Assessing Prospects for Dialogue: Meetings in Israel and Palestine, 20th - 24th August

Following an intensive series of conferences in Ireland, Forward Thinking spent time between Jerusalem and Ramallah holding a series of discussions about implementing the recommendations made by participants. These meetings were an opportunity to assess the impact of the conferences and to capitalise upon the momentum they generated.Following on from meetings in Gaza the previous week, the visit also provided the opportunity to explore diverse Israeli perspectives - including from political leaders resident on Israel's border with Gaza - on recent escalation and Egyptian efforts to broker a ceasefire arrangement.Finally, conversations in Jerusalem focused on identifying the expectations and priorities of key figures within Likud and the national religious community ahead of forthcoming delegation visits to Belfast and Dublin to explore the Irish experiences of conflict and peace-building.