25-H104 Unpacking the Israel-Palestine Discourse in Canada – Jeff Wilkinson and Raja Khouri

In their book, The Wall Between: What Jews and Palestinians Don’t Want to Know About Each Other, Raja G. Khouri and Jeffrey J. Wilkinson offer tangible ways for Jews and Palestinians in the Diaspora to speak and, importantly, listen differently to each other.
The course will examine the histories and narratives that have shaped and divided, the battles for identity influenced by fear and trauma, and the psychological and social barriers that keep Jews and Palestinians closed off from each other’s perspectives. We will look into the role that propaganda and disinformation play in cementing trauma-induced fears for the purpose of making the task of humanizing and acknowledging the Other not just difficult, but almost inconceivable. Our society’s approach to antisemitism and Islamophobia and our government’s stance with regards to the conflict will also be considered.
The course will also examine our society’s grasp of the two narratives and present a guide for participants who are open to new possibilities for the Israel-Palestine discourse in Canada.
Instructors: Jeff Wilkinson and Raja Khouri

Jeff holds an MA and PhD in Education, focusing on trauma and memory. He has many years’ experience working with diverse groups around social justice and human rights issues. Jeff employs his background in conflict mediation to support individuals and groups in working through identity-driven conflicts. He has supported interfaith groups, EDI facilitators, health care professionals, students, staff and faculty in a variety of educational settings in order to foster deep listening and learning and building safer and more productive spaces. His academic work has focused on supporting diaspora Jews and Palestinians in deepening their understanding of each other through a trauma-informed approach. Jeff’s partnership with Raja Khouri, borne out of deep listening and learning together, has become central to his work. Together they authored The Wall Between: What Jews and Palestinians Don’t Want to Know About Each Other.
Raja is a prominent community leader, social entrepreneur and human rights advocate. He has worked in equity projects over the past 25 years, including 10 years as commissioner on the Ontario Human Rights Commission and as advocacy champion on the Human Rights Watch Canada Committee. Raja is passionate about mobilizing people behind causes of social justice, inclusion and community engagement. In 2007, he co-founded the Canadian Arab/Jewish Leadership Dialogue Group; in 2012 he was the founding president of the Canadian Arab Institute; and in 2017 he founded Khouri Conversations, an online forum which promotes incisive dialogue to unpack complex issues. Raja’s commitment to vigorous intercultural engagement is at the heart of his collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Wilkinson.