May 11, 2010

Last month, MPAC and J Street collaborated to bring a different dimension to an issue at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy and international concern: the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. MPAC and J Street's focus was on how both Jewish and Muslim Americans can build a constituency for peace. The event was co-sponsored by the Georgetown Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the center. Click here to watch the video online now.

MPAC's President Salam Al-Marayati and J Street's Founder Jeremy Ben-Ami were the speakers in a discussion moderated by one of USIP's Senior Program Officers, Maria Jessop. In attendance were members of the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian community, academics, students, government officials, and civil society activists. The distinction between this event and numerous others that broach the same topic, is that MPAC and J Street narrowed in on their similarities rather than differences, and on how those shared mutual interests can be utilized to build a constituency here at home in order to build and bring peace to the Middle East.

While they represent different communities and interests, both MPAC and J Street actively advocate for a two-state resolution in the Middle East, based on the 1967 borders that results in a secure Israel that is the democratic homeland of the Jewish people and a viable Palestinian state.

The discussion was rounded up by a Q&A session with the audience that lasted nearly an hour.

Our joint objective is to create that space, that comfort zone for moderates to feel that they have a place in this discussion," said Al-Marayati. "We need to do away with this extremist mentality, so that when we talk about these nonviolent means... it means that we want that two-state solution that much more.

- Fatma Hocaoglu (fatma@mpac.org)
MPAC-DC Administrative Assistant