The Equity and Human Relations Advisory Committee (EHRAC) held “Spark Healing through Conversation: How the Middle East Crisis Affects Me” on February 25, 2025, as part of a larger series called Courageous Conversation.
For months, numerous community members have addressed the Culver City City Council during public comment sessions for items not on the agenda, voicing their stance either in favor of or opposed to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. A ceasefire agreement, approved on Sunday, January 18, 2025, led to an exchange of prisoners and hostages between the two sides.
At a City Council meeting on February 10, 2025, ‘Al the Zionist’, who addresses council regularly despite not being a resident of Culver City, criticized those continuing to call for a ceasefire despite the one already in place. He also argued that Israel did not need the City Council of Culver City to pass a ceasefire resolution.
Maria Bed, a member of Culver City Citizens for Peace, expressed frustration that concerns had been ignored. She also acknowledged the importance of the upcoming Community Conversation as a space for dialogue.
The Community Conversation on February 25, 2025, was designed to foster mutual understanding despite disagreements. To reinforce this principle they distributed a handout emphasizing its importance:
“When responding, show the other person you heard them by reflecting back THEIR most important points.”
The goal was not to debate City Council measures on the ceasefire but rather to model productive discussions around contentious issues.
Before the forum began, the EHRAC Chair Samia Bano set the tone with a key principle: “Engage and don’t debate.”
The event opened with a model conversation between facilitators Zahra Sakkejha and Ben Ginsburg. Zahra shared that, since October 7, 2024, she has felt unsafe wearing a keffiyeh in public. She also expressed anger that Hamas claims to speak for the Palestinian people. Ben, meanwhile, revealed that he chose to stop wearing a Star of David—not out of fear, but because, for the first time, he felt his Jewish identity was viewed negatively in the mainstream. He described the assumption that being Jewish automatically means supporting all of Israel’s actions as deeply unsettling.
The audience applauded the model conversation, recognizing the effort to maintain mutual respect despite deeply rooted disagreements.
Following the model discussion, attendees broke into small groups of six people, each guided by a trained moderator.
After the breakout discussions, a question-and-answer session allowed participants to share reflections and concerns.
Toward the end, a community member urged EHRAC to take responsibility for supporting communities with family members directly affected by displacement, particularly in the West Bank. She also emphasized the need for EHRAC to address a broader range of issues, including anti-Palestinian and anti-Asian discrimination.
This proposal led to some strong reactions, who accused the speaker of violating the agreement to avoid pushing an agenda. Tensions escalated when Bano attempted to take the microphone from the speaker, who refused to hand it over.
Despite these moments of friction, the event’s high attendance—around 100 people—demonstrated a strong demand for practicing dialogue techniques as a way to bridge divides. However, it also highlighted the challenge of separating the discussion tools being taught from the specific issue of ceasefire.
Clara Carvalho