OneVoice Blog, Empowering Israeli and Palestinian Citizens toward a Two State Solution

Meanwhile on the Ground: 58 Young Palestinian, Israeli Leaders Re-Affirm Partnership Against Extremism

Tension and suspicion permeated the air. For many in the room, this was the first time ever to meet someone from 'the other side', let alone doing so two weeks after the Hamas PLC election victory.

 

Amidst cautious translations between Hebrew and Arabic, tough questions and awkward silences highlighted the unease of the participants. http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/files/picture_012.jpg.

 

Bassem Lafi from Ramallah shared his apprehension. "I am here to know what do Israelis think about Palestinians, and if they think they are all terrorists. I am here to demonstrate that this is not true."

[Adi’s Reaction- http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/2006/03/adi_baldermans_.html ]

 

Ravit Asher, a very active Israeli OV young leader, whose father was killed during his military service, shared how she was trying to grapple with her personal loss on her “quest for reconciliation and desire to raise my children to a better future.”

 

Then Israeli Elad Dunievsky stood and addressed his 30 Palestinian counterparts in fluent Arabic. He highlighted his empathy for the suffering on both sides and urged unity among moderate Israelis and Palestinians to fight violent extremism.

 

After a standing ovation and amidst some stunned faces, an energized Fawaz Mghayer, a Palestinian from Jericho, spoke in fluent Hebrew and extolled all, "Alright, we’ve spent enough time talking. Let’s figure out how we can take action.”

 

Ideas started flowing. http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/files/picture_046.jpg. The ice had melted.

 

“Let’s start with what Ghandi said: Be the change you want to see in the world”, said Nada Majdalani, a young Palestinian refugee. “That is why we are here – to see what we can do today." [Indeed, Nada followed through by traveling to Washington DC on a OneVoice college speaking tour from which she and Israeli Eyal Bino just returned http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/2006/03/onevoice_youth_.html ]

 

Over more than 3 hours, 58 OneVoice Palestinian & Israeli Youth Leaders explored concrete ways in which they can empower citizens against extremism and towards conflict resolution. http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/files/picture_054.jpg. Among the decisions reached that evening was to institute a college speaking tour on Israeli and Palestinian campuses.

 

“I was never part of the 'peace Camp' and never took part in a peace rally or demonstration,” shared Netanel Avneri from Bar-Ilan University. “But I understand the importance of working with people like me on the other side.”

 

The meeting, originally scheduled in East Jerusalem, had been canceled twice due to closures, a freeze on permits, and heightened security. But youth leaders persevered and regrouped in Zone B (where Palestinians and Israelis are technically allowed without permits). Some woke at dawn to travel from distant villages.

 

Sahar Faqeeh, http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/files/picture_055.jpg, a Palestinian nursing student from Nablus, explained, "This is my first time meeting with Israelis. I don't know, maybe it’s the situation or the traditions that prevented me to do so. But for me it was an astonishing experience.”

 

Yoni Arad shared he used to be a checkpoint officer in his military reserve service. Then that day, “for the first time, I passed the A-Ram checkpoint north of Jerusalem in a different capacity: as one of OneVoice’s young leaders on my way to meet our Palestinian counterparts. It was the first time I approached a checkpoint with a sense of hope.”

 

“This was my first time to sit with Israelis - I never thought I would do it,” said Hanadi Abu Hadid. She wore a flowing Hijab and expressed herself in Arabic with translations from her peers. “It was good to see that we are all working for the same cause and to know that we have a partner on the other side with the same frustration and pain and desire to break the pattern.”

 

Eran Scheferman http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/files/picture_064.jpg concluded, “We need to talk about this to those who say ‘all Palestinians are terrorists’ or ‘all Israelis are occupiers and soldiers.’ Let the Israelis pass the message to their settler friends, and the Palestinians to their Hamas friends. It is important to transmit the message to those who disagree with us, not to ones who already agree.”

 

The OneVoice Youth Leadership program has trained over 500 Palestinians and over 300 Israelis thus far. The most exceptional young leaders in their communities are chosen from a pool of qualified candidates after a rigorous interview process. Members go through an immersion training weekend program and then participate in bi-monthly training and activities in their communities. Occasionally (and increasingly, in spite of the obstacles) joint planning meetings like the above are being held, at the request of the activists. OneVoice Youth leaders are the engine of the movement to empower moderate citizens to claim their lives back from violent extremism. Learn more at www.OneVoiceMovement.org.

Some More Insights from February Joint Youth Leadership Meeting:

Suheir Nasser, an Israeli-Arab from Sachnin, is one of the most active OneVoice Israel Youth Leaders.  She is fluent in both Arabic and Hebrew and could have spoken in either but chose to speak in English because she wanted to be a neutral bridge so that everyone would understand her. “, “I can be a bridge between you [the Palestinians] and the Israelis, since I live in both worlds and can understand both miseries,” she said. She epitomizes, as she said, the tragedy and the insanity of the conflict. http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/files/picture_071.jpg

 

 

Zemna Achihoon, an Ethiopian Jew, is an MA student in law at Bar Ilan University.  He works in educational projects mainly with children and was one of the founders of the Ethiopian Student Council in Israel.  He told his peers about his journey to Israel through the desert. “I am closer to both Arabs and Jews in many ways and it is time to reconcile.”

Palestinian and Israeli OneVoice Executive leaders (from left to right) Gil Shamy, Nisreen Shaheen and Dr. Fathi Darwish, helped facilitate the meeting. http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/files/picture_044.jpg.  Not pictured but also facilitating the meeting were Dr. Samuel (Muli) Peleg and Adi Balderman.

Adi Balderman's thought...

When Bassem asked us (the Israelis) if we think he and all Palestinians are terrorists, we first asked whether he means if people in Israel think Palestinians are all Terrorists. But his reply was “Yes, you and people in Israel.” So the three Israelis seating next to him said that we don't, and we understand it is only a minority. I was very surprised to see the reaction of relief and surprise among the Palestinians by our answer.

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OneVoice Youth Leaders Address Hundreds across Washington DC Campuses

Nada Majdalani and Eyal Bino traveled last week from Ramallah and Tel Aviv respectively to address students on campuses across the Washington DC area.

The International Education Program, which sets out to engage students outside the Middle East in progressive rather than divisive programming and to help them fight extremism, has now completed almost 40 events this academic year.

Briefings were held at 6 university venues and 3 political venues including George Washington, American and George Mason Universities as well as the Arab-American Institute and the United States Institute of Peace. OneVoice’s activists drew sizeable crowds and incredible applause for their bravery, courage and vision during these uncertain times in the Middle East. 

For pictures see:

Download IMG_0845.JPG   Download 100_0035.JPG 

Download IMG_0856.JPG   Download 100_0042.JPG 

A Month After: The Hamas Victory and Its Implications

/A Personal Message from the President of the PeaceWorks Foundation-OneVoice/

 

In Tulkarem, Hamas captured 27.4% of the district vote for the Palestinian Legislative Council while Fatah captured a plurality of 34.4%. And yet Hamas received two district seats while Fatah got zero. Do you know why?

 

What was the only district where Hamas got zero PLC seats – and what makes it so remarkable?

 

Read on.

 

Immediately after results for the PLC elections were released, OneVoice Executive Teams on the Palestinian, Israeli, American and European offices coordinated a month of intensive consultation with Board members, staff, activists, scholars and ordinary citizens to evaluate the meaning of the Hamas victory and the implications on OneVoice’s strategy. The results of our research and analysis will be shared over the course of the next two weeks in four installments:

 

• today’s analysis on the Hamas victory;
• an update from activists on the ground;
• a broader analysis on Israeli and Palestinian developments; and
• unveiling the updated OneVoice strategy and Campaign for 2006.

 

We start with the facts. The situation is serious, but even more seriously misunderstood.

 

The Danger

 

We must not dismiss the danger to conflict-resolution posed by the militant ideological leadership of Hamas. Leaders like Khaled Mashal and Mahmoud Al-Zahar have consistently reiterated their vision for the total annihilation of the State of Israel – see http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP108306 – and http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP96405. There is no reason to doubt them. It is naïve to expect those who see Palestine as part of an Islamic trust that forms part of an inviolable Islamic caliphate to give up their deeply held religious beliefs.

 

Similarly, we should not dismiss the base of support that helped bring Hamas to power, combining ideological kinship with the global Islamic movement, appreciation for its social network and discipline, and respect for Hamas’ fierce opposition to America and to Israel’s occupation. Some interpreted the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza as the outcome of Hamas’ armed struggle and – enraged by the humiliation of checkpoints and what they see as unimpeded construction of settlements and the separation wall – endorsed Hamas.

Drivers Behind Hamas Success

 

But the fact is that 56% of Palestinians did not vote for Hamas, and out of the 44% that did, over half did so not because of - but in spite of - its staunch ideological rejection of the Oslo accords. Ironically, data suggests that support towards a negotiated settlement with Israel continues to rise among the Palestinian population. The majority of those who voted for Hamas did so primarily due to domestic considerations.

 

As shown below, the biggest number voted to end abuse and fraud in the Palestinian Authority and misuse of public assets, protesting what they perceive as pervasive corruption in Fatah. Many felt that Hamas may succeed in reversing the “anarchy of arms” that has turned much of Palestine into dangerous gang-dominated fiefdoms for over 4 years.

 

The Hamas campaign was clever and disciplined, standing as the “Change and Reform” party (a message that resonated strongly with the Palestinian people fed up with corruption) and recruiting women and Christian candidates when appropriate for its bloc.

 

In contrast, Fatah displayed total disarray, first breaking up into old and new guards, then being unable to agree on party lists or to coordinate candidates, resulting in competing Fatah candidates that often split up the vote and delivered the election to Hamas opponents.

 

In Tulkarem, for example, Hamas showed discipline by only fielding two candidates. While its candidates only got a cumulative total of 27.4% of the vote, they won 2 out of the 3 seats available (or 66% of seats). In contrast, Fatah fielded three candidates. While they jointly got 34.4% of the vote - more than any other party – they split the vote among themselves and won none of the seats. See more examples and a thorough study at http://www.fairvote.org/media/pep/Palestine.pdf.

 

In effect, due to the splitting of the vote and the winner-take-all factor, Hamas is overrepresented by 18 seats at the district level (27% more).

 

According to a JMCC poll, http://jmcc.org/publicpoll/results/2006/no57.pdf, of Palestinians who voted for Hamas:

· 43% stated they did so to end corruption and another 7.5% to stop Fatah’s control over the government

· 18.8% for religious reasons

· 11.8 % voted because of its political agenda, and

· 10.7% did so with the hope to see better living conditions.

 

The fact remains that the 44% of the population which voted for Hamas knew that they were voting for a party that advocates an armed struggle that shall not cease until the destruction of the State of Israel. Why did they not vote for independent parties recognized as non-corrupt (of which 4 different blocks received only 3, 2, 2, and 2 seats)? Apparently because Hamas was superior in persuading voters that it was up to the task.

 

The Silver Linings

 

Amidst the sobering results, many analysts have found positive developments in the election process: the end of one party rule, democratic and transparent elections with exceptionally high participation, and marking the first time in the history of the Arab world where the ruling party is rejected by the people through democratic elections and a violence-free transition. The true test for democracies is whether they can go through two such transitions, so the next elections will prove the real test.

 

But the greatest silver lining shines from the city of Qalqilya (Kalkiliyah). Qalqilya is the only city where Hamas was denied any district PLC seats. What is remarkable is that this is also the single city where Hamas had swept with total control of the local government after municipal elections last year. Hamas immediately moved to institute social restrictions and edicts that, apparently, did not sit well with the population.

 

The question then is whether Hamas has learned its lesson and will moderate its stance as it tackles the reality of daily governance and the imperative of pragmatism to improve the economy and the daily lives of its citizens, or whether its intransigence will prove its undoing and dispel its mythic appeal to Palestinians.

 

Hamas has selected Ismail Haniya as its Prime Minister as what could portend some level of pragmatism. The new Parliament is to be officially inaugurated on March 7^th 2006. Hamas is seeking to build a coalition unity government with Ministers including Fatah members.

 

Abbas or Hamas

 

President Mahmoud Abbas remains as Commander in Chief and has pledged to continue overseeing the armed forces, demanding that Hamas accede to integrate its armed forces therein, strongly pledged to continue seeking negotiations towards a comprehensive peace agreement with Israel, and advised that should Hamas not cooperate, he would be ready to call for new elections within his constitutional power.

 

Many have already dismissed President Abbas’s prospects, even though he not only evinces the most sincere will to resolve this conflict, but also doing so while still being the most popular and trusted figure among Palestinians, according to the latest polls. Buttressing Abbas may be the best hope for the region.

 

The different paths that Hamas and the region can take will be discussed in the next analysis, but the key question is whether the movement will restrain the most ideological of its leaders and enable the more moderate to govern pragmatically and respect the Palestinian Authority’s and the PLO’s agreements with Israel (as 51.7% o Palestinians believe Hamas must), or whether it will steadily move not just in the footsteps of Iran’s Islamic fundamentalist theocracy but even into the shoes of the Iranian leadership.

Iran as Spoiler

 

Indeed, the meeting between Hamas head Khaled Mashaal, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei (the “Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution”) and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-17/0602206299193731.htm, must be viewed with alarm. Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons has put it in collision course with most of the world. Iran has and will continue to try to divide the West from the Islamic world as a tactic to forestall isolation. The Iran of today is keen to foster acrimony between Palestine and Israel and its potential for mischief should not be underestimated. 
 

The People Are The Partner

 

And still: 84% of Palestinians support a negotiated resolution of the conflict according to polls just a week after the PLC elections. We know from daily interactions in the street that this is constant: just like the vast majority of Israelis cherish peace and security and would support a two-state solution, so the Palestinian people are fed up with the war and occupation and are willing to achieve a compromise along the lines of the Clinton parameters as synthesized in OneVoice Citizen Negotiations where 150,000 Palestinian and Israeli citizens thus far have participated. See samples: http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/2004/10/index.html and http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/2004/06/index.html and http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/2004/05/index.html.

 

Amidst a perception that there is no partner on the other side and a reality that the Hamas leadership’s deeply-rooted ideology of an Islamic caliphate does not bode well for peace negotiations, the role of the people on the ground to break the shackles of extremism and ensure accountability for its will only increases.

 

The Palestinian people that voted Hamas in to office to clean the corrupt house have continued to support negotiations towards a two-state solution and their message must be amplified in order to ensure it is not ignored.