OneVoice Movement

In Gaza, putting Palestine back on the map

OVP/Gaza's first volunteer group after completing a seminar on establishing and working within a team.

New York, October 24, 2012—Roughly two dozen twentysomethings, split evenly between men and women, gathered earlier this month at the Adam Center for Dialogue of Civilizations in Gaza City's Al-Rimal neighborhood for OneVoice Palestine's leadership development pilot program in Gaza.

The nondescript conference room in Al-Johara Tower was buzzing with chatter. The participants, handpicked by OneVoice's Gaza Director Ezzeldin Masri, differed in background, education, and politics, but shared a belief in the two-state solution. In coordination with the Adam Center, and other local civil society organizations such as Save Youth Future, OneVoice Palestine planned an intensive 36-hour training program in leadership skills and teamwork.

"Over the next couple of weeks, we're hoping to solidify these participants into the first OneVoice volunteer group in Gaza," said Masri enthusiastically. "Then, we'll support them in designing and implementing initiatives across Gaza." Their focus will be on ending the internal division in order to present a united front in negotiations with Israel.

"We cannot have 20 factions each trying to impose their vision on the people," explained Masri. "We need national consensus on how to end the occupation and the conflict, and the only pragmatic solution is the two-state solution. We must come to terms with Israel to put Palestine back on the map."

Imad al-Falouji, head of the Adam Center, joined Masri for the introductory session to the trainings, spoke about pursuing a non-violent political course to achieve an independent Palestinian state, based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and answered questions about the Fatah-Hamas split and the power of the grassroots to effect positive change. The participants, many of them university graduates without job prospects in Gaza's crippled economy, agreed to start the program on October 11, eager to make an impact in their communities. 

Since reopening the Gaza office in late 2011, Masri led 15 informal sessions about OneVoice's mission and work, reaching a total of 350 young people. "My goal throughout," he said, "was to train young Palestinians to become moderate political leaders supportive of ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on a negotiated two-state solution."

While the challenges of operating under a government opposed to the two-state solution remained, successfully recruiting a core group of participants meant Masri had overcome a major hurdle. It left him confident that there was indeed space for OneVoice Palestine to operate in Gaza and as he stated, "move forward."

The Threat of the Unchanged Middle East

*By Darya Shaikh

On Monday night, millions of Americans sat down in front of their televisions and watched the two U.S. presidential candidates go head to head for the very last time before Election Day. President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney faced off on foreign policy issues ranging from Iran and Libya to Afghanistan and China.

They spoke at length about 'the changing Middle East' and the threat it poses to the world. Yet despite overtures about strong leadership and upholding principles of peace, both candidates seemed to forget that one of the biggest threats in the Middle East today actually stems from the lack of change, that being the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Aside from a fleeting reference to the conflict, which you may have missed, neither candidate laid out concrete steps that could help get the Israeli and Palestinian peace process back on track. Neither the President nor Governor Romney seem to think that delivering a comprehensive and just two-state solution to the conflict is a U.S. priority.

The current stalemate and toxic status quo endangers not only the futures of the Israeli and Palestinian people but should be a grave concern to all of us, as Americans. Ending the conflict is -- as successive presidents have consistently affirmed -- a vital American national interest. Middle East stability is jeopardized by the ongoing conflict, and this affects a broad swath of U.S. political priorities, placing national security and the recovering economy in danger.

The American leadership, whomever is at the helm, has to be accountable to the thousands of Israelis and Palestinians who are waging peace every day. As the conflict continues to be used as a political football, tossed around by both parties in order to gain votes, it consequently grows increasingly disconnected from the voices and interests of Israelis and Palestinians, who are calling for strong American leadership to push the parties to take the necessary steps that will enable a return to serious negotiations, ending the conflict once and for all and ensuring a better future for millions.

There is so much unknown about the changing landscape of the region. However, what we do know is that every day that goes by without a two-state solution makes it harder and harder to achieve. The American government has been the broker of negotiations for decades. As such, it retains a moral imperative to serve as an honest, unwavering mediator, despite the current diplomatic challenges, which deserve not be minimized.

Ending the occupation and achieving the two-state solution based on the 1967 lines, in accordance with international resolutions and previous bilateral agreements, is the only viable, mutually acceptable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is the only solution that fulfills the national aspirations of both peoples by establishing an independent Palestinian state at peace with the State of Israel. This is a policy of vital interest to Israelis and Palestinians, as well as to Americans. Unfortunately, as negative facts continue to grow on the ground, we are witnessing the rapidly growing distance between the reality of the present, and the ideal of peace.

As American citizens, we have a responsibility too. We have a role to play in making sure that we close this divide. We need to tell whoever is elected that achieving the two-state solution must be a foreign policy priority. An excellent way to do this is by signing the petition that the OneVoice Movement's American network initiated. OneVoice is grassroots undertaking working in parallel in Israel and Palestine to build political and grassroots civic capacity to bring both parties back to the table and ensure a viable, effective negotiations process with clear terms of reference and a limited timeframe that will fulfill the national aspirations of both peoples. This petition crystalizes that work and asks Americans to get behind it.

OneVoice's Israeli activists recognize their role and mobilize in a different city each week, bringing residents and local politicians together to promote the two-state solution and countering the agenda of expanding settlements in the West Bank by calling for a settlement freeze. OneVoice's Palestinian activists embrace their role by leading community initiatives to transform frustration and hopelessness through non-violent activism. OneVoice Palestine pushes for national reconciliation and a two-state solution that ends the occupation, resolves all final status issues based on international resolutions, establishes an independent Palestinian state, and ends all claims.

Through this petition in the U.S., we can amplify the calls of OneVoice Israel for a settlement freeze and of OneVoice Palestine for a final status agreement that ends all claims, demanding that the American leadership -- whether Republican or Democrat -- commits itself to pushing this process forward.

We cannot substitute political rhetoric for effective policy towards conflict resolution in Israel and Palestine. We must seize back this conversation today so that President Obama and Governor Romney know that the majority of Israelis, Palestinians and Americans will not settle for anything less than real American leadership toward a just and lasting peace.

*Darya Shaikh is acting CEO of the OneVoice Movement. Her blog was originally published on The Huffington Post: http://huff.to/SiDBKH.

Mohammad Asideh wins the Generations For Peace Samsung Award for Impact

Mohammad Asideh (right) receives his award from HRH Prince Feisal Al-Hussein, Founder and Chairman of GFP.

New York, October 18, 2012 – OneVoice is proud to congratulate Mohammad Asideh, senior Youth Leader and staff member at OneVoice Palestine (OVP), for receiving the Generations For Peace Samsung Award for Impact. HRH Prince Feisal Al-Hussein of Jordan, Founder and Chairman of GFP, was on hand to personally honor Mohammad for his dedication and hard work at the October 13th gala. 

Mohammad was singled out for “his own personal journey of change with Generations For Peace [and his] extraordinary impact, training 300 leaders of youth and involving more than 3,500 children in five cities in the West Bank,” according to GFP.

Arabic-language news site alwatanvoice.com notes Mohammad “honored the efforts of the Palestinian youth for standing against the occupation while building their independent state at peace with its neighbors, regardless of the political, economic, and social challenges.” 

Mohammad’s commitment to youth mobilization and outreach in the West Bank as an OVP leader and a GFP volunteer is a testament to his strong, nationalistic commitment and drive to better his community and build a brighter future for the people of Palestine. Mohammad’s devotion is as an example for all of us and a reminder of what true leadership is all about.

Hear what Mohammad had to say. Video by Generations For Peace.

To read more about Mohammad and his work with OVP and GFP, take a look at the links below:

Mohammad Asideh Gets Practical to Build for the Future

OneVoice trainees of Generations For Peace spark community action

Sport: The Missing Link to Conflict Resolution

IEP Spotlight: Mohammad Asideh devotes civic service to Palestine's future generations

 

Grassroots mobilization a hot topic on IEP New York tour

OVI's Or Kaner, left, discusses OneVoice Israel's collaboration with Knesset's Two-State Solution Caucus.

New York, October 17, 2012 – “In order to establish the change, you need to be the change.”

While this sounds like a proverb of old, it actually came from a New York City teenager on a Friday after school, when she and her peers stayed late to listen to OneVoice’s Amro Brighith and Or Kaner.

At the Marble Hill School for International Studies and Banana Kelly High School, one can sense a will, a desire to make a difference and a change in the community and beyond, much like what OneVoice’s youth leaders are doing in Israel and Palestine.

Youth empowerment is a large part of OneVoice’s success. Or, of OneVoice Israel, and Amro, of OneVoice Palestine, spoke to the high school students participating in after-school programs, run by buildOn, about the importance of youth leadership in making change.

“When I first told my family and friends that I will fix the situation in Palestine, they laughed at me because it seems hopeless,” Amro said. “But I don’t want my two-month old niece to live the way I do. I have to try my best because I am – we are – the future.”

Many of the high school student members of buildOn lead tutoring programs for young children, attend peer mediation training, and participate in community service projects. As one student at Banana Kelly said, “we need to try to influence people and hope to bring them back from the wrong path.”

This theme carried over through the last three days of the IEP tour in the New York-area. Discussions about the fear, apathy, and status quo in Israel and of hopelessness and frustration in Palestine regarding the lack of serious negotiations and the ongoing occupation echoed loud and clear with students at The New School, New York University, and professionals at a roundtable hosted by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). Though the occupation makes Israelis and Palestinians unequal parties to the conflict, OneVoice believes that there is an equal responsibility on both sides to pressure the leadership to resolve the issues and end the conflict. 

The importance of building a bridge between the grassroots and influential organizations like the UN was not lost on the UN staff participants and the OneVoice youth leaders. All noted a need to cultivate relationships between the two in order to achieve common goals.

Outreach to young people is one way to establish positivity and knowledge early on, something OneVoice is already actively doing.

“OVI goes to high schools and middle schools as part of our outreach, and we discusses, educate, and remind the students what’s going on,” said Or. “But there are challenges, like getting permissions from parents, but we try to do these projects despite the opposition.”

Likewise, Amro said OVP has developed a strong partnership with Jordan-based Generations For Peace, through which Palestinian children are engaged in peace-building and community engagement through sports, an effort for which OneVoice Palestine was recently honored.

Ingraining the importance of grassroots mobilization from the young to the old is critical to influencing the political sphere, a key mantra for OneVoice and its volunteers.

“If we create a new political reality, the conflict will end,” said IEP Associate Shaina Low. “And if the people speak, the leaders must jump.”

IEP’s Big Apple tour brings OneVoice’s message to diverse audiences

OVP's Amro Brighith speaks to Middle Collegiate Church about his work to achieve the two-state solution.

New York, October 17, 2012 – Over 8 million people live in New York City. That’s 8 million pasts, presents, and futures interacting and intersecting every day.

From October 7-12, New Yorkers and New Jerseyans met two youth activists from Israel and Palestine who are working to build a viable two-state solution. Amro Brighith, of OneVoice Palestine, and Or Kaner, of OneVoice Israel spoke to their American peers about their work on the ground and the need for political pressure and assistance from everyday Americans.

“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an international matter,” Amro told students and community members across the city. “Your leaders have moderated between the two sides for over 20 years, and it’s time to put more pressure on the leadership to say what they have to say and do what they have to do [to finally end the conflict].”

During the first three days of the tour, youth leaders spoke to students at Rutgers, Columbia, and Princeton Universities, as well as parishioners at Middle Collegiate Church and members of the Young Professionals in Foreign Policy in a networking mixer. The participants, spanning the religious, ethnic, and political spectrum, served as a microcosm of the 8 million New Yorkers and signified the diverse interest in solving the conflict.

Although the focus of the tours and of OneVoice generally is work on the ground in Israel and Palestine, the question of what Americans can do was a popular topic throughout the tour, undoubtedly because of the upcoming presidential election.  At Princeton, one participant asked what Palestinians need from Israelis, and what Israelis need from Palestinians in order to reignite faith in the peace process and enable a return to negotiations, so the information can be forwarded to his congressman in Washington, D.C.

OneVoice’s efforts to address each society’s concerns was evident in both Or’s and Amro’s answers. Or believes that Israelis need to see a commitment to an end of claims after solving all final status issues from the Palestinians, while Amro sees a commitment to a settlement freeze from the Israeli leadership as an important step in the path to negotiations. All final status issues weigh heavily on the minds of Amro, Or, and their respective communities, and there is a realization that while the occupation makes the parties to the conflict unequal, there is an equal responsibility to resolve it.

“Each needs to show that the other wants serious peace, so negotiations can start and we can move forward,” said Or. “This is exactly what we do at OneVoice – we show our communities that there is a partner for peace on the other side.”

In order to achieve such goals, the youth leaders stressed the parallel nature in which they work to influence their societies, as well as the importance of political and religious inclusion in such talks.

“I speak to many kinds of people at our town hall meetings,” Amro said. “We have supporters from many political parties; we even have security forces attending our meetings. Our Gaza office just reopened and we are training youth leaders to talk to Palestinians living there. We need to reach out to as many people as possible.”

The situation is not that different in Israel, Or explained.

“We’re trying to work with everyone in the Israeli political spectrum– from the ultra-Orthodox and settlement communities, and to those on the far left, while not giving up our principles,” he said. “It appears that the right wing has taken over Israel. Yet, we give all a stage to speak their minds while letting them hear our beliefs. This is how we try to influence and this is how it needs to be done.”

It's not Fayyad, stupid!

By Samer Makhlouf*

When popular social protests erupted across the occupied West Bank this September, I was thrilled to see the masses take to the streets, drawing attention to skyrocketing prices for basic goods and demanding social justice. Such popular will in action seemed absent for some time in Palestine. For a moment, I thought to myself, maybe something new was lurking on the horizon and radiating hope for change.

That fleeting moment disappeared with the smoke of the burning tires, when it became apparent the youth at the forefront of the protests were mere pawns, aimed at targeting Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. As if the blame for our dire circumstance and suffering could be laid squarely on his shoulders, or that his simple resignation would bring forth our salvation.     

The hardships we as Palestinians endure are real. With high fuel prices, unpaid salaries and spiraling costs of living, it's become nearly impossible for us to lead normal lives. The popular protests should be about a rejection of the status quo, a natural reaction against the bitter reality on the ground, and a demand for a better life after so many years of hardship.

Sadly, elements within Palestinian society subverted the spirit of these protests as part of their personal vendetta against Fayyad. With chants blaming official policies for the current economic woes, politicians and news media alike lined up to demand the dismissal of Fayyad's government. All of them seemed to turn a blind eye to the problems festering ever since the signing of the Oslo Accords; problems made  worse by the Paris Protocol on Economic Relations, and other similar agreements.

Worse yet, the manipulation of these young protestors only served to obfuscate the principal cause behind their suffering: Israel's tight control over Palestinian land. Haaretz journalist Amira Hass said it best: "It's the occupation, stupid!"

All of us are affected by Israel's continued military presence, day in and day out. The opportunity here, as we stand at a historical crossroads, lies in clearly stating that the status quo, the occupation, and interim agreements that do not address the underlying problems are all unsustainable.

The Palestinian leadership, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad, has the opportunity to be proactive and even provocative, ensuring that the cost of the occupation is not taken for granted. One option that is being much discussed is the cancellation of the 1994 Paris Protocol. While I'm not an economic expert, this would, at the very least, create ripples in the stagnant political waters. But I would go further and suggest that these ripples should be used to end the occupation, not just ease its hardship, with Paris being superseded by a comprehensive move towards final status negotiations. We must not replace one interim agreement with another.

I call on the key players in the international level (US, EU, Arab countries and the UN) to recognise that Oslo and its annexes have run their course, and come together and guarantee one year of serious negotiations with clear terms of reference to sign a just and comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and Palestine in a way that deals not only with the economic issues but all final status issues in accordance with international resolutions. Oslo was intended to lead to statehood and peace, and that is the route that we must put this process back upon.

The current agreement grants Israel the right to collect taxes from Palestinians in the West Bank on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, which it often withholds as a punitive measure. It also gives Israel control over the supply of all utilities and restricts value added tax and fuel prices to comparable rates paid by Israeli consumers despite the vast difference in living standards.   

Palestinian leaders will have to enact extreme economic measures, which will likely be met by Israeli counter measures, including the disruption of fuel supplies in the occupied Palestinian territories. In turn, I hope such actions ignite the people to mobilize against the true impediment posed by the occupation toward realizing our national aspirations, right to self-determination, and independence through a two-state solution.

Enough with attacks on Fayyad, as though the situation was better before him or will improve after him.

What I'd like to see is our youth peacefully blocking roads that lead to Israeli settlements, the expansion of which continues to create negative facts on the ground. I'd like to hear their chants against stalled peace talks. Our politicians, whatever their leaning, must call for and support a peaceful popular movement that seeks to permanently resolve the conflict as the first step toward addressing our economic, social, and other internal crises.

*Samer Makhlouf is executive director of OneVoice Palestine.

Adva Vilchinski talks about time on New England tour

Youth Leadership Program Director Adva Vilchinski during the New England tour in September.

New York, September 27, 2012 – The International Engagement Program (IEP) just concluded the first tour of this academic year. From Sept. 10-13, over 800 individuals throughout New England engaged with OneVoice youth activists, listening to their memorable experiences working on the ground and heeding the call for Americans to help them achieve a viable two-state solution.

Youth Leadership Program Director Adva Vilchinski of OneVoice Israel was one of these activists. We talked to Adva on her way back home about her time on tour.

OneVoice: From start to finish, how do you think this tour went?

Adva: It was great. People were very interested in what we had to say and the audience members were eager to act and sign the petition. We also had many different, diverse audiences, which was a great part of the tour…we talked with little children and older people, and that is very important for spreading OneVoice’s message.

OneVoice: Why is the International Engagement Program important to the mission of Israelis and Palestinians seeking a viable two-state solution? And why is it important to Americans?

Adva: IEP is another way to get the word out and a way that people worldwide can pressure their leaders because they, too, are important actors. It is important to Americans because if they can put enough pressure on their leaders, it will be on the president’s agenda and then he could compel our leaders into acting. And it is important for Americans to know about the region, to know that their money isn’t wasted.

OneVoice: What were the most commonly asked questions? Were there any that particularly challenged you? How do you approach questions like these?

Adva: Many asked why Israelis appear less concerned about the Palestinians than they are with Iran, while others wondered why our programs are parallels and not combined. I thought [the latter] was a very important question, and the answer is we are parallel to show that we are partners in this effort for a two-state solution [while working in our communities]. The hardest questions were from the children – for instance, some asked, “Why is there a conflict?” Those really made me think because children keep it simple. In the end, we’re not doing a blame game, we’re trying to solve it.

OneVoice: What experiences resonated with your audiences and why do you think this happened?

Adva: We shared much of our work with the participants and by far the ones that interested them the most were the creative campaigns. For instance, we partnered with the #J14 Movement and created an ice wall to show how settlement expansion and the freeze in negotiations affects Israel’s economy, and audiences really liked it. I believe they enjoyed such campaigns because of this creativity.

Ahmad Omeir reflects on New England tour

OneVoice Palestine's Ahmad Omeir during the New England IEP tour in September.

New York, September 27, 2012 – The International Engagement Program (IEP) wrapped up its first tour of the fall semester, visiting schools, houses of worship, and social justice groups throughout New England from September 10-13.

IEP Director Ahmad Omeir of OneVoice Palestine shared with over 800 participants his most memorable experiences working on the ground and called on Americans to help him achieve a viable two-state solution.

We recently spoke Ahmad over the phone and asked him about his tour.

OneVoice: What was your most memorable part of the tour?

Ahmad: I think the event at Eitz Chayim Synagogue was the most memorable for me because I knew going in that I would receive most of the questions, and I wanted to let them see a sense of hope from the Palestinian side. Many of the participants said this was an eye-opening experience and it allowed them to see a new face of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

OneVoice: What can average Americans do to help you on the ground?

Ahmad: There are two things Americans can do. First, have an open mind in how they see the conflict and not be biased based on what is in the media. Second, they need to realize that to answer their interests they need to see the conflict in a balanced way. Therefore, Americans need to urge their leadership to be balanced in its moderation of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations; saying what needs to be said and taking the necessary steps that will permanently end the conflict.

OneVoice: Did this tour reinforce your belief in the two-state solution and how will it motivate you to continue your work?

Ahmad: There is a very high sense of skepticism and despair [surrounding the resolution of the conflict], and I have my own stories that reflect these feelings. But my experiences with the occupation push me and keep me going forward and I shared that with the audiences. For instance, as we spoke to the school-aged children, I noticed they were asking very good questions, which shows that on the educational level there is an important, positive step taken in regards to teaching them about the conflict. And in the end, this helps us on the ground.

OneVoice: What do audiences have to look forward to in the final tours of this academic semester?

Ahmad: They can expect to see more devoted youth leaders committed to ending the conflict. They will see it is a personal responsibility and comes out of a sense of urgency. I hope that the new audiences can see the two-state solution as in the international community’s interest to resolve ASAP.

IEP’s New England tour kicks-off U.S. election-themed semester, Part 1

Adva Vilchinski (far right) of OneVoice Israel explains to Middlebury College students her role in ending the conflict.

New York, September 25, 2012 – Professor Tamar Mayer believes that the world lives in the “seventh day” of the 1967 or Six-Day War, and will continue to unless something is done to change the dynamic.

“The majority of the population on each side [of the conflict] has been born into this unacceptable status quo,” said Mayer, director of the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs at Middlebury College. “And it is wholly appropriate that those who were born during the “seventh day” of the 1967 War lead [the change]. Our guests today fit this bill.”

Middlebury was just one of the many stops in the first tour of the International Engagement Program’s(IEP) fall semester. Staff members Adva Vilchinski of OneVoice Israel (OVI) and Ahmad Omeir of OneVoice Palestine (OVP) told over 800 New England participants – from schools to community members – that Americans can support their efforts on the ground while helping impact American foreign policy and help achieve Middle East peace.

From Sept. 10-13, Adva and Ahmad explained that Americans can play an important role in solving this conflict by participating in IEP’s “call to action,” which pressures the presidential candidates to put the conflict high on the agenda when one of them is elected.

The tour started with a visit to Middlebury and then Dartmouth College on the first day, followed by a Middle East Politics class at UMass-Lowell and a J Street event at Eitz Chayim Synagogue on day two.

“We believe at OneVoice Israel that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not something which belongs to the left or right,” Adva said when asked about partisanship during the Dartmouth event. “It's something for all the people because ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is good for all Israelis no matter how you vote.”

Ahmad told audience members that the US has a continued role to play in reviving the two-state solution.

“When you try to work with change, and try to bring change into [Palestinian] society, it’s a long and difficult process,” said Ahmad. “You need to mobilize people. You’re shocking people out of their apathy, out of their despair and skepticism…by trying to show them that by creating positive facts, by getting them invested personally, that there is chance to actually achieve that solution. [And] what we need from the moderator [the US] is to be honest and neutral and help us have the right environment to move forward with the negotiations in a limited timeframe.”

Throughout the events, Adva offered her experiences in activist mobilization, outreach, and countering the pro-settlement expansion agenda, while Ahmad spoke about what a successful two-state solution needs: an end to the occupation and of all final status issues based on international resolutions, along with the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Adva and Ahmad’s message was not lost on the days’ participants, but rather echoed and enhanced early and often.

Professor Mayer told the Middlebury audience that Adva, Ahmad, and their OneVoice peers “are engaged in peace and consensus-building efforts, working within their national communities to end the conflict.”

“They are committed to a two-state solution based on the June 4th, 1967 lines that will guarantee an end to the occupation,” she said. “They are Israeli and Palestinian activists who have dedicated themselves to working towards change and a better future for their societies.”

OneVoice Israel calls on Israelis to create peace plan

MK Yoel Hasson (center) answers an audience question as PA official Ashraf al-Ajrami (left) listens at Ben Gurion University in Beersheba on June 14.

New York, June 20, 2011—OneVoice Israel (OVI) announced on Tuesday a new Facebook application, following a debate with MK Yoel Hasson and PA official Ashraf al-Ajrami in Beersheba on international recognition of a Palestinian state come September.

The debate at Ben Gurion University is part of OVI’s conference series entitled, “2011: Toward a Black September?”, which has engaged hundreds of people across Israel. The Facebook application will build on this impact, reaching thousands of Israelis from now until September. It comes as a response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to offer a peace initiative and will serve as a platform for the Israeli public to express creative ideas of how to resolve the conflict.

“Israel needs new ideas and bold leaders to dismantle the bomb that could come in September,” said Danny Shaket, OVI youth leadership program coordinator, who moderated the debate. “There is a lack of understanding in Israeli society when it comes to September; no one really understands what it will mean and what the Israeli response should be.”

Hasson, who also serves as chairman of the Two-State Solution Caucus, noted that Netanyahu’s precondition of recognition, which proves his unwillingness to restart negotiations, is among the biggest obstacles to negotiations. If Israel takes an assertive role in restarting negotiations, the September UN vote for Palestinian statehood will become unnecessary.

“We must understand that we are in political chaos,” said Hasson. "On the other hand, maybe September is not bad because it will be international recognition that the solution to the conflict is two states.”

Al-Ajrami gave a view from the Palestinian perspective and fielded tough questions from the audience.

"We prefer to negotiate directly with Israel than to receive the consent of the United Nations in September, but we have no choice,” said Ajrami, former minister of prisoner affairs for the Palestinian Authority. “[Netanyahu] did not adopt the principle of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with agreed upon land exchanges. This is the biggest problem of the Palestinian people even more than the refugee problem."

The audience disagreed on multiple occasions with al-Ajrami. Three comments from the audience identified the refugee issue as the biggest obstacle to an agreement, noting that any agreement would be invalid if all Palestinian refugees return to Israel.

To solve all final status issues, including refugees, Israeli and Palestinian leaders will need compromise and creativity.

“[Netanyahu is] confused and stuck,” said Tal Harris, executive director of OVI. “We invite everyone who wants to help him to complete the missing articles of a peace initiative by using our new Facebook application and give Netanyahu creative ideas.”

Read Palestine New Network's article about the event.