With the slogan ‘World Peace, one swipe at a time’, Verona functions in a similar way to the popular dating app Tinder, but is designed to be used specifically by Israelis and Palestinians.
It works by connecting prospective matches with members of the opposite group. So for example, a male Palestinian could be connected with a female Israeli and vice versa.
The name of the app comes from Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, which is set in the city of Verona, and features of course the most famous star-crossed lovers of all time.
Verona’s creator, Matthew Nolan, says that the idea came to him after talking to his Palestinian friend who has an Israeli girlfriend.
I very much believe that the basis of any relationship is communication, So if these two cultures are forced to be separate in all this conflict, forming relationships between them could be the glue that hopefully ignites a shift in consciousness.
The app is quickly gaining traction with a large number of registered users located in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and the West Bank. There are also a growing number of users in New York, where there are many residents and college students with Israeli or Palestinian origins.
Verona was lauched at the end of March as an Android app and within its first month had over 1,000 users. An IOS version should soon be available.
What do you think of this idea?