OTISFIELD, MAINE | For the 17th year in a row, Israeli and Palestinian teenagers have come together at a summer camp in the western Maine woods to make new friendships, understand each other’s dreams and fears, and possibly lay a groundwork for peace in the Middle East.
After January’s bloody fighting in Gaza, the emergence in March of a hardline government in Israel and continuing disunity among Palestinian factions, hopes for peace in the region may seem difficult to sustain.
But as Seeds of Peace welcomed Israelis, Palestinians and teenagers from six other countries to its annual free summer camp last week, the spirit of optimism that has taken root at the 67-acre site along Pleasant Lake seems as strong as ever.
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