Two representatives from Cleveland’s Ishmael & Isaac organization came to the Ohio Union on Friday to discuss their plan toward a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, and to recruit new volunteers to aid in reaching their goals.

Ishmael & Isaac, an organization comprised of Jewish-Americans, Palestinian-Americans and Christians, works with public officials and nongovernmental organizations in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, and shares its vision of finding a resolution for the conflict.

The organization’s plan for a two-state solution involves taking small steps in building healthcare, education and ultimately the government and economy of Palestine before it can become independent.

“We respect each other. We understand that there’s going to have to be a compromise,” said Mark Rosentraub, a Jewish-American board member of the organization. “We’re not a political organization. We are an organization trying to relieve the suffering on both sides.”

Samir Mohammad, co-founder and national co-chair of the Ishmael & Isaac organization, said it asks for people that share their interest and can leave the political baggage of other groups behind. Mohammad, a Palestinian-American, also serves as chief of staff for the Cuyahoga County Auditor’s Office.

Ishmael & Isaac, named for the Bible’s famous brothers from different mothers, also has chapters in New York and Detroit. The organization hopes to start a student chapter at Ohio State.

“We need a lot of help. We need people like you, committed to the region and willing to put aside what has been produced over the past 40 to 50 years of conflict to build a very different tomorrow,” Rosentraub said.

Rosentraub said election polls done inside both the Palestinian Authority and Israel indicate that a majority on both sides agree with a two-state solution. In fact, 75 to 80 percent of the Palestinian population voted in favor of the resolution.

Rosentraub said, however, that in order for a two-state resolution to work, Palestine must be able to have funding to achieve an ongoing, operating government and economy. At the current time, unemployment is so high that 50,000 jobs must be created per year, for at least three years, to get Palestinian unemployment below 20 percent.

Additionally, the Palestinian government has no personnel systems, financial systems, reliable taxation systems or environmental codes. Palestine also offers no training or education for its leaders.

“There are a lot of individuals committed to building a West Bank, but have had no training and, in many cases, they don’t even have an undergraduate degree,” Rosentraub said. “Yet, they are responsible for running cities and towns.”

Mohammad said Ishmael & Isaac has already began taking small steps toward building healthcare in Palestine by providing funds for the Augusta Victoria Hospital and for an ambulance for a nonsectarian emergency service.

After building healthcare, the organization plans to move on to improving education in order to build the economic infrastructure.

“In a country of about 6 million, no one has training,” Rosentraub said. “Running governments is not like riding a bicycle. It really does take a set of skills to get it done.”

Rosentraub said Ishmael & Isaac has recently arranged a partnership with Cleveland State University to co-op with a Palestinian university and build an undergraduate program in public administration to train the future leaders of Palestine.

“At the current time, there is one faculty member teaching public administration in all of the West Bank,” Rosentraub said. “One.”

Ishmael & Isaac will then bring the graduates of the undergraduate program to Ohio to get their master’s degrees and doctorates. Rosentraub said this plan will provide the training needed for the Palestine Authority to improve its economy.

Linnea Overman, a sophomore in political science and treasurer for the Committee for Justice in Palestine, said she agrees with the organization’s plan because it focuses on reconstruction and building a strong economy in Palestine.

“It’s important that prominent people from both sides are working together and can get things accomplished,” she said.

Rosentraub said a plan for Israel and Palestine to co-exist is the only way to achieve peace.

“Suppose you don’t like our ideas, they’re all crazy, they make no sense, tell me your plan. What’s plan B? Is plan B more hostility? More bombing on both sides? That to me doesn’t sound like an acceptable solution. So plan A is the better way,” he said.