The Project: Looking Forward for a Two State Solution

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Two speakers taking a new approach to the

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

As an alternative to having inflammatory charges leveled against Israel and common misperceptions spread about the Palestinian people, this presentation gives context for how two peoples find themselves locked in a tragedy of epic proportions. The overarching theme from both speakers is that real progress can only take place if dialogue can move beyond the anger and distrust of the past. The goal is to provide a more productive framework for discussion to help both Israelis and Palestinians move closer to their long sought after two sate solution.

Ihab Khatib, a Palestinian from Jerusalem, is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He holds a Masters degree in Management from the Sorbonne University in Paris and a Bachelors Degree from the University of Arkansas, USA. From 1997 to 2005, Ihab served in various positions at the World Bank NGO project, UNICEF and UNRWA in Jerusalem and worked with a Division of USAID on projects with the Palestinian President’s Office. In 2006, he joined the Palestine Investment Fund and has been a leading member in establishing Investment Projects in the West Bank and Gaza. Ihab was also a leading member of the task force assigned by the Palestinian Prime Minister’s Office in launching the first Palestinian Investment Conference that took place in Bethlehem in June 2008.

David Cohen, has been working as an educator and Israel programs director for over fifteen years. David is the former Associate Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League’s, New England Region where he directed their Israel education programs and provided Middle East policy analysis. For three years, David directed an Israel based social justice program that brought Jewish and Arab communities together to build bridges of understanding through cultural exchange and community service. David holds a BA from Brandeis University and a Masters Degree from Boston University where he focused on International Political History. David also studied European Politics and International Law at King’s College in London in 1990. David currently sits on the Combined Jewish Philanthropies Boston-Haifa Living Bridges Committee and the Jewish Community Relations Council Israel Action Committee.