Last week, J Street U Brandeis, Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee, Brandeis Visions for Israel in an Evolving World and Hillel at Brandeis issued a partnership statement to reaffirm their commitment to a constructive dialogue on Israel at Brandeis University.

"The student body of Brandeis University has a unique connection to and a high level of engagement with Israel. Therefore, it is crucial that the Israel conversation on campus continues to include a variety of productive voices," the statement read. "In order to sustain such an environment, we all share the responsibility to respect one another."

According to Israel Programs Coordinator for the Hillel Student Executive Board Hannah Leeman '16, Israel can be a contentious issue, but the goal is to foster civil and productive discourse on Israel at Brandeis. "A couple weeks ago we didn't feel such of a good productive discourse [was occurring], so that statement was sent out to the student body and our community to kind of make sure that we're reaffirming our values and what we hope to see in the Israel conversation," she said in an interview with the Justice.

Leeman said that the Israel dialogue had previously been polarized. "There's really been a lot of contention between J Street and BIPAC, people who are involved in the organizations, but we really have a great thing going, and so when we saw just a little tinge of that going not so well we wanted to kind of continue what we have going," she said.

BIPAC President Daniel Koas '16 said the organizations had already been working together to create productive Israel dialogue. "We've worked together in the past and we've shown that with action, and we thought that really just getting it out there and showing how Brandeis is really an exemplary campus when it comes to stuff like that, because you don't really see ... the level of cooperation between Israel groups at other places that you do at Brandeis, and that's what makes us so special."

BVIEW co-founder Chen Arad '15 agreed that the statement reiterated what had already existed between the organizations. "I think it's always good to remind people that, at the end of the day, we're working together. When it comes to Israel, there are lots of people who care about it a lot, specifically at a place like Brandeis, that is so strongly associated with the Jewish-American community," he said in an interview with the Justice.

According to Koas, nothing official has been planned yet for this year, but said that there are several joint events "in the works that everyone will be able to hear about more once we really get down to planning and advertising it."

JStreet Co-President Catie Stewart '16 said students with different perspectives on Israel are still encouraged to attend J Street events.

"Something we always say whenever we're creating a Facebook event or send emails to our listserv we say all viewpoints are welcome and encouraged, and it actually makes the events better," said Stewart in an interview with the Justice. "We really appreciate when people come to our events and do that as well. It's very necessary, especially with the Israel conversation."

The statement concludes with a quotation from Rabbi Judah Loew that represents the atmosphere for Israel dialogue that the organizations have said they agreed to strive toward. "For the proper way to attain truth is to hear other's arguments which they hold sincerely, not our of a desire to provoke you. Thus it is wrong to simply reject an opponent's ideas; instead, draw him close to you and delve into his words.

"I think that the conversation can sometimes be challenging. I mean, a challenge in a good sense. It's not always easy to listen to ideas that are different than yours, but that's what we're a university for, right?" said Arad.