Campus News
United by loss, a Palestinian and Israeli walk together on a path to peace
Aziz Abu Sarah, a Palestinian peacebuilder, and Maoz Inon, an Israeli entrepreneur and activist, will speak on Monday, April 20, in Santa Cruz about their work promoting understanding and reconciliation in the region.
Aziz Abu Sarah, a Palestinian peacebuilder, and Maoz Inon, an Israeli entrepreneur and activist, will speak on Monday, April 20, in Santa Cruz about their work promoting understanding and reconciliation in the region.
In their newly released book, The Future Is Peace, Sarah and Inon, both of whom have lost family in the Israel-Gaza conflict, recount a weeklong journey across Israel and Palestine, exploring how compassion and unity can counter hatred.
When asked how hope is possible in the face of so much loss, they responded: it must be created.
The Humanities Institute (THI) at UC Santa Cruz is presenting the talk in partnership with Bookshop Santa Cruz.
Advance tickets – which include a seat at the event as well as a copy of the hardcover book – can be purchased here.
This event will feature a book talk and audience Q&A, followed by a book signing.
Sarah’s and Inon’s work has drawn widespread attention and earned the blessing of the late Pope Francis, who said: “In the face of the suffering of these two brothers and the suffering of these two nations, I have no words. They have had the courage to embrace each other.”
The New York Times listed their book, which was released this week, in its recent column, “The Nonfiction Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2026.” Sarah and Inon were also featured on a recent broadcast on NPR and on The Daily Show.
In The Future Is Peace, Sarah and Inon write:”We do not see ourselves as Palestinians and Israelis, or as Jews and Arabs, but as human beings who believe in fostering a culture of dialogue, a culture of forgiveness, and a culture of peace. To those who see only division lines, we say: “If you must divide us, let it be as those who believe in peace and equality and those who don’t … yet.”’
The long career of a peacebuilder
LIke Inon, Sarah experienced a life-changing tragedy. His brother, Tayseer, died from injuries he suffered after being tortured in Israeli detention as a teenager. The loss first filled Sarah with anger, but over time it became the force that pushed him toward becoming a leading advocate for peace and reconciliation.
Sarah is now a peacebuilder, cultural educator, and entrepreneur. In 2009, he co-founded MEJDI Tours, which pioneered the Dual Narrative approach to travel.
The Dual Narrative model pairs guides from different cultural, national, or religious backgrounds—often from communities in conflict—giving travelers a chance to hear separate viewpoints about places, history, and current events. .
These tours in the Middle East – as well as Vietnam, Colombia and other countries – invite participants to consider different perspectives of a shared history, and how different people experience, remember, and live through these events differently.
The goal is not to force travelers to privilege one viewpoint over another, but to encourage empathy, dialogue, and a deeper understanding of complex histories, Sarah said in a recent interview.
Sarah’s work in education and conflict resolution has earned him the titles of National Geographic Explorer and TED Fellow. He has worked in 60 countries, including Afghanistan, Colombia, Syria, and the Balkans, and served as executive director at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University.
Surviving tragedy, working for reconciliation
Maoz Inon, who is co-CEO of InterAct International, is an Israeli entrepreneur and peace activist who has founded multiple tourism initiatives in Israel and the Middle East. His work focuses on responsible tourism as a driver for positive political and economic change while fostering cross-cultural dialogue.
Inon’s parents were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Since then, he has become a prominent international voice calling for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Together, Sarah and Inon have spoken at TED, the United Nations, National Geographic, and the European Parliament. The Future Is Peace, synthesizes their approach to bottom-up peacebuilding in the Middle East and draws on decades of personal experience, loss, and activism.
Douglas Abrams, multiple New York Times–bestselling author and co-writer of The Book of Joy, will moderate the conversation. The event promises an unflinching look at the challenges and possibilities of building peace in one of the world’s most complex regions, and a firsthand account of two men committed to creating hope in the face of tragedy.
Visit The Humanities Institute’s website for tickets to “The Future is Peace” with Aziz Abu Sarah & Maoz Inon on April 20th at 7:00 pm at Temple Beth El.