Sarah Leah Whitson is the Executive Director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN). Previously, she served as executive director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa Division from 2004 – 2020, overseeing the work of the division in 19 countries, with staff located in 10 countries.

She has led dozens of advocacy and investigative missions throughout the region, focusing on issues of armed conflict, accountability, legal reform, migrant workers, and human rights. 

Professor Kobi Michael is a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and the Misgav Institute. His primary research interests are conflict resolution, strategy, national security, civil-military relations, failed states and peace keeping and state building operations, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He once served as the deputy director general and head of the Palestinian desk at the Ministry for Strategic Affairs.

In the spirit of promoting dialogue I hosted a discussion with these two protagonists about a recent article that was published in the Australian media 'The two-state solution has failed. A true democracy is the Middle East’s only hope' by Sarah Leah Whitson.