Notice Board

The Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA) presents a session discussing the complex and long history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel at 70: Past, Present and Future

Date:                    Thursday, May 17, 2018
Time:                    Doors open 11:30 a.m., Presentation 12 p.m., buffet lunch 12:30 p.m., Q&A 1 – 1:30 p.m.
Location:              Royal Canadian Legion (north door) 324 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge
Cost:                    $14 buffet lunch with desert & coffee/tea/juice or $2 coffee/tea/juice. RSVP not required

Seventy years after Israel’s establishment as an independent state, its accomplishments in high tech, medical research and innovation have far exceeded expectations of a country its size. Some might be surprised to learn that Israel consistently ranks in the top 15 countries on the “Happiness Index.”

All this despite the fact that Israel has been at war with its neighbours since its inception – and the threats to its security are as real today as they were in 1948.

In this talk, the speakers will describe the complex and long history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, beginning with the longing of the Jewish people for a state, the emergence of the Zionist movement, the British Mandatory period and the Arab world’s rejection of Israel’s right to exist. In the absence of diplomatic relations between Israel and its neighbours, wars have played a significant role in determining borders. Hope for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the 1990s resulted in peace agreements with the Egyptians and Jordanians, but a settlement with the Palestinians remains elusive.

Questions to be explored are: Where are we today? What are the barriers to peace? Is there hope for a two-state solution?

Speakers:

Judy Shapiro, Associate Executive Director, Calgary Jewish Federation
Jared Shore, Chair, Community Relations Committee, Calgary Jewish Federation
Jeffrey Smith, Board Member, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA)

Moderator:         Trevor Page

For more information on the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs, visit the SACPA website.