedouin official of the Israeli Army in charge of minorities in the Israeli Army
- Lieutenant Zerem Bet, Platoon commander of the Israeli Army who operated in the Gaza Strip
- Col. (Reserve) Danny Tirza, IDF’s chief architect of the Security Fence
Religious Leaders
- Rev. Daniel Aqleh, Palestinian Christian, Evangelical Minister in Bethlehem
- Sheikh Sammie Haasi, Imam at the Great Mosque of Akko
- Rabbi Michael Melchior, former Chief Rabbi of Norway, founder of the Mosaica Center for Interreligious Cooperation
- Dr. David Neuhaus, Jesuit Priest, professor at the Priest seminar at Bethlehem University
- Imam Raed Majid, Abu Gosh Mosque of Peace
- Rabbi David Rosen KSG CBE, Board of Directors, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue
- Rev. Dr. Jack Sara, President, Bethlehem Bible College
Specialists
- Elias L. Benarroch, Correspondent of the EFE agency in Israel
- Meir Javedanfar, Middle East analyst of Iranian origin
- Mark Levi, Historian, member of Kibbutz Zikim