Forward Thinking in Israel and the West Bank, 21st - 25th September 2016

William Sieghart and Sir Jeremy Greenstock travelled to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Hebron for a series of meetings with senior political and community leaders across the Israeli and Palestinian political spectrum, including Members of the Knesset, the Minister of Education and Higher Education within the Palestinian Authority and Members of the Palestinian Democratic Alliance. Discussions focused variously on shifts within the Knesset, the contentious issue of the mooted municipal elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the frustrations of young Israelis and Palestinians with the political impasse, the challenges facing civil society organisations in both Israel and Palestine, and concerns about recent the uptick in violent incidents in Jerusalem. Incidents in Jerusalem and Hebron highlighted the fragility of surface-level calm and the potential for escalation.

William Sieghart and Sir Jeremy Greenstock with Dr Mahdi Abdul Hadi at PASSIA, Jerusalem