Dialogue, respect and very different views

Detroit lawyer Dick Soble is Jewish and supports the creation of an independent Palestinian nation alongside Israel. Arab American museum founder Anan Ameri is Palestinian and wants one state with equal rights.

Soble condemns the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. Ameri says it was to be expected. Though she doesn’t want civilians killed, “violence,” she says, “breeds violence.”

Despite their differences, these two are not enemies. They're best friends for almost 50 years.

As the war in Gaza stokes and entrenches divisions around the world, the pair is an example of open inquiry and expression. Their discussion is thoughtful and uncensored. On the big stuff, they tend to agree. Where they don’t, they listen, and even come to appreciate one another’s views.

“I’m an American Jew and she’s a Muslim, Palestinian American, and neither one of us views each other as the other,” Soble said. “And I think that’s one thing that’s different that allows that dialogue to continue, is it starts off with respect."

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