The tense situation in the Mideast was the topic of discussion at United Hebrew Congregation on Thursday as the temple hosted an internationally known Palestinian human rights advocate for a talk on the complexities of the conflict.

“In my opinion, peace will have to start from the bottom, not from the top,” activist and commentator Bassem Eid told a crowd so large that chairs had to be added to the aisles.

Founder of the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group, Eid is a controversial figure to some as he has been a critic of both the Palestinian Authority and the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. He has been extensively published and honored with awards due in part to his allegations regarding human rights policies of both the PA and the Israeli military. A sought-after speaker, he has lectured worldwide on Mideast issues.

His talk at United Hebrew was sponsored by the St. Louis Friends of Israel.

READ MORE: https://www.stljewishlight.com/news/local/palestinian-critic-of-bds-speaks-at-st-louis-friends-of/article_fe08b996-7ad0-11e8-bc89-8b1935e5b6a7.html