As college students across the US continue to be indoctrinated to hate the West and Israel, it is heartening to see stories like this of those who buck the trend, and learn to think for themselves.

Political science and international security & conflict resolution senior Erin Gonzalez spent some time in Israel, with a Fact Finders program hosted by SDSU Hillel. She said the goal of the trip is to allow SDSU students to personally experience Israel and learn about the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

“We met with various government officials, grassroots activists, and average citizens from both sides of the conflict who shared their personal narratives with us,” she explained. “Their narratives helped me and my fellow students to come to our own conclusions and form our own perspectives about Israel, the Palestine Authority, and the conflict.”

She said there were several things that surprised her. Before visiting, she believed she was entering something akin to “an ‘apartheid state’” but soon after landing she found religious, cultural, and ethnic diversity.

The trip also changed some of her opinions.

“Another thing that surprised me about Israel is how my perspective on the Israeli settlements in the West Bank completely changed,” she said. “Although the global community, and recently the United Nations have condemned the Israeli settlements as both internationally illegal and an impediment to peace, I no longer see it that way.”

Gonzalez said her group visited various settlements throughout the West Bank and she was surprised to see how many Palestinians she saw benefitting from aspects of the settlements, including employment opportunities and social benefits.

“Throughout the entirety of our trip we encountered so many people, both Israeli and Palestinian, who were so genuinely grateful to us for visiting their homelands,” she said. “Their gratitude was largely for us taking the time to experience their cultures and lifestyles, and not being afraid to enter the world that they live in.”