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not feel from a textbook and was a feeling I 
had never experienced in the United States. 
Walking through the shuk, or market, in 
the Old City and talking with and bartering 
with the different vendors was very cool.
I had never seen so many fences and 
walls dividing people as when we visited 
Israel’s border with Gaza. While I did not 
feel unsafe, it did feel like my heart stopped 
beating there. I could not believe I was just 
feet from Gaza. I felt sad to be at the place 
responsible for so much destruction amid 
the complicated Israeli and Palestinian rela-
tionship. I felt sad for those trapped in Gaza 
and on the outside living in fear. The pins 
calling for peace glued onto the wall were 
juxtaposed with rocket shelters converted 
into play structures for kids just yards away.
Entering the West Bank through check- 
points, I was at first shocked how separated 
it is from Israel when there are some of the 
same people living in both places. Yet life 
was also different in these two portions of 
the country just feet apart because the gov-
ernments are so different.
Visiting Bethlehem was a reminder of 
how the Palestinian people are deprived 
of water, electricity and other basic needs. 
Seeing the humanity and struggle of 
Palestinian refugees was emotional and 
important to take in. Entering Ramallah 
and talking with the Palestinian Authority 
was important because I could hear from its 
members and its own narrative, without the 
filter of what our U.S. media or Israel have 
to say.
Walking the beach in Tel Aviv, it was 

important to see nightlife and that the con-
flict does not dominate every aspect of life. 
I learned how the city was and continues 
to be a refuge for the LGBTQ community. 
I bonded with my peers on my trip, and it 
was humbling how all of us with different 
identities and backgrounds came together 
to learn.
We met with Israeli and Palestinian 
journalists, both critical of each other and 
of their own people. It was incredible to 
hear how they communicate and how they 
navigate reporting on the conflict. We heard 
from educators seeking to integrate more 
diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives 
into education. We also heard from former 
government officials about why getting to a 
two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict is difficult, but why that needs to be 
the end goal.
Each person I talked to had their own 
story and their own voice. I saw the human-
ity in every person, and my hope is that 
everyone there sees the humanity in each 

other. There is co-existence and there are 
many areas of peace, so I did leave with 
some optimism.
I want people to do their research and 
be open to listening and learning. There is 
power and benefit from talking to people 
on the ground, being uncomfortable and 
ultimately understanding their viewpoints 
better in the end. 

Jack Harrison is a rising senior at Michigan State 

University studying political theory and constitutional 

democracy in James Madison College, journalism and 

public relations. This essay was originally published on 

Martin Waymire’s blog.

continued from page 36

for college students 
by college students

Jack Harrison 
on the ground 
in Israel