The Center of International Engagement (CIE) hosted Sharaka, an Israeli non-governmental organization promoting diplomacy in the Middle East, on March 30. The panel, which included representatives from Yemen, Egypt, Morocco and Israel, discussed the Abraham Accords and the relationship between Arabs and Israelis.
Four representatives visited Trinity as part of Sharaka’s tour of Texas:
- Luai Ahmed, a columnist, journalist and content creator from Yemen.
- Rachel Brynien, Sharaka U.S. Affairs Manager who represented Israel.
- Haisam Hassanein, a Middle East analyst focused on relations between the Arab nations and Israel, represented Egypt.
- Youseff Elazhari, director of Sharaka Morocco and founder of Fihria, a nonprofit focused on keeping young girls in school across Africa.
“What we do in the organization is we try to build bridges to fill the gaps between Arabs and Jews, trying to humanize each other, to trust each other again,” Elazhari said. “We need to work, to meet halfway and understand each other more.”
The event was organized by Joshua Gal, sophomore international studies major, who saw the tour as an opening to encourage productive dialogue about ongoing conflicts at Trinity.
“I saw this opportunity as a way to bring [bridge building] into the forefront, especially with something as contentious as our relationships with Israel,” Gal said. “It’s possible to build peace and to build relationships between people from all different backgrounds.”
Ronni Gura Sadovsky, assistant professor of philosophy and the event moderator, began the event with a word to the audience.
“The conversations about the Middle East tend to be very fragmented and siloed because people typically on this topic will only listen to those voices that confirm what they already believe,” Sadovsky said. “The point of this panel is to challenge that.”
Sadovsky then asked the panel a series of questions about their personal experiences with the Abraham Accords and how they approach difficult political conversations. The most recurring topic throughout the discussion was antisemitism, specifically in the context of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Drawing on their own anecdotes about Israel, the ongoing dispute and their perspectives on it, all the panelists said that individuals should be more open-minded about both sides of the issue. They should make the effort to learn about the history of the issue and the validity of their information before making assertions.
“I hope to start more interesting conversations amongst the [Trinity] students, because dialogue is the most important component of going to university,” Ahmed, Yemen representative, said.
Sharaka, the Arabic word for partnership, was formed after the signing of the Abraham Accords by leaders from Israel and the Arab Gulf in the hopes of normalizing Israeli-Arab relations. By sending representatives around the globe, Sharaka seeks to promote people-to-people diplomacy and conversation, Ahmed said.
The organization has faced some controversy with such delegations, one involving the Moroccan representative, Elazhari, who claimed the Prophet Muhammad was a “Zionist” in 2024. Despite the controversy, Sharaka continues to tour the country facilitating dialogue among individuals.
