Gayle Meyers

How do Israelis today view the conflict with the Palestinians? What are the obstacles to reaching a negotiated agreement, and what are the reasons for hope? This up-to-the-minute talk analyzes the latest developments as well as long-term trends in politics, security, and public opinion.

There are more than 150 organizations engaged in peace, conflict resolution, or cross-conflict civil and human rights work in Israel and Palestine, as well as a host of less formal initiatives. What are the goals of these organizations? How do they believe they are contributing to peace, and what is their actual track record? How have they evolved over time, and where are they going in the future? What controversies surround them? How can participants decide where to invest their time, their money, and their passion to build peace?

This introduction to Israeli society goes behind the headlines to explain how different segments of the Jewish Israeli population relate to the land, to the Palestinians, and to each other.