OneVoice Movement

‘The road not taken’ just a start for Obada Shtaya

New York, August 30, 2011—The bustling city of Nablus is stuck between two mountains, and for Obada Shtaya, the claustrophobia of living in the occupied Palestinian territories makes a change in the scenery a welcomed opportunity.

This is an especially hard task when Israeli checkpoints dot the West Bank and travel permits are hard to come by. But Obada, 20, has made the most of his young life even though the political situation has not been so kind.

Politics always appealed to Obada, and his family is acutely aware of its consequences within the conflict. Obada’s father was exiled to Lebanon in 1991 because of his political activism, which also prevented him from international travel for 20 years. His mother is also vocal in her political beliefs, he said, because in Palestine, politics is all around you, and there is no escaping it.

“My family realizes that the atmosphere of politics changes over time,” Obada said. “They accept that and support me in my endeavors, letting me do what I have to do and think is right.”

This is especially true for Obada in a post-second intifada Palestine, where he deems armed resistance to Israel undesirable. Even though his parents were brought up believing in the entirety of historical Palestine as part of a future state, he said there is room for an open mind given the current political and social situations within Palestinian society.

For these reasons, Obada joined OneVoice Palestine (OVP) in 2009 after attending one of their workshops with friend and OVP Youth Council Delegate, Mohammad Asideh. OneVoice provided the type of political know-how and aptitude for mobilization that Obada sought out.

“Obada has a way of discussing issues… he’s very diplomatic and likes to think outside the box,” Asideh said. “We come from the same village and I know his family well, so introducing OneVoice to Obada was something I wanted to do because he wants to hear all sides, but is not afraid to speak his mind.”

Obada’s propensity for politics occasionally makes way for two of his favorite pastimes, literature and karate, but is never fully absent.

With his father’s travel ban lifted in 2004, Obada had the opportunity to go to England with his father and his teammates for a karate championship. Obada took in the sights and sounds of the country, reveling in a new-found freedom.

The experience in England also sparked an interest in English literature and language. At the championship match, Obada didn’t speak the language well, but the experience definitely spoke to him, helping him decide his college major at An-Najah National University.

Hitting the books also allowed Obada to travel again, this time on an academic scholarship to Bilkent University in Turkey, where he studied drama, Shakespeare, and public speaking for an academic year.  

There are times when life in the West Bank cannot be blocked out or left behind, literally or figuratively, he explained. The reality on the ground can be harsh at times, but Obada has learned to savor the moments that mean most to him, and he will work to bring his experiences home to his compatriots.

“Traveling to championships outside Palestine was always a relief for my teammates and I because it is almost the only way to leave Palestine,” he said.  “All the way through the championship, the team would repeat, ‘we are going to be free for one week in a place where there are no barriers and no settlements to be seen,’ and we were filled with joy.”

Obada will join his Israeli counterpart, Eyal Shapira, in leading an International Education Program tour of Washington, D.C.  from September 16-23.

OneVoice Israel activist unleashes outreach efforts

New York, August 30, 2011—On the streets of Jerusalem, Eyal Shapira is looking for a confrontation.  His eyes zone in on his target and with precision, he moves in. Armed with tactical knowledge from past military training, Eyal, a self-proclaimed Israeli patriot, is prepared to struggle for what he believes in.

Unbeknownst to his prey, the former Israeli soldier’s battle is actually a war of words between the “silent majority” of Israelis supporting a two-state solution and the opposed, often conservative, segment of the populous that refuses to yield. The prospect of a heated debate is especially high in Jerusalem, due to its religious and political significance that places it at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel regards all of Jerusalem as its capital despite the Palestinian desire for East Jerusalem, annexed by Israel after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, to be the capital of their future state.

“Of course I talk about Jerusalem as one of the painful compromises that will have to be made, because it’s true,” said Eyal, when asked how he sees Jerusalem’s final status in an agreement. “I try to show Israelis that their interests lie in separating Jerusalem to ensure its demographics and security.”

Joining OneVoice Israel (OVI) just over a year ago, Eyal has already stepped up to a leadership role in the Jerusalem chapter. When the conflict flares up in the news, creating tension, Eyal will take to the streets or organize an event to set the facts straight and discredit the violent extremists on both sides.

“Just this Sunday, he sent all of us in the Jerusalem chapter an e-mail telling us to join him in the streets to talk to people,” said Chen Reingold, one of Eyal’s recruits who found herself attracted to his excitement, which she calls infectious, when he approached her on campus last year. “It’s not easy at all, but he is good at it.”

Understandably, the task of reaching out to a large cross-section of the Israeli public is frustrating. Eyal does it because he wants, “a better society, a better future… I need to try to make as much of a change as I can now.”

Believing that politicians are affected by the voice of the public, Eyal persistently attempts to convince people on the street that a peace agreement is of the utmost importance. He urges them to see that painful concessions must be made to obtain a secure, peaceful future.

“People who do not see eye-to-eye with me are the most important ones to talk to—they are my target audience,” said Eyal. “We show them the whole picture and the benefits of compromise.”

Eyal brought an Israeli specialist, Shaul Arieli, to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem to lecture on the conflict and discuss pragmatic solutions for final status issues, including Jerusalem. He also organized a debate between Professor Robbie Sabel, an Israeli expert on International Law, and Dr. Sufian Abu Zaida, a former Palestinian Authority minister, about the United Nations vote on Palestinian statehood, scheduled for September.

“It was a very moving event for me,” said Eyal. “Sufian Abu Zaida represented for us the Palestinians who are willing to talk to us and to compromise. Although there was tension in the air, I felt that the audience left the event much more optimistic than how they came.”

Eyal will bring his power of persuasion to Washington, D.C. in three weeks time. Together with OneVoice Palestine activist, Obada Shtaya, Eyal will engage everyone from students, to dignitaries, to politicians, discussing the situation on the ground and encouraging them to raise their own voices in support of a two-state solution.

“It is only natural for Eyal, one of OVI’s most prominent activists, to represent OVI to American audiences,” said Danny Shaket, OVI’s Youth Leadership program coordinator, who himself represented OVI on the International Education Program’s Washington tour last year. “Eyal has educated hundreds of students on key issues, often recruiting them to be a part of the movement.”

Eyal will join his Palestinian counterpart, Obada Shtaya, in leading an International Education Program tour of Washington, D.C. from September 16-23.

At Israeli-Palestinian Radio Station, Peace is the Word

By Jennifer Prystupa*

When this year is over, it will be remembered as the Year of the Protest, a time when millions of people across the Middle East stood up for what they believed in: freedom, fairness, and a better future.

The power of the masses, from Tunis to Damascus, brought the world’s attention to the plight of the everyday citizen. There is one area, however, that remains a stoic island in a stormy sea of change: Israel and Palestine. Within the heart of the stoic island, a non-profit radio station in Jerusalem called All for Peace is joining with the international grassroots OneVoice Movement to keep the conversation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict going. 

Founded in 2004, All for Peace broadcasts in Hebrew, Arabic, and English and is the only joint Israeli-Palestinian radio station of its kind in Israel. Run by a team of 60 volunteers and reaching 33,000 people, it seeks to bring to the forefront the concerns of Israelis and Palestinians of all demographics, touching on domestic and international issues, with the conflict as a main focus.

“In Israel, the concern is civil rights and freedom of speech,” said Tammi Molad-Hayo, program manager at All for Peace and a seasoned Israeli journalist. “For the Palestinians, the concern is about building democracy and their own state. We need to empower both and break the barrier of fear of the unknown.”

This is proving more difficult because of the stalled peace talks and the impending UN vote on Palestinian statehood slated for September 21. The recent quid pro quo rocket attacks against Israel and the retaliation that followed, coupled with strained Israeli-Egyptian relations, does not bode well for any impending deal.

All for Peace is not like the mainstream Israeli media, Molad-Hayo explained. The station does not report on sensationalized “man bites dog” stories, nor does it indulge talking heads shouting their opinions. It tries to promote a culture of listening, providing more than 20-second sound bites and trying to discover the reasons for discord, she said.

For these very reasons, All for Peace has teamed up with OneVoice Israel, a branch of the OneVoice Movement, a nonprofit that supports moderate Israelis and Palestinians seeking a two-state solution. Tal Harris, executive director of OneVoice Israel, has hosted a radio show on Mondays for several weeks, hosting volunteers from the movement – Israeli and Palestinian – Knesset members, and other organizations for conversation. Recently, he moderated a Peace Now/Judea-Samaria Council debate on settlements.

“All for Peace is a platform for getting answers directly from experts and members of the Knesset and to give publicity to their answers,” said Harris. “It’s also a great way to hear Palestinians on the radio without getting a permit for them to reach out to thousands of Israelis.”

Ahmad Omeir, senior OneVoice Palestine youth leader, was on the program and echoes Harris’ thoughts.

“What makes All for Peace unique is that it allows Israeli listeners to see that there are active Palestinian partners,” Omeir said. “We can reach out to the polarized populations and bring them to the moderate middle in an attempt to explain the needs [of all parties] so we can move forward.”

Social issues are a big topic, especially due to the recent Israeli protests on quality of life issues like housing and food prices. Harris said he sees a connection between what is going on in Israel and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the upcoming UN vote.

“Until we solve the conflict, the national focus on security will always be a heavy lid on the cooking pot of social issues,” Harris said. “OneVoice’s mission is to rid the heavy lid from the social pressure boiling beneath while providing more buzz about September and social issue demonstrations, taking any Netanyahu speeches with a grain of salt.”

Molad-Hayo believes that it will take time for Israelis to get what they want domestically before they look to solving the conflict again.

“The public hasn’t said a word for decades, and suddenly people have found their voice through the pain of everyday life,” she said. “There is a connection between the ideology and the occupation and the socioeconomic life, but we are in just the beginning of our revolution.”

*Jennifer Prystupa is the communications intern at OneVoice. Her article was originally published on PolicyMic: http://www.policymic.com/articles/at-israeli-palestinian-radio-station-peace-is-the-word.

OneVoice Palestine hosts “Dialogue Café” on UN September vote

OneVoice Palestine youth leaders discuss upcoming campaigns in light of the Palestinian statehood vote this September.

New York, August 26, 2011—OneVoice Palestine (OVP) held the first part of a new public engagement series called the “Dialogue Café” on August 21 and 22, with its youth leaders, political science students from An-Najah National University, and citizens from Nablus and Ramallah.  

The post-iftar meetings, located in the Hayat Nablus and Alhambra Palace Hotel in Ramallah, sought to explore the youth leaders’ opinions in respect to the United Nations bid on Palestinian statehood and OVP’s September campaign supporting an independent Palestinian state. In the coming weeks, a committee of OVP youth leaders will coordinate within all Palestinian cities in the West Bank in order to maximize the impact of the upcoming campaign.

Abdullah Hamarsheh, director of Youth Leadership Program, opened the discussion with quick introduction about September bid and OVP’s support for it.

“Without a doubt, the bid is not the end but the start to call for more support for the Palestinian rights,” Hamarsheh said. “The UN bid will reformulate the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations on the basis of 1967 borders, Palestinian rights and international law, and not the illegal facts on the ground [such as settlement activities].”

Among OVP youth leaders, this engaging discussion revealed much support for the UN bid, including from Ala Salous of Nablus.

“We have been seeking this dream of an ‘independent state’ for decades and for the first time it’s very close to reality,” Salous said. “Our role as OVP youth leaders is to support our community, spread awareness, and advocate to others until we see this dream come true.”

John Lyndon, executive director of OneVoice Europe, and Samer Makhlouf, executive director of OVP, impressed upon the youth leaders the importance of crafting an effective campaign surrounding the UN bid. Lyndon and Makhlouf encouraged an open and continuous dialogue between youth leaders and OneVoice staff in the coming weeks.

The bid’s uncertainties were also discussed, and the youth leaders raised concerns such as the number of states supporting the bid and what will happen after the vote, both on the ground in Palestine and in the international arena. 

Mohammad Kilany, a youth leader from Ramallah, has put so much effort into the future of his people, he neglected one important person. 

 “We worked very hard to reach this stage, more than anything else in our lives,” Kilany said. “I worked for the state more than preparing to build better future for myself.”

OneVoice Palestine Executive Director Samer Makhlouf (center) brainstorms with youth leaders at a "Dialogue Café" session.

Ambassador Gould joins OneVoice for talk with RSY-Netzer youths

British Ambassador Matthew Gould talks to 40 RSY-Netzer youths at Jerusalem’s Beit Shmuel guesthouse.

New York, August 18, 2011—British Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould joined OneVoice activists in a presentation on moderate approaches to conflict resolution given to 40 teenage members of RSY-Netzer, a British youth movement for reform Judaism, in Jerusalem on Thursday.

OneVoice Palestine's Antwan Saca, William Salameh, and Malaka Samara shared alongside OneVoice Israel's Uri Fishelson, Hilla Rotenberg, and Danny Shaket their experiences related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and their role in ending it.

"We didn't want to only define the issues, but also present the different approaches and views," said Danny, OVI's Youth leadership Program coordinator. "The students rejected any use of violence to resolve conflicts and acknowledged the Palestinian right for a state."

The students also had the opportunity to hear from Ambassador Gould, a former member of RSY-Netzer, and ask him questions. He spoke about the British government’s firm stance on both settlements and Jerusalem. His top priority, he said, was to do "anything possible to get the peace process moving forward and the two sides talking."

Ambassador Gould also explained his role in strengthening the relationship between Israel and the United Kingdom, especially in the areas of science and the high-tech industry. He ended by talking about not letting his British or Jewish identities subsume each other.

After the presentation, small discussion groups formed, each led by one Palestinian and one Israeli activist, offering and debating core issues with the students. The students seemed particularly interested in the correlation between the conflict and Israel's self-identification as a Jewish and democratic state.

OVI intern Zac Levin participated in RSY-Netzer's 2010 trip to Israel and invited OneVoice to speak with them this year because he felt the program, while highly engaging, "lacked serious thought toward the peace process." Over the past few weeks, he's organized several similar events for RSY-Netzer members.

The students left the meeting eager to work with OneVoice and host similar discussions in their schools back in the UK.

OneVoice activists prepare their presentation for a group RSY-Netzer British youths . From left: William Salameh (OVP), Malaka Samara (OVP), Uri Fishelson (OVI), and Danny Shaket (OVI).

Ambassador Gould gives closing remarks to 40 RSY-Netzer youths at Jerusalem’s Beit Shmuel guesthouse.

OneVoice Israel doubles its recognition among locals

New York, August 16, 2011—OneVoice Israel (OVI) increased their recognition across Israel over the past ten months through the innovative Imagine 2018 campaign and their outspoken position on the UN vote to recognize Palestinian statehood this September.

Drawing on the groundwork laid during the Imagine 2018 campaign, including the first ever Two-State Solution Caucus in the Knesset and widespread social media campaigns, OVI is educating the Israeli public, dispelling fears, and helping form a proper Israeli response.

“The current response from the Israeli government [to international recognition of a Palestinian state] is frantic,” said Tal Harris, executive director of OVI. “Therefore, we must put forth a bold Israeli response to make Israel part of the solution rather than a victim or spectator.”

OVI’s original Facebook application, launched in December 2010, allowed users to write headlines about what they would like to read in the year 2018. The application increased OVI’s overall Facebook presence by 300 percent. It also garnered recognition by government ministers and celebrities and reaped thousands of page views.

The 10 winning headlines – chosen by the number of likes on Facebook – were displayed on bus shelters across the country, allowing thousands of Israelis to see the message.

The Two-State Solution Caucus, conceived and co-created by OVI, officially launched in January with the aim of keeping pressure on the Israeli government to achieve a two-state solution and permanently end the conflict.

“We are working to make the Two-State Solution Caucus even stronger by bringing in a total of 35 Knesset member by September,” said Tal.

Other achievements include OVI’s expansion of the town hall meetings series to include high schools across Israel. At one event in Holon this February, a girl sat uneasy in her chair, facing the skepticism of her classmates. Unable to remain silent, she finally asked one of them, “Are you 16 or 68? You sound so depressed and hopeless, [it’s] as if you forgot that the role of youth is to pursue change and not to block it.”

Beyond Israel’s borders, OVI made waves abroad by engaging British Parliamentarians and receiving recognition from Foreign Affairs Shadow Minister Stephen Twigg during a speech he gave in the House of Commons in March.

OVI’s hard work attracted the attention of Israel’s top media outlets, including Haaretz and YNet. Interviews on Channel 10 and Channel 2 have mentioned OneVoice and Karyout radio station broadcasted a two-hour interview with Tal.

OVI is now focused on framing an Israeli response to September's UN vote on Paelstinian recognition. Their newest campaign, “Help Bibi Complete the Israeli Peace Initiative,” has utilized guerilla tactics, an online application and a massive block party to mobilize Israelis and get them thinking creatively about a negotiated peace agreement.

“Our work so far this year has more than doubled OneVoice’s recognition among mainstream Israelis ages 18-44,” said Tal. “The people that have become part of our movement as a result will prove to be the greatest strength to OneVoice's vision of a two-state solution, particularly considering the major challenges ahead.”

Israeli-Palestinian peace on a Post-it

OneVoice launched a Facebook application to mobilize Israelis, Palestinians, and internationals to loudly voice their support for the two-state solution.    Join our community and let your voice be heard. This community expects the United Nations General Assembly to recognize a Palestinian state in September. We support the action as an important step toward good faith negotiations, within a limited time frame, leading to a lasting agreement on all final status issues. Share this message by liking the campaign and adding the Post-it to your Wall using our application. Tweet it to your followers. Talk to your friends. This is only the beginning. OneVoice's Israeli and Palestinian youth activists will unveil parallel campaigns on the ground in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.              Join us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter

The women of OVI shatter stereotypes, stand up for their beliefs

From left: OVI youth leaders May Shavit, Uri Fishelson, Shir Lachish, Director of OVI’s Youth Leadership Program Dana Sender, Gal Bareket, Ben Ofer, Abigail Gottlieb, and Shira Prat work in a group session during a youth leadership seminar on May 27, 2011.

New York, August 1, 2011—Two competing visions of women exist in Israel: the romantic pioneer and the realistic homemaker.  These gendered stereotypes have caused an identity crisis for Israeli women that has only recently started to break with the rise of women’s roles in civil society.

The women of OneVoice Israel (OVI) are part of the new female guard, combating stereotypes of traditional women’s roles for increased visibility and impact on ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  They see themselves not as superior to men, but equal in a struggle that requires the numbers and voices of both genders.

 “OneVoice is a great way for women to get their voices out there,” said Naomi Havron, a seasoned youth leader, who co-coordinates the Haifa chapter. “We do not say extreme things…but I am with OneVoice because I believe what we are doing is better and more correct [than other organizations].”

On the surface, many people consider Israel a model of equality.  The country’s history is rife with images of strong feminists and heads of state such as Golda Meir, the third woman in the world to hold the position of prime minister. But a gender equality gap clearly exists in the state, and despite the positive imagery, some women still feel pressure to fit into traditional female roles.

“I know as soon as I get married, people will start looking at my stomach and asking, ‘when will you start being productive?’” said youth leader Shir Lachish.

Though traces of inequality remain, there are many places, like OneVoice, where women are treated virtually the same way as men.

“I don’t even really look at the dynamics between men and women in OneVoice in a feminist way,” said Abigail Gottlieb, who joined the movement last year. “In the Tel Aviv University chapter, the ratio [of men to women] is about equal.”

This view of gender equality is shared among many male youth leaders.

“In OVI, I perceive it to be quite equal,” said youth leader Yoav Shechter. “We have women leaders and there are many women activists who are strong and brilliant.”

The women of OVI are able to navigate OneVoice and find their role in the organization in part due to the tutelage of Dana Sender, OVI’s Youth Leadership director.

“Dana’s strong personality allows her to be a good spokesperson [when] recruiting both men and women,” said Shir.

Dana regularly conducts outreach to grow the movement in Israel. “I am the main intermediary to the youth leaders, recruiting them and organizing their training,” she said. “As a woman, I help break the stigma that men might have.”

Strong Israeli women, using their unique feminine advantage, are constantly proving that women are anything but ineffectual.

The organization Four Mothers, for example, is viewed by many as changing Israeli public opinion when it pushed the discourse toward unilateral withdrawal from the first Lebanon war.

“Four Mothers took the stance of being protective of their sons,” said Shir. “They used an emotional platform to appeal to people and were very successful, but OneVoice is focused on ending the conflict for pragmatic reasons so we speak from a rational viewpoint.”

Four Mothers, and women like them, have carved out an important place in civil society organizations for women, but it is up to the new generation to speak up as well.

 “There are more powerful women in civil society organizations than there are in politics,” said Naomi. “If OneVoice has a more crucial effect on the conflict, then women can as well.”

OVI provides a place for women to speak out and work toward ending the conflict.

“It is important that women are part of the conversation,” said Dana. “There are more women [in Israel] and they are more affected by the conflict. So they need to step up.”