Notre Dame faculty, students and administrators reflect on experiences in the Middle East

Published:December 12, 2024

Author: Tracy DeStazio

Faculty, students and administrators from the University of Notre Dame gathered to discuss their personal and professional connections to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine as part of the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum on "What Do We Owe Each Other?" (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

Several distinguished experts from the University of Notre Dame gathered Dec. 4 at the Eck Visitors Center Auditorium to discuss their personal and professional connections to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine. This was the third event in the Israel-Palestine Series of the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum on "What Do We Owe Each Other?"

This series, as well as a corresponding academic course for Notre Dame students, is co-led by Mahan Mirza, an Islamic studies scholar and the executive director of the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion in the Keough School of Global Affairs, and Tzvi Novick, the Abrams Jewish Thought and Culture Professor of Theology. Mirza formally opened the event, emphasizing the diverse backgrounds and voices of the panelists and centering them as Notre Dame students, staff and faculty.

"They are humanitarians, scholars, citizens and soldiers, and they are connected to the reality on the ground in their own ways," Mirza said, "but are situated differently with respect to the conflict by experience and by expertise." He added that the conflict "is not just 'over there,' it is also here in our communities and in our politics and in our institutions."

The presentation, titled "On the Ground in Israel-Palestine," included panelists Daniel Bannoura, a Palestinian theologian and doctoral candidate in Notre Dame's Department of Theology; Ramzi Bualuan, teaching professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Gabriel Mitchell, director of undergraduate studies at Notre Dame Jerusalem; Ray Offenheiser, senior adviser to the dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs and director of the Keough School's McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business; and Atalia Omer, professor of religion, conflict and peace studies in the Keough School.

Michael Desch, the Packey J. Dee Professor of International Relations and the Brian and Jeannelle Brady Family Director of the Notre Dame International Security Center, served as the panel's moderator, introducing the panelists and inviting them to share their "on-the-ground" perspectives.

Omer, an Israeli Jew who grew up in Jerusalem, discussed the historical context of the current situation starting with the "nakba," or "the catastrophe," a forced mass displacement of Palestinians that occurred from 1947 to 1949 and continues to have a deep impact today. Omer cited her recent research, which focuses on American Jews unlearning the conflation of Judaism with Israel and the recent mobilization in the U.S. and Canada against Israeli policies. She emphasized the importance of framing the conversation and using the proper language to discuss the conflict, reminding the audience to be "very attuned to how the language is being deployed and what the language itself is normalizing."

Offenheiser shared his personal journey of graduating from Notre Dame to working and living as a laborer on a kibbutz in Israel to launching a career in international development. He recounted his 20 years of experience working with Oxfam, a humanitarian aid organization, and described the challenges faced by humanitarians working in conflict zones like Gaza, Lebanon and other regions. He emphasized the role of humanitarians in saving lives, meeting basic human needs and helping to reduce conflict - despite the dangers and risks they face.

Offenheiser noted that of the 13,000 U.N. aid workers in Gaza, most of them are Palestinian and almost 100 percent of them are now displaced. "These are people who, every day, are getting up to do humanitarian work and having to make a decision of whether to stay with their own families, who may be displaced, or continuing to do their jobs," he said.

Bualuan, of Lebanese descent, spent the first 13 years of his life in Switzerland before moving to Lebanon for high school and college. The Lebanese civil war began shortly after he arrived in the country, and much of his reflection focused on his ongoing efforts to process and understand his experiences during that conflict and the one occurring now between Israel and Lebanon.

He noted that of utmost importance is hearing different viewpoints, and that his version of peace activism is demonstrated by his behavior - how he interacts with people and the respect he shows them. "I'm not a peace activist in my job, but I believe I am a peace activist in how I live my life," he said.

As a Notre Dame faculty member living in Jerusalem, Mitchell was in Israel on Oct. 7 when Hamas-led militants attacked the southern portion of the country. He, along with his family, endured hours spent in a bomb shelter, and he wrestled with the agonizing decisions around how to keep his own family safe as well as ensuring the safety of the Notre Dame Jerusalem students and staff under his care. To further complicate the situation, as an Israeli citizen, Mitchell was then called up as a reservist to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, fulfilling his duty by patrolling in a tank unit along the border of Lebanon and Syria for five months.

Mitchell spoke of the transformation he underwent during his military service and the ongoing challenges of reconciling his dual identities as an American and an Israeli. He reflected on the enormous, collective trauma he witnessed and knows is ongoing for millions. While acknowledging the need for hope and action, Mitchell admitted, "I may not see a meaningful resolution for this conflict in my lifetime," but noted that he can begin to focus on what he "can do in the long term - not just for myself, but for my family and for both peoples - in order to make tomorrow better than today."

As a Palestinian Christian growing up in Bethlehem, Bannoura was able to speak firsthand regarding the direct impact of the war on his community, reflecting on the deaths of numerous friends and neighbors throughout the past 14 months. He referenced the ongoing dehumanization and marginalization of Palestinians and the importance of centering their suffering in the conversation surrounding the current conflict and addressing the injustices they face on a daily basis.

From the perspective of his Christian faith, Bannoura said he finds hope in Christ in order to move forward. "Christ is in the people, is with the people of Gaza," he said. "Christ is with us, for us, and that's what gives us hope."

Following individual presentations, the panelists took turns answering questions posed by Desch, which included responses drawing parallels between the war in Gaza and other historical global events such as the attacks of Sept. 11 and the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. Omer interjected that in such historical atrocities, a person cannot base their own safety and freedom on the removal of another person's safety and freedom.

Mitchell summed up the diverse perspectives in the room when he said, "The idea that there is a singular view of the world is really put to the test in a place like Israel-Palestine. There is no one truth but the pursuit of truth itself."

Questions from the audience centered on how the war has been fought in Gaza and the complications around adherence to international law. The conversation also touched on the complexities of memory and the generational trauma of war, the need for forgiveness and the value of continued dialogue and action for peace and justice.

To conclude, Novick thanked all panelists and attendees and invited them to stay engaged with future events that are part of the Israel-Palestine Series throughout the rest of the academic year. He encouraged the packed auditorium to continue the conversation. "Seek out each other, seek nuance," he said. "Try to understand precisely the perspective of the person you disagree with, not necessarily to end up agreeing with that person, but as a praxis of self-criticism."

Watch a recording of the event here. To see other and future events related to the Notre Dame Forum 2024-25, visit forum2024.nd.edu.

Posted In:

• University News