May  06 Newsletter

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Students write about their first-hand experiences of the embattled Arab state

From April 15th to the 20th, Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim pioneered a new species of educational experience by taking 50 students of Middle East Studies on a tour of Israel and the West Bank – for once a spring break that formed new neural connections rather than destroying old ones. Perhaps he was driven by the guilt of having not been able to take his AUC classes with him during his frequent tours of the high-powered international conference scene, but more likely it was the conviction that there is no substitute for immediate, first-hand information.

            As such, it was a voyage that benefited both the new-comers to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as veteran students. The combination of fresh questions that most people now take for granted along with Dr. Ibrahim’s own seasoned analysis and, of course, the voices of those actually engaged in the conflict on a day-to-day basis provided for a truly unique perspective.

            The group met with many from both sides, including the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Deputy Prime Minister, former Fatah representatives, Israelis affiliated with the Peres Peace Institute, students from Beirzeit University, the Mayor of Ramallah, and Palestinian refugees and NGOs, to name but a few. Two of the conferences received coverage in the Palestinian daily newspaper, al-Quds. In addition, the group had the chance to take a close-up look at the realities of The Separation Wall all and the uncountable and arbitrary check-points that make the movement of Palestinians from place to place a painful ordeal.

            Among the questions that were constantly debated during the trip were: To what extent is Hamas making the transition from protest to politics? What can we, as foreigners, do to help? What is the reality as well as the consequences of the security wall? How viable is democracy under occupation? What role is the international community playing?

            The entire trip was so enlightening and beneficial that Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim decided, in the wake of the enthusiasm expressed on all sides, that this trip should become an annual affair.