Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent for The Atlantic and former correspondent for The New Yorker, shared his views on the possibility for reconciliation in the Middle East at Walden University’s academic residency in Lansdowne, Va., this April.

The speech was part of a “Perspectives on the World” series that brings diverse global views to the Walden community. Past speakers include 2008 Winter Session speaker David Bornstein, author of How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas, and the summer commencement 2007 speakers Matt and Jessica Flannery, co-founders of the first person-to-person micro-lending Web site, kiva.org.

A former correspondent for The New York Times Magazine covering Africa and the Middle East, Goldberg has interviewed leaders and followers of the Taliban,  al-Qaida, Hamas and Hezbollah. His book, Prisoners: A Muslim and a Jew Across the Middle East Divide, chronicles his unusual friendship with a devout Muslim prisoner and was motivated by the age-old question that remains unanswered today: Is it possible for two tribes to reach a meaningful reconciliation?

A Permanent State of War?
“Within the civilization of Islam there is a clash. One modernizing force wants to find a way to live peacefully,” Goldberg said. “The other medievalist force wants to return to a permanent state of war. We are engaged in that war today.”

Still he believes strongly that all warring factions, including the United States, must work toward reconciliation. His own experiences highlight the continuing challenges.

No Future Here
Goldberg frequently travels to the Gaza Strip, where one of his former prisoners, now a leader of Hamas, is charged with recruiting suicide bombers. Asked if he wanted his 15-year-old son to be a suicide bomber, the man admitted it would make him proud.

“I was profoundly saddened by this conversation, thinking of our 150,000 troops in Iraq dealing with suicide bombers today,” Goldberg said. “This 15-year-old, bright, humorous kid was a weapon.” Goldberg was reminded of discussions with his own parents. “When we talked with our parents about what we would become, there was always hope of a promising future. There was no future here.”

Extending the Hand of Friendship
Goldberg warned, “We cannot kill our way out of the terrorist problem.”

He said that while there are those who seek to fight, there are others who want to live in peace with their families.

“We can’t abandon those devoted to democracy, free speech and freedom of religion,” he said. “The only way to achieve peace is to support the moderates and make them stronger.”

More Information

• Learn more about residencies by watching “Academic Residencies for Doctoral Students.”
• Read about Walden students, alumni, and faculty making a difference in the Middle East in the Walden magazine article, “Four Ways Forward.”

May Ponder front page