In an effort to break down the walls of hatred and mistrust separating them, 40 Israeli, Arab and Austrian teen-agers gathered here recently for a one-week series of discussions and outings.
The youths, who practically lived together, attended seminars and discussion groups focused on the Middle East peace process.
They spent a few days trekking through the Tirolean Alps.
While some of the young people used the seminars to promote their governments’ views, others sought to build personal relationships.
As one Israeli girl summed up the week, “Despite all the problems, we do have a lot of things in common. “We mostly share similar wishes and worries — and we are all wearing the same jeans.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.