The Peace & Dialogue Leadership Initiative (PDLI) seeks to bridge the civil-military divide and offer top civilian & military students a unique opportunity to participate in a nuanced conversation about the US role in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Israeli-Palestinian relations, society, and culture. The capstone of the initiative is an annual ~10-day trip to Israel & the Palestinian territories.

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Our Mission

  1. To provide students with the tools necessary to explore the U.S.-Israel relationship, the U.S. role in the Israeli-Palestinian relationship, and to examine the unique security challenges facing both the U.S. and her allies in the region,

  2. To provide an incisive look into Israeli and Palestinian society, culture, and politics, 

  3. To foster civil-military understanding and dialogue,

  4. To convey a nuanced understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the region as a whole by connecting high-level strategic dialogue with realities on the ground,

  5. To build a community on campus interested in engaging with and discussing these issues.

Our Mission

  1. Give students the tools to explore the U.S.-Israel relationship, the U.S. role in the Israeli-Palestinian relationship, and the challenges facing the U.S. & her allies in the region.
     

  2. Foster civil-military understanding and dialogue.
     

  3. Provide an incisive look into Israeli and Palestinian society, culture, and politics.   
     

  4. Convey the nuances of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the region as a whole by connecting high-level dialogue with realities on the ground.
     

  5. Develop a strong community on campus and beyond interested in engaging with & discussing these issues.

"I served in the Middle East numerous times with the Army before I came to Yale.  Prior to PDLI, I never met any Palestinians and was not familiar with their goals and struggles.  I'm grateful that this unique program exposes us to so many perspectives and gives us insight into so many lives, so that we have more-complete information about the underlying issues and can make better-informed decisions about the causes of the conflict--and, maybe, their solutions."

West Point Faculty, Army Officer, Yale Alumnus