Despite coming from different backgrounds, the members of the Brookline Student Peace Coalition all share a common goal: the pursuit of open conversation and understanding regarding the Middle East.

The Brookline Student Peace Coalition is a group founded by senior Daphna Amzallag in order to create a space where students can discuss the conflict between Israel and Palestine in a healthy and understanding way. The group, run by co-presidents Amzallag, senior Eva Kates and junior Anna Arcila, aims to unite students through productive, open-minded conversations where every opinion is heard and valued.

Arcila said the goal of the group is to bridge the gap between student perspectives. She said when it comes to discussions between the Israelis, Jews, Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs, it tends to be more bitter than helpful, so the Brookline Student Peace Coalition looks to create more civil and productive conversations.

“We do have a lot in common and we do have things that we can share about our cultures,” Arcila said. “I think it’s important to talk about those things rather than just always disagree with each other and argue about everything.”

Senior and group member Rafay Ali joined the group because they wanted to create a space where anyone’s opinion could be listened to, rather than shut down or silenced.

“I saw that the school was really split and divided, and there was just a complete lack of discussion and acknowledgment from teachers and classes and also the administration as a whole,” Ali said. “I kind of wanted to correct that.”

Kates said that there is a lot you can learn by listening to an opinion different from your own. She said that having a conversation with her Muslim friends helped to expand her own mindset.

“I really hadn’t thought about what it would be like to be a Muslim student at the school,” Kates said. “It was just truly eye opening to hear about the anti-Muslim sentiment and all the stuff people have said to them and how people even just look at them in the hallways.”

According to Arcila, these kinds of conversations can help build stronger relationships between Israeli, Jews, Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs. Arcila feels that it can be difficult to express her opinion at the high school, but the group provides a welcoming place for her to do so.

“I feel like it’s a safe space. Daphna and Eva, they brought me in, and it was very comforting to finally have someone to talk to about it,” Arcila said. “I feel like a lot of the time it’s hard to talk to people about my identity.”

Kates said she encourages people on both sides of the conflict to listen and learn from each other. According to Kates, the conversations that happen in the Brookline Student Peace Coalition are the first step to a more open-minded, kind and respectful school community. She said she aims to get more people to join the group so they too can be exposed to perspectives different from their own.

“I want everyone to hear different perspectives,” Kates said. “I think that there’s obviously a time and a place to be around people that think like you, but it’s also important to listen to other people and learn from them.”