SESSION TEN - INTERNATIONAL INVOLVEMENT

Research Assignment Conversation: Each participant will present their essay comparing and contrasting the protest tactics they discovered and the effectiveness of each based on their assignment research.

Discussion topic: The focus of the discussion will be the role of the U.S. along with other countries, European and Middle Eastern, as well as international bodies vis a vis negotiations to find resolution to the conflict.  The discussion too will examine whether entities, such as the UN and Arab League, should be involved in finding/maintaining resolution.   We will look at past negotiations and discuss why, at the end of the day they have not succeeded.

U.S. Congressional Representative Keith Ellison, now Attorney General for the State of Minnesota, will be invited to participate, as he was the last member of Congress to visit inside the Gaza Strip. This is in comparison to over 200 members of Congress who have been invited to Israel with trips sponsored by the educational arm of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.  A congressional member who has participated in this experience will also be invited to participate in the discussion.    

Research Assignment: This assignment will lead toward a document synthesizing steps to a fair and equitable solution to the conflict. There are a number of possible scenarios such as a two-state solution or a one democratic state solution. But there are also other options to explore, such as the concept of a confederation.  The immediate task at hand is to research and present all existing options for consideration.