Ever wonder how Israeli and American opinions compare on topics like religion, sex, intermarriage and just being Jewish in general? The new Jewish Reconnection Project is here to show you. The cool web video series showcases dialogues between a group of young adult Jews in New York and Jerusalem. The goal of the series is to highlight the diverse individual perspectives among the global Jewish community and to help us all better understand one another, ourselves and our shared history.

Check out the final four-minute episode of this series called "Chance for Peace—Conflict" and then read what four JVibers had to say about it. If you missed our discussions on previous episodes, check out discussion ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR and FIVE.

Michele Pinczuk, 14, says:
Golda Meir once said, “I want to save Jewish children from the same fate that the Jews of my generation had to endure.” We must strive for peace, not only for us, but for future generations to come. This is why we must be free from strife. Is peace in the Middle East insurmountable? “Chance for Peace,” the Jewish Reconnection Project’s final video, addresses this issue. The opinions of the Israeli and American Jews in the series are split for obvious reasons—there are currently no clear-cut solutions. Some believe the answers rest in negotiations. Others are convinced the solutions are in continued military force.

Personally, I root for a strong leader like Golda Meir (my hero) to guide Israel and its people to a peaceful resolution. She simply stated, “We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.” As far as I’m concerned, anti-Semitism is Israel’s true enemy. One Israeli young-adult in the video spoke about a school that’s being built to teach both Palestinians and Israelis side by side. Maybe that, coupled with strong leadership, will be an instrumental piece in this very intricate Middle-Eastern puzzle.

Jaime Bolker, 18, responds:
I agree with Michele. I think we really need strong leaders with clear plans who understand that even though there may be people who fight peace, it’s the only real solution. War breeds war, destruction breeds destruction. When someone does you wrong, you can never even the score. Revenge creates a deadly cycle that solves little and leaves everyone hurt, even people who had nothing to do with the conflict in the first place. Peace is the only solution. Peace and understanding are the only ways we can ever create a better life for our generation and the next to come. We must work hard and never give up because even if we don’t see peace in our lifetime, the next generation will be that much closer.

Jeff Rollman, 16, thinks:
I agree with one of the Americans in the latest video who stated: “Peace would be great. I don’t think there is any chance for peace though, because I don’t believe the Palestinians want peace; they just want to kill all of the Jews.” Peace is ideal and should always be the ultimate goal, but it’s very unrealistic. Giving a mandate to Hamas, a terrorist organization, to fire traumatizing rockets at Israeli towns and send suicide bombers to murder innocent civilians without any major opposition does not really make it seem like the Palestinians want peace. Instead of burning American and Israeli flags and indoctrinating their youth with racist and anti-Semitic teachings, Palestinians should demonstrate to the Israeli government that they can competently rule themselves without the mass anarchy that has become the norm.

I agree with Michele and Jaime that both sides need a strong, capable leader to help bring this conflict closer to peace. However, we must be careful and avoid giving away land for peace, as we do not want a repeat of the infamous “Peace for our time” of Neville Chamberlain, who appeased Adolf Hitler by agreeing to give him land in 1938, which beckoned World War II and the mass genocide of millions of peoples.

Elizabeth Kirshner, 13, responds:
Agreeing with Jaime, I think it’s impossible to fight fire with fire. Despite being an idealist, I do see complete peace as unrealistic because there will always be people with biases and conflicts. However, I do think that for a more peaceful situation, some compromise is in order on both sides. The saddest part is that many Palestinians would like peace, and it’s mainly the extremist representatives who prefer harming innocent civilians. No matter what, peace is not an easy thing, especially if the sides do not see eye to eye. If terror is a constant factor, someone will get burned.

Michele Pinczuk is a teen journalist who freelances for several publications, including The New York Times. She lives in the Washington, D.C., area. Michele loves New York and Saturday Night Live. Her role models are Gilda Radner, Golda Meir, her grandmom, mom and Aunt Sylvia. She’s also a member of the JVibe Teen Advisory Board.

Elizabeth Kirshner is passionate about being Jewish, being on the JTab, people-watching, living life to the fullest and collecting quotes. She always has a song stuck in her head, usually Regina Spektor (a MOT), KT Tunstall or Jason Mraz. The Style Network is a must, and fashion magazines are more than a guilty pleasure.

Jaime Bolker is a student at International High School in San Francisco. She’s a pop-culture junkie and is currently obsessed with Dawson’s Creek re-runs and Bob Marley. She’s also a member of the JVibe Teen Advisory Board.

Jeffrey E. Rollman recently spent a semester abroad in Israel. He lives in Los Angeles and likes running cross country, politics, reading and weight lifting. He’s also a member of the JVibe Teen Advisory Board.