As a journalist covering Israel, David Gilbert has been on the front lines of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 2000.
Last night, he spoke at Steinhardt Hall about his experiences working as a CBS News correspondent in Israel.
"It's probably the most challenging beat in the business," Gilbert said.
While most of Gilbert's talk was off the record, he primarily discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"There was once when I was in Ramallah and I could have sworn a guy was pointing a rifle at me," Gilbert said.
Although Gilbert could not turn around in time to see if there was, in fact, a man pointing a gun, he said he quickly left the city.
"It's a culture not like our own," Gilbert said. "It can be very dangerous."
The audience was generally receptive to the speech.
College senior Daniel Siegman said he "thought [the talk] was a neat opportunity to speak to someone who's on the ground."
"It was an excellent way of learning what happens, because let's face it, there's a lot of bias in the media and on college campuses," Siegman said.
College freshman Daniel Schoenbrun said he "was curious to get the media perspective" and to see "the walls you hit when you try to get the real story."
Others looked to Gilbert as an authority on the subject.
"I like [Gilbert's] view on things. I think he's very informed," Drexel University sophomore Lauren Krol said.
Some students felt the event lacked differing perspectives.
Ethan Johnson, a second-year Wharton MBA student, said that although Gilbert "spoke articulately, the program would be improved by bringing in people of different opinions."
Johnson said he hoped that this would help in "building an open dialogue."
The speech was attended by about 30 students. It was sponsored by Penn's Pro-Israel Activism Committee and by the Hasbara Fellowship.
The event was part of an ongoing educational series on the Middle East, which is being run by PennPAC, according to College sophomore and PennPAC Program Coordinator Miriam Nogradi.
Prior to reporting for CBS, Gilbert worked for The Washington Post.
