Acknowledging History, Hoping for Peace

Professor Frank Tipton speaks on the Israel-Palestine conflict

By Emily F.

Frank Tipton, a teacher at Dana Hall School in Boston who has taught South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) studies for 25 years, spoke at the Upper School in a special assembly on Oct. 28 about Israel and Palestine. The assembly was intended to provide historical information and context about the ongoing conflict between the two countries. His talk also reviewed the concepts of radical curiosity in a non-biased manner and was intended to spark more informed dialogue between community members.

Upper School Division Head Liza Raynal hoped that Tipton could provide an opportunity for civil discourse and “hope for peace” by explaining the complexity of the region’s geopolitical history. 

“As a campus, we have many different perspectives. There was a void around information,” Raynal said. 

Tipton framed his 75-minute talk on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a historical perspective. He asked the audience to be mindful of those affected by the ongoing conflict, which escalated on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel. In recent weeks, the military action has expanded into a regional conflict involving neighboring Middle Eastern nations including Lebanon and Iran.

“What I’m attempting to do today is provide some basic information about this place and the people who live in it,” Tipton said. He opened his presentation by sharing goals he hoped the talk would achieve: to step back from the war, learn about two peoples, practice civil discourse, and repair and build hope.

He further organized the history lecture into four sections: The Formative Years, The Surprise, The Peace So Close, and The Hardening, and left time between each part for listeners to talk to the people around them and ask questions. 

Tipton explained how while people tend to take sides in conflicts they are not involved with, he doesn’t believe that is what those involved need. 

“It’s important in the middle of a terrible war to have an understanding of the perspectives and identities of the people at the heart of the issue,” he said. 

If there was one thing that Tipton hoped people would take away from the assembly, it was the “ability to recognize and value” the perspectives of those ethnically or closely tied to Israel and Palestine.

“People who are living in or are directly experiencing this situation need compassion, validity, and to be seen,” Tipton said. 

Tipton also provided a wide variety of resources to the Upper School. These included the novel Arabs and Israelis: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East by Abdel Monem Said Aly, Khalil Shikaki, and Shai Feldman, along with a hotline that provides background on the conflict. 

His speech drew mixed responses from students, both positive and moments of critique alike.

“The presentation allowed me to view a lot of the context with more nuance and has changed the way I approach talking with other people and discussing the issue,” Dashiell H. ’27 said. 

Others felt the talk did not represent the culture and feelings of both sides in a balanced way.

“I noticed that the poem by the Palestinian author was all about how they would rise up, and the Israeli poem was all about how they are oppressing. Israel, while in controversy, is also a place noted for human rights and technological innovation,” Aaron B. ’27 said. “At the end of the day, it’s about peace. I support peace. I think everybody supports peace.”