Roots: Fostering a grassroots movement of understanding, nonviolence and transformation among Israelis and Palestinians.

This talk will feature Rabbi Hanan Schlessinger, an Orthodox Israeli settler, and Antwan Saca, a Palestinian Christian from the city of Bethlehem in the West Bank.

In January 2014 a meeting took place between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gush Etzion area. This meeting
led to a series of events connecting Palestinians and Israelis: meetings between families, a women’s group,
workshops and joint responses to violence. This is our process of creating a culture of nonviolence. Sensing the transformative power of this work, we committed to a long-term project and called it “Roots.” Amidst the violence, suffering and pain:
• Roots was born out of a local understanding of the conflict, and is the only initiative of its kind based in
the West Bank. 
• We work within the heart of the conflict to address victimhood and suspicion with trust,
empathy, dialogue and mutual support.
• Roots is developing a new language that facilitates solutions. By engaging and building
support between local leaders Roots lays the critical foundations for reconciliation required
for all political solutions.