Thanks to the generosity of the Atkin Foundation, ICSR offers young leaders from Israel and the Arab world the opportunity to come to London for a period of four months, producing a research paper as the result of their work. The purpose of the fellowship is to provide young leaders from Israel and the Arab world with an opportunity to develop their ideas on how to further peace and understanding in the Middle East through research, debate and constructive dialogue in a neutral political environment.
Dawoud Zahran was the Palestinian Atkin Fellow for Autumn 2015. While being a resident of Ramallah, Dawoud is a senior Bachelor student at Tel Aviv University majoring in Middle Eastern Studies, minoring in Israel and Jewish Studies. Dawoud has been an effective member of multiple institutions and leadership and development summits in Palestine and internationally, among them, Amideast and the Moshe Dayan Center.
By reflecting on the elements of the past, present and future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Dawoud’s research paper uses his first-hand experience of travelling into Israel on a daily basis and meeting with Israelis to argue that a solution can only arise from a positive change in the way people on both sides view one another.
