Discuss a significant global issue about which you are passionate and describe how you would create meaningful change.
Israelis and Palestinians have been locked in a bitter conflict for generations. My exposure to the culture and people of the Middle East has shaped the person I am today. Spending all my summers with my Jewish family in Israel has given me firsthand experience and taught me the importance of harmonious international relations. Today's troubled conditions, call out for a new generation of leaders dedicated to public service, and educated in the dynamics of deepening globalization. It is my passion to learn and use these skills to become a catalyst for peace among nations.
Recently, in the face of devastating violence and pain, thousands of ordinary people have stepped forward to end bloodshed, preserve human rights and promote reconciliation. Yet although Palestinians and Israelis who support peace outnumber the militants, their voices are continually drowned out by sensational, explosive headlines. It is clear that no matter what happens on a political level among Palestinian and Israeli officials, lasting peace will only take hold with widespread participation of civilians. We need to hear more from people who are committed to building a stable, dignified future.
I believe there should be no more Pro-Israeli or Pro-Palestinian views only Pro-Solution. I strongly urge policy makers to support an even-handed US engagement in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Currently, thousands of courageous Israelis and Palestinians cross political, economic and cultural boundaries to work together to build peace and promote equality in the Middle East. Many people are committed to non-violence as a means of ending the conflict. I would like to work to create peace and tolerance through co-existence programs and interfaith dialogues. Today, any meeting calling for non-violence is immediately labeled "normalization" -only for those who sell their principles and give in to enemies. However, it must begin by getting them to sit; they do not have to love each other but their efforts are crucial to the establishment of lasting peace in the region, and must be complimented by concrete steps on the political level. I strongly support the US adopting a policy that encourages Israeli and Palestinian politicians to resume the difficult process of negotiation, and is actively involved in holding each side to steps agreed upon in those negotiations. For our own sake and for the future stability of the Middle East, the United States must support a dignified future for both Israelis and Palestinians in the region.
Meaningful contact is of consequential importance, and forums for dialogue and not conversion must be created. The Bereaved Families for Reconciliation and Peace is a prime example; it is an organization of bereaved Palestinians and Israelis that promotes reconciliation as an alternative to hatred and revenge. If those who lost what is most precious to them can talk and look forward to a better future then everyone else must do so as well. Education is critical for people to become compassionate. If you don't know both sides of the problem and you don't know the reality, how can you help?
Reverberations from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are felt worldwide. It is perhaps the most divisive, polarizing and documented political issue of our time. Just like Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Badshah Khan all realized they could achieve more through peace than violence, a similar movement is beginning in the Middle East and I will be a part of it.
