Amir Grinstein, a professor at Northeastern University and the founder of 50:50 Startups, a tech startup program for Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs, spoke at the Coexisting Club during X-block on Wednesday, Nov. 20 in the MLK room to discuss how his work could help in a time of conflict in the Middle East.

Grinstein began the speech by discussing the “paradoxical mindset,” a way of thinking that approaches conflicts not as “either-or” but as “both-and.” This approach, he said, encourages embracing seemingly contradictory ideas, rather than dismissing them as incompatible.

“The paradoxical mindset idea is coming from this notion that we can try to hold multiple realities, multiple truths, even competing goals together,” Grinstein said.

Grinstein said 50:50 Startups uses this thinking to bring Palestinian and Israeli entrepreneurs together, fostering collaboration between groups that might not typically engage on equal footing.

“A Palestinian could say, ‘I only saw Israeli soldiers. Suddenly I’m sitting with Israelis, and they are working together with me on a successful startup.’ This is mind-blowing for both sides,” Grinstein said.

The Coexistence Club was co-founded by juniors Sebi Levi, Amir Tomer, and sophomore Kais Al-Fakhuri. Tomer explained that the mission of the club is to bring Israelis and Palestinians together in productive discussion. Tomer believed Grinstein could help students achieve this goal.

“When we started the club, we wanted to be a safe place where people can talk about their identity and who they are, without any dangers of argument and conflict,” Tomer said.

Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator Jen Martin attended the talk. Martin said she appreciated how Grinstein’s perspective helped make the conflict in the Middle East feel more manageable to discuss.

“What I really loved about the talk is that it was hyper-focused on one concept of building a business across a huge divide. That allows us to see the conflict in a different way,” Martin said. “I think when we talk about what’s happening in Israel and Gaza, it’s really hard. It’s so big.
It’s actually kind of hard to dial down and think about it in a manageable bite.”