Frequently Asked Questions

Our two founders, David Kamrat and Sheik Ghassan, were both born in Israel. Each maintains deep family ties with loved ones who live in Tel Aviv and Nazareth. While our idea was birthed in Eugene, Oregon, we are a team with broad and deep connections across cultures and countries. 

This project is ambitious, yet it is unique. The underlying premise of our work is that real peace can only come when it deeply and genuinely respects the deeply-held values and beliefs of all people groups. We believe that the novel approach we have outlined in MeSa is a means to that end. 

In the past, a groundroots international effort at peace would have been impossible; however, technology and connectivity are in our corner. We are living in unique times never before known to man. Open lines of communication and real-time discussions with partners around the world are trivial to achieve, thanks to the increasingly rapid advances in connection tools and software, including social media.

Importantly, while our movement began with an intercultural group of friends in the Pacific Northwest, we are in regular communication with potential partners in peace who represent diverse geographies. One of our key aims in 2026 is to consolidate support from people of peace who currently live in Israel, neighboring territories, and any place around the world where peace is deeply valued. 

The world has sought peace in and around Israel for nearly 100 years. Below is a partial list of the numerous attempts to achieve lasting peace. Though people of good will have led and participated in these efforts, a peace that persists has remained elusive. 

Global efforts at peace include: UN partition plan (1947), Camp David Accords (1978), Madrid Conference (1991), Oslow Accords (1993-1995), Camp David 2 (2000), Arab Peace Initiative (2002), Annapolis Conference (2007), and more recent initiatives, including: Abraham Accords (2020), and the 20 point plan offered by President Trump (2025).

Why did each of these fail to achieve lasting peace? We may point to many factors that contribute to a failure of peace; however, teasing apart symptom from root cause is critical. In our view, any plan that fails to recognize and respect the sincerely-held religious beliefs of the parties who lay claim to the land is destined to fail. 

Let us be clear — we are not opposed to a two-state solution in theory, provided that the agreement is just and agreed to wholeheartedly by both factions. We believe, however, that genuine peace will not be achieved unless the spiritual demands of all parties can also be satisfied in a way that does not violate sacred law.

Our MeSa solution is informed by these deeply-held beliefs. It relies on a temporary Hudna, and in doing so, allows individuals who agree to it to avoid violating any law in Halacha (Jewish law) or Sharia (Islamic law). 

In other words, this path, informed by a deep understanding and respect for these religious frameworks, allows for an off-ramp from the endless cycle of violence in pursuit of a 50-year commitment to peace. 

Every approach to peace will have its opponents. No one person nor group can devise a strategy that completely satisfies every individual. However, we believe that our project “casts a bigger net,” and includes a broader base of support than strategies that have focused solely on solving geographic, military or economic problems while ignoring the genuine spiritual reality of the region and its inhabitants.

As we attract and gain buy-in from this broader group, including those with fervent pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli views, we are certain that we can model a path towards sustainable peace. 

Even still, we are not naive. We know that MeSa will be a highly-visible project and a target for those who will permanently oppose peace at all costs. To that end, a commitment to security will be paramount, as it is in any places around the world that enjoy a fledgling peace growing after years of longstanding conflict.

Anyone who agrees to live in, conduct business with, or support MeSa will be required to declare themselves parties to the 50-year Hudna. We will pressure no person to agree to something that his conscience will not allow, because such forced compliance or bending of the will has historically led to breakdowns of peace. If an individual person does not have peace within himself regarding the Hudna, he will struggle to contribute to the peace of the broader community.

Daily life in MeSa will reflect the principles of peace applied to communal interactions. All participants in MeSa will commit to non-violence, compassionate listening, and openness to genuine dialog, especially when working through challenging subjects together as a community.

While security and legal frameworks will have to be applied and modified at a national level, internal community life will be aided through the development of MeSa’s Governance Board, which will represent the diverse community partnering together in MeSa. The Governance Board will help walk side-by-side with community members to continually refine and hone what it means to live in sustainable peace alongside one another, even while holding divergent belief systems.

We acknowledge openly: Mesa will require robust protection.

Our plan calls for an international peacekeeping force made up of soldiers and security professionals from:

• Israel
• Palestine
• Arab nations
• North America
• Europe
• Africa
• Asia

When the whole world participates in guarding a city dedicated to peace, attacking it becomes a direct provocation to the international community.

A robust protection strategy will ensure the community survives long enough for peace to take root.

Far more unites these traditions than divides them.

All three faiths share:

• belief in one compassionate Creator
• prophets (many shared)
• sacred texts inspired by God
• moral commitments to honesty, justice, charity, and compassion
• prayer and devotion as central to spiritual life
• care for the poor, sick, and vulnerable
• strong family and community responsibility
• belief in life after death and divine accountability
• versions of the Golden Rule
• belief in a Messiah or a coming Messianic age

These commonalities are a foundation upon which Mesa can build, by honoring differences while emphasizing what is shared.

Mesa will build a school system that teaches:

• peace
• mutual respect
• friendship across religious and cultural lines
• honest understanding of similarities and differences

At Mesa University (an institution we hope to create), students will be able to study technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and the spiritual traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — not to force agreement or conformity, but to reduce misunderstandings.

Differences will not be hidden. They will be explored with curiosity, openness, and respect.

Mesa aims to be an economic haven for residents.

Our goals include:

• attracting multinational corporations to build campuses
• ensuring compensation that supports families both inside and outside Mesa
• reducing the massive number of hours people spend struggling to earn a living
• welcoming artisans, small producers, and local enterprises

When families no longer fear economic insecurity, they can focus on building peaceful, meaningful lives.

We are grateful for the temporary cessation of bombing and the release of hostages. The plan demonstrates that even adversaries can compromise when global pressure and moral clarity converge.

However, the Trump Plan, like others before it, does not address the ideological and spiritual dimensions — the true elephant in the room. Mesa is a bottom-up, grassroots approach.
It seeks not only political quiet, but genuine human transformation.

Our vision is a city of 100,000 residents and approximately 30,000 households, built gradually over 10 years.

Estimated land requirements:

• 40–50 sq. miles total (100–130 km²)
• 16–20 sq. miles for the core urban area
• additional land for green space, agriculture, solar fields, transportation networks, and water infrastructure

The precise plan will be finalized by professional city planners.

We expect the land to be located in barren or low-population regions (such as portions of the Negev) and fully welcome existing Bedouin communities to participate and be compensated appropriately.

Mesa will likely require several billion dollars.

This may sound enormous, yet modern stadiums routinely cost over $5 billion. By comparison, a city dedicated to peace is a wise and meaningful investment.

Funding sources may include:

• governments
• multinational corporations
• philanthropists
• sovereign wealth funds
• global citizens who believe peace is possible

Where there is shared conviction, resources follow.

Because this moment in history is unique.

Technology — social media, podcasts, global video communication — has given ordinary people the ability to gather a worldwide movement. Millions can be reached in weeks, not decades.

As our founder David often learned from a Zen teaching:

“The bigger the front, the bigger the back.”

Every force has its opposite. Where conflict grows, the longing for peace grows equally strong.

Humanity is ready for something new. We believe Mesa is that new possibility.

We welcome all efforts toward just peace.

However, traditional top-down government-led initiatives struggle because:

• the ideological extremes on both sides reject permanent territorial concessions
• historical trauma feeds mistrust
• political agreements do not transform hearts

Mesa allows people to test coexistence in a micro-experiment where residents voluntarily commit to nonviolence and compassionate dialogue.

Peace must be lived before it can be scaled.

Not at all!

Mesa welcomes:

• Buddhists
• Hindus
• Bahá’í
• other religious traditions
• secular individuals

The only requirement is a sincere commitment to nonviolence and compassionate discourse.

We’re not surprised — in fact, we’re excited to hear that you’re curious! We urge you to write to us with any additional questions you have.