Two local professors will lead a discussion Tuesday on “Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict,” which is aimed at clarifying the heated debates surrounding the conflict that is central to solving on-going problems in the Middle East. The event, with Davidson College history professor Jonathan Berkey and UNC-Charlotte anthropology professor Joyce Dalsheim, is at 7:30 p.m. in the Davidson College Presbyterian Church parlor, at Main Street and Concord Road.

Professor Berkey teaches Islamic history and culture at Davidson College, including courses dealing with the religious violence of jihad and crusade and the effects of European and American involvement in the Islamic world.

Professor Dalsheim teaches anthropology at UNC-Charlotte. She has spent time living in a Palestinian village in Israel, working to improve relations between Israeli Jews and Palestinians living side by side in a context of fear and suspicion. She has written about one of the major threats to peace in the region, the Jewish settlements in Israeli occupied territories.

The discussion is sponsored by the Peace and Justice Group at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. Admission is free. Information: 704-892-8554.