Universities and the Israel-Palestine Conflict:

How to Discuss, How to Engage?

September 16, 2024

Karsh Alumni & Visitors Center

 

Check-in with continental breakfast

8:30 a.m.

Opening Remarks

8:55 a.m.

Bruce Jentleson, William Preston Few Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Political Science

Welcome

9:00 a.m.

Alec D. Gallimore, Provost and Alfred J. Hooks E ’68 Distinguished Professor

Duke Projects Making a Difference

9:15 a.m.

The ongoing war between Hamas and Israel has severely impacted the civilian populations and the infrastructure and resources that they depend on. In addition to the enormous loss of life and the physical and psychological trauma, the devastation stretches to every facet of daily life, particularly health care, education, environment, sanitation, and access to food and safe drinking water. The toll of the war is expected to remain for decades and will require enormous resources and sustained engagement to undo.

As an educational and research institution with knowledge, expertise, and deep connections to the Middle East, Duke is fortunate to have faculty, students, and staff eager to engage directly with the Palestinian and Israeli communities impacted by the war to help provide relief. In this panel, we will hear from Duke faculty and students who are actively involved in those efforts to rebuilding infrastructure in Gaza and supporting Israeli society and also learn how other members of the Duke community can take part in these and other activities that aim to make a positive difference in the lives of the people in the region.

Moderator:  Abbas Benmamoun, Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement and Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

  • Seth Cohen, Professor of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences
  • David Hasan, Professor of Neurosurgery
  • Erika Weinthal, John O. Blackburn Distinguished Professor of Environmental Policy and Chair, Environmental Social Systems
  • Pranav Mukund ’26, Pratt School of Engineering 

Break

10:45 a.m. 

Dialogue and Discourse amidst Differences

11:00 a.m. 

Political, social, and cultural polarization have become urgent challenges for democracies increasingly characterized by deep divisions. In the United States, polls reveal decreasing interest in understanding others and seeing them as fellow citizens who hold different views. Universities aspire to be communities whose members can engage with one another in constructive conversation, yet a significant percentage of students, faculty, and staff report that they do not feel comfortable expressing their views. This lack of openness is especially present when it comes to the conflict in Israel and Gaza, as the suffering there intersects with wrenching debates over antisemitism and bias against Muslims and Arabs in the United States.

This panel focuses on the limits and possibilities for dialogue across deep differences about Palestine and Israel and other issues of profound human concern. Why, some ask, should we engage in civil discourse? Isn’t civility simply a way to blunt passionate calls for justice — especially at a time of violent conflict and misery? Others ask for guidance on how to discuss difficult topics — what are the habits, skills, and expectations that can lead to mutual learning and how can a university create the conditions in which these flourish? Are there ways of acknowledging our common humanity that can lay the groundwork for difficult discussions? Panelists will explore these questions as well as how they have navigated these roiling waters for themselves, their students, and their communities.

Moderator: Luke Powery, Dean of Duke University Chapel and Professor of Homiletics

  • Rabbi Elana Friedman, Jewish Life At Duke
  • Mbaye Lo, Associate Professor of the Practice of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
  • Mara Revkin, Associate Professor of Law and Political Science
  • John Rose, Visiting Professor
  • Chaplain Joshua Salaam, Program Director, Center for Muslim Life
  • Charlotte Sussman, Chair of the Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility, Free Expression, and Engagement and Professor of English

Break and Box Lunches

12:30 p.m. 

Keynote: Antisemitism and Islamophobia on College Campuses

12:45 p.m. 

Robert Pape, Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago, and lead author “Understanding Campus Fears After October 7 and How to Reduce Them” (March 2024)

Many urgent questions face college campuses in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza, which kicked off numerous student-led pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian protests, intimidation, and violence. In response, the Chicago Project on Security and Threats at the University of Chicago (CPOST) conducted a study of the national campus environment. This study provides the most extensive survey evidence to date about the extent of campus fears and changes in antisemitism after October 7. It is also among the few efforts to disentangle different meanings of antisemitism and compare antisemitism and Islamophobia among respondents. Among the findings, Jewish and Muslim students both report fearing for their physical safety, and other students fear being caught in the middle. Many are additionally concerned about academic discrimination and loss of professional opportunities. One of the main factors contributing to these fears is different perceptions of intent in chants and statements made as well as positions taken.

This study provides extensive information and recommendations to help university and national leaders better understand and navigate one of the most intense challenges facing the higher education community and the country today.

Moderator: Noah Pickus, Associate Provost and  Professor of the Practice in the Sanford School of Public Policy

Closing Remarks

2:15 p.m.

Bruce Jentleson, William Preston Few Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Political Science

Forum Concludes

2:30 p.m.