 "Photo: Courtesy Jen Lauda")
Jennifer Lauda had a growing desire to witness the resolution of a conflict firsthand.
Her dreams became reality when she was invited to embark on an unforgettable two-week journey this summer to Israel and Palestine.
Lauda was able to travel through a program called Interfaith Peace-Builders. She, along with 21 other delegates, landed in Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 27 to meet with 14 Israelis and 15 Palestinians to discuss the ongoing conflict between the two groups.
While a student at UCF, Lauda joined the United Nations student organization, UNA-UCF. During her senior year, she interned at the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Global Perspectives at UCF for Ambassador Harriet Elam-Thomas, the diplomat-in-residence. It was Elam-Thomas who inspired Lauda to take risks to make a difference.
“She gave me the inspiration by showing me that I could make a difference and do whatever I wanted to do,” Lauda said.
After graduating from UCF in 2004 with a degree in political science, she went on to American University in Washington D.C. as a graduate student studying international peace and conflict resolution.
During graduate school, Lauda took a course on culture and conflict where she learned to mediate between both sides in an argument. Lauda was paired up with a Palestinian student interested in the conflict plaguing Israel and Palestine. The following semester, she partnered with a Jewish-American student, researching and gaining a perspective of the other side.
For decades, Israel and Palestine have been in conflict with one another. According to mideastweb.org, Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967. Since then, Palestine has demanded Israel’s withdraw. Today, Israel remains in control.
Its military sets up blockades and separation walls, preventing Palestinians from expansion and access to jobs in that area, Lauda said.
Despite conflicting viewpoints, both sides agree that the occupation continues because the U.S. gives roughly $3 billion each year to Israel as military aid. This money is being used to purchase machinery that destroys Palestinian homes, Lauda said.
“I think it was an excellent decision for her to go on that trip because it was an excellent opportunity for her to learn more about the conflict and the two sides of the issue,” said Ron Fisher, a professor of international relations at American University and one of Lauda’s former professors.
Lauda is currently working on a thesis under the supervision of Fisher. She is further researching the conflict and interviewing knowledgeable people who are directly connected with the issue, Fisher said.
“Jennifer is an excellent student. She does very thoughtful work,” he said.
While on the trip, Lauda befriended Nancy Paraskevopoulos, a senior English major at the University of Cincinnati.
“Jen and I met on the trip and became instant friends,” Paraskevopoulos said.
Like Lauda, Paraskevopoulos shares an interest in international conflict and has been doing work in the field throughout her college career.
“It’s hard to really understand the conflict without actually being there. There are as many perspectives as there are people and each have their own ideas,” Lauda said. “Going to the places where conflicts occur and experiencing them from the inside gives you a better appreciation for and understanding of the situation. You get to know the people there as human beings rather than as abstract thoughts.”
On the trip, the members of the program spent each day meeting with civil society organizations and non-violent peace activists.
They attended up to six meetings a day.
Lauda was also able to tour and stay overnight at a refugee camp, where she listened to stories of night raids, where Israeli soldiers beat and arrested Palestinians without probable cause.
Lauda also stayed in the home of a Palestinian non-violent resistance leader. She said they had guns pointed at them as they walked to see a non-violent protest and were detained by Israeli police at one point for taking photos of an illegal Israeli settlement.
“Before going on this trip, I believed that peace could be achieved through another round of negotiations. Now I understand that the status quo is working for Israel, and they have no real incentive to end the illegal occupation,” Lauda said. “I now believe that Israel will not end the occupation until it is too expensive to sustain, both economically and politically.”
Because of this oppression, Palestinians are asking Americans to join the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, to boycott products and companies that are being used by Israel in the occupation. While Israeli peace activists do not want to be personally affected, they agree that the aid by the U.S. is preventing peace and that the government should cease funding the occupation, Lauda said.
“What is happening in Israel and Palestine is simply unjust and wrong. There are countless people, both Israelis and Palestinians, who desperately want the occupation to end and want to make peace with each other,” Lauda said. “It is possible to end the occupation and create a legitimate Israel and Palestine that promotes and respects the rights of all individuals. It is worth fighting for.”
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