Ironically, the lack of leadership among world leaders was the focus of the Fox Leadership program's guest speaker, Joshua Hammer, Newsweek Middle East Bureau chief.
The journalist addressed an overflow crowd of about 60 students about the failure of leadership among Israeli and Palestinian political figures.
Hammer, who moved to Jerusalem two years ago following stints as a foreign correspondent in South America and Africa, described the region's "nonstop attacks" since Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's visit to Temple Mount in 2000, which has been blamed for the Palestinian wave of violence targeted against Israeli citizens.
The issue of whether or not the violence had been planned before Sharon's visit -- or if the visit was even legitimate -- remains to be seen.
"There are two sides to every issue in the Middle East," Hammer said.
Hammer also spoke about his nonfiction book Chosen by God: A Brother's Journey. The prize-winning book focuses on the political landscape of Bethlehem, which is controlled by "19 and 20 year olds carrying guns and rocket propellers," Hammer said.
Hammer emphasized the lack of leadership shown by Sharon, Arafat and U.S. President George W. Bush.
He described Arafat as a "complex character" who unleashed violence to rally together the Palestinian people.
"He unleashed forces that he couldn't control," he said.
He also attributed the violent situation to a "lack of vision" on the part of Sharon. "He thinks the only response to violence is violence and more violence," Hammer said.
The blame also partially falls onto Bush, who involved the United States in the region's conflict, yet failed to follow through, according to Hammer.
"Everyone in the Middle East thought Bush was serious," he said.
Hammer predicted that the violence will continue for another two to three years.
"It will take the emergence of new leaders to resolve the problem."
After the speech, Hammer was barraged by pro-Israeli students in a question-and-answer session, yet he remained adamant that fault lies on both sides.
"Many high-ranking people in the Palestinian Authority have a vested interest in peace in the region," he said.
College senior Zach Dietch said he gained insight into the region from the speech. "He gave me a good perspective that I didn't learn in a classroom," he said.
College sophomore Alexander Chester said he felt Hammer tried too hard to appear balanced. "In some ways it is a concern to strive for balance when [the situation] is not even-handed."
Hammer himself said he enjoyed the experience.
"It's great to return to Penn's campus and talk to interested students."
