Despite seemingly fraught tensions between Israeli and Palestinians in the Middle East, a summer camp in Maine still brings youth together to build hope for the future.
OTISFIELD, Maine | Middle East peace is no closer today than it was a quarter century ago when Seeds of Peace brought the first Israeli and Palestinian teens together in the woods of Maine. But the latest group to spend time together sees reason for optimism.
Husam Zarour, a Palestinian from East Jerusalem, said Israeli and Palestinian youth have inherited an untenable situation but that it’s their job to fix it.
“We are born in this place and running way is not a solution. We should not give up. We should face this issue and try to solve it,” the 16-year-old said.
The lakeside camp that’s celebrating its 25th anniversary was created when the late foreign news correspondent John Wallach brought a group of Israeli and Arab teens in 1993 amid clashes over territory and Palestinians’ desire for an independent state. The hope is to find common ground so that one day, there can be lasting peace.
Over the years, more than 6,000 graduates of the program have become politicians, business leaders, teachers, journalists, nonprofit leaders and parents. Many of the Arab-Israeli friendships that took root in Maine have endured despite violence in the homeland.
Read the rest of David Sharp’s article in The Christian Science Monitor ››