Ohio University students attended a J Street conference in Washington, D.C. to discuss solutions to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
J Street is a group of organizations that are focused on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict peacefully to protect the Israeli way of life. The conference advocates a two-state solution for the issue at hand – a method to establish boundaries between the two areas so people live peacefully next to each other as independent states.
The conference provided 11 OU students an opportunity to meet up with about 900 students around the country to learn more about the politics of the Middle East and how they can make an impact, said Rabbi Danielle Leshaw, director of Hillel at OU.
“It’s an issue I am passionate about both personally and professionally, and more people need to be invested so change can actually occur,” Leshaw said.
The conference aimed to teach students the skills necessary to begin lobbying the issue in their local communities and spread awareness to university campuses.
“We’ll be hosting an event in the next few weeks to open up the dialogue on campus about the conflict, to start talking with other students about their thoughts on the conflict and how they think we can go about bringing peace,” said Madison Koenig, a junior studying English who is involved with the J Street U chapter on campus.
The attitude of the conference has morphed from the one Anne Sand, an OU senior studying English, said she attended two years ago, to one of a more hopeful mindset.
Speakers consisted of several members of the Israeli government, Knesset, with Vice President Joe Biden delivering a keynote speech.
OU students were chosen to attend on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Many of the students that attended are from the Honors Tutorial College, so the college helped fund one of the vans. An additional van was funded by Hillel.
The students were responsible for signing up for the conference and paying for its registration, along with lodging and food costs.
The conference ran from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1.
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