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

The OneVoice Movement talks to key European decision makers

John Lyndon, executive director of OneVoice Europe, and I met with the Vice President of the European Commission Günter Verheugen. The Commission serves as the executive branch of the European Union, which is the largest trading partner with Israel and also the largest contributor to the Palestinian people.

Vice President Verheugen is in charge of all industry and enterprise policy for the Commission and has spent his time as the vice president trying to make the lives of ordinary Palestinians and Israelis better through economic development.

We briefed the vice president on the work carried out by OneVoice Israel and OneVoice Palestine and the latest poll results commissioned by the movement. He was encouraged by our achievements and we look forward to being able to work with him in our continued European outreach.

On previous trips, OneVoice Europe has met with the office of the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and representatives of the major political parties within the European Parliament.

In Westminster this week, John and I met with various members of the UK Parliament, including Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister David Lidington MP and Sir Ming Campbell MP.

Lidington has been a supporter of the OneVoice Movement since it first started in Europe and again pledged his support to the moderates in the region.

Sir Campbell, former leader of the Liberal Democrats and current member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, expressed his support for the movement, stressing the vital importance of backing the pragmatic majority in the region.

OneVoice Europe is building international political support at the top levels for the pragmatic majority on the ground. With meetings confirmed with UK government ministers and events in the Palace of Westminster, the voice of the moderates is being heard by the decision makers in Europe.

OneVoice Europe is continuing its outreach in Brussels and London throughout the year. If you would like to meet with us in Europe, please contact me.

Joel Braunold is the political and media outreach coordinator at OneVoice Europe.

Joel Braunold (left), Vice President of the European Commission Günter Verheugen, and John Lyndon

Joel Braunold (left), Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister David Lidington, and John Lyndon

John Lyndon (left) and Foreign Affairs Select Committee member Sir Ming Campbell

Q&A with youth leaders Dalia Labadi and Lee Rubinstein

Lee Rubinstein (Left), IEP Program Director China Sajadian, and Dalia Labadi

Starting on November 1, Dalia Labadi and Lee Rubinstein will begin a tour of New York area universities. Dalia is the Program Director of OneVoice Palestine's Town Hall Meetings. Lee joined the OneVoice Movement as a youth leader and currently leads the OneVoice student chapter at Tel Aviv University.

Why did you join the OneVoice Movement?

DL: At a meeting organized by OneVoice Palestine, some people I knew from [the West bank town of] Jenin who were truly affected by the conflict convinced me to join. I didn't believe that ending the conflict can come from a movement, but when I found these people -- and they really introduced me to OneVoice -- I found it really different than other organizations because it starts from the bottom. The movement truly believes in the grassroots power.

LR: I found OneVoice to be a real option for all people, from both sides [Israel and Palestine], achieving something together. The fact that there is a joint message and a real call for ending the conflict was what made me feel part of this organization. The movement is for all people across the political map -- from the right wing to the left wing -- and that's very important to me.

What's one thing you've done at the OneVoice Movement that you're proud of?

LR: Talking about the joint [OneVoice Israeli and Palestinian] message over the past few months; sitting together with people from the other side, from the "hostile" side, and talking to them. I was sitting with Palestinians at our joint message meetings negotiating what's acceptable -- and what's not -- to us all. In these meetings, we're trying to get to know the other side's narrative and making the other side look at our narrative. This is something that I really love doing.

DL: At OneVoice, everything you're doing is for a better future, geared toward ending the conflict and the occupation. This is a noble feeling, when you're doing something for the people that you're part of. Being part of the movement made me more attached to the society, because you're caring about your people's future. Like Lee said, the other thing I'm proud of is hearing the other side's narrative. This is something that you can't be introduced to through the media or watching television. OneVoice could bridge the narratives.

What challenge do you think you might face on your upcoming tour in New York?

DL: For me, the challenge I might face is [meeting] Arabs [in the United States] who can't understand why Palestinians are working to end the conflict and the occupation that they're living daily. The two-state solution is approved of internationally, but, for Arabs, it's not easily swallowed yet. We're taking baby steps as Arabs to understand the two-state solution. My fear is lack of acceptance for what we as Palestinians want based on the poll [commissioned by the OneVoice Movement].

LR: I think the biggest challenge that I'm going to face is trying to deal with people who will think that we're not relevant and that the whole conversation that surrounds the Israeli-Arab conflict is smaller than other problems or maybe something that cannot be solved by a movement like this one. The second side of the same challenge is to convince them that this is part of the way to build something new, build an understanding.

What message do you want to convey on the tour?

DL: Saying clearly what people perceive from the media is not the entire reality of what's going on in the Holy Land. There are people on both sides, Palestinians and Israelis, who are sick of the conflict and do not want to raise their children in the same way they were raised under the conflict and are willing to stand up in the region and outside to do something about it. We need the international support because one hand can't clap alone.

LR: I agree with Dalia, but would like to add that part of the message is trying to say that even when things look a certain way from afar; they're not always as they seem. I think we're trying to bring the message of people who are willing to go together from both sides to speak to an international audience. The message we carry is in seeing somebody from the Palestinian territories and somebody from Israel sitting together.

What's one thing you've learned about the other side that's surprised you?

DL: While on tour in the United States as part of the OneVoice Movement's International Education Program, I had to visit a synagogue. In Israel and Palestine, we're fighting each other, but we don't even know the basic things about each other. I was introduced to the Jewish faith and know more about Jews in the United States than I did back home. The irony, of course, is to be introduced to the other's religion in the U.S., despite living in the Holy Land together.

LR: The fact that about many things, they actually think much like we do -- and yet we're still very different. I was also surprised by how easy it was to explain to my high school students that I'm going abroad with a Palestinian, and she's a Muslim, and she's nice. She's a real person, someone I can talk to and someone I can tell them about. So they were really looking forward to hearing me talk about that, and that surprised me the most. Sometimes I get eyes rolling at me when they hear I'm taking part in such activities. I think my father didn't like that I was traveling with a Muslim and asked if that was a good idea, but my students were interested in that and wanted to learn more.

The truth is not so bleak - OneVoice Glasgow goes to the heart of the conflict

Taboos are entrenched in all societies. One of the defining features of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the polarization of views on both sides and a lack of willingness to budge from the proverbial 'armchair' of each nation's own narrative.

As four British students, we've been privileged this week to see, first hand, an initiative aimed at changing this reality and providing much needed impetus to the stagnating peace process.

Anthony Silkoff (left), Gary Butterly, David Campbell, and Hala Ousta

The first stop was Sderot, an Israeli town that has suffered rocketing from Gaza for the past eight years. When we asked our host about the desirability of a two-state solution, the reply was: "We could tolerate the existence of a Palestinian state." While hardly an enthusiastic response, it was nothing less than what the OneVoice Movement asks for.

The OneVoice Movement doesn't require that people like each other, just that a two-state solution is accepted on the terms of the masses.

There were, however, some statements from a few that were either based on ignorance, fear or both.

"All they do is terror... every time we give them something they attack," said one resident of Sderot. "Who should I talk to, a terror organization?! They are killing our children in cold blood."

However, there were many more empathetic contributions, talking about the bloodshed on both sides, and objecting to the insinuations that Palestinians had been rewarded for shelling Israeli land: "I'm not giving them something new, I'm giving [land] back to them."

Salfeet, a Palestinian village in the West Bank, suffers from the continued expansion of settlements surrounding it.

"They want to make our lives a nightmare." This statement was emblematic of the feeling in the room. The participants were evidently frustrated and angry, but rather animated at the prospect of having an audience of Western 'ambassadors', as they saw us.

Several parallels could be drawn between the people of Sderot and Salfeet, in that both felt the other side were unwilling to negotiate, that the whole world was against them, but also that both wanted peace in the direction of a two-state solution.

So for us internationals, a lot of food for thought. Hopefully these meetings have provoked and encouraged discussion of these 'taboo' issues in Israeli and Palestinian society. The leadership may not be listening yet; however, the voice of the moderate majority will not be silenced.

OneVoice Glasgow is based at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. To find out more about our experiences, read our blog at: http://ovglasgow.blogspot.com or email us at OneVoiceGlasgow@gmail.com.

One Voice at the Labour Party Conference 2009

OneVoice Europe attended the Labour party conference 2009 in Brighton this year. Attending various fringe events and holding meetings with both the all party group on Palestine and the Labour Friends of Israel; OneVoice briefed the major players within the governing party of the UK.

OneVoice enjoyed support from delegates, MP’s and government ministers and were had a strong presence at conference with many people donning the OneVoice pin in solidarity with the movement.

Re-establishing contacts with old friends and forging new ones within the UK and the EU, OneVoice is well placed to campaign at the highest level of British and European politics and state the views of the pragmatic majority of Israelis and Palestinians to the decision makers. Next week OVE is going to Manchester to be at the Conservative party conference, if you would like to meet up with the OVE in Manchester or find out more about our political outreach please contact Joel at joel@onevoicemovement.org.uk

The Pictures below are of Joel and Antony (Chair of OneVoice Glasgow) meeting with; a) Lord Kinnock former labour leader and supporter of OneVoice; b) Chair of Labour Friends of Israel Andrew Gwynne MP and Luciana Berger director of Labour friends of Israel; c) Joel meeting with Richard Burden MP chair of the All Party group on Palestine.

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OneVoice speaks to students in Leeds

On Thursday 1st October, OneVoice’s Outreach and Education Director for Europe participated as a panel speaker at the Leeds University debate on the Israel-Palestine conflict entitled: “Why all the Fuss?”
The event was well attended and other panel speakers were Robin Hamilton-Taylor from the Israeli Embassy and Chris Doyle from the Council of British-Arab Cooperation. The event opened with Chris giving an account of what the current situation is like for Palestinians on the ground and Robin countering with what he felt were unjustified accusations against Israel. Sharon presented the two-state solution as being the most realistic and pragmatic possibility of ending the conflict and furthermore emphasized OneVoice’s polling results showing that this is in line with what the majority of civil society on the ground are willing to accept in order to move forward into a brighter future.

Questions raised by the students included the right of return for Palestinian refugees, the right of the Palestinians to have an armed force and the right to fight, OneVoice’s relationship to Hamas and issues of antisemitism on campus. There was a final question about how students on campuses can get involved in the Israel-Palestine issue in a constructive way and Sharon took the opportunity to make the students aware of OneVoice’s IEP programme, building support for the 600,000 voices in the region and raising the call for a peacefully negotiated, two-state solution on UK campuses.

John Lyndon, OneVoice Europe: Peace, the Public and Politicians

John Lyndon, executive director of OneVoice Europe, wrote the following look at the peace process for Compass in the U.K.

In the merry-go-round world of Middle East peace, this week could be one to remember. Israel's right wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spent the first half of the week in London, meeting with Gordon Brown and the US' Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell.

Murmurs of a deal in the offing began to appear- first online, and then in the broadsheet press. Is this silly season sensationalism, or evidence of a genuine breakthrough and the imminent resumption of negotiations? Much more will be known in the coming weeks and months, with talk of President Obama making a major announcement in late September- but one thing is certain: the people of Israel and Palestine will not tolerate very much more foot dragging on the part of their leaders.

Read the rest at Compass »

OneVoice's Israeli and Palestinian Youth Leaders to tour UK Campuses in November

OneVoice’s International Education Programme is launching its autumn outreach event from 9-20 November this year in universities and communities across the UK. The OneVoice Europe staff will be touring the country with two of our trained Youth Leaders from Israel and Palestine, seeking to win support from the UK’s students and citizens for the 600,000 Israelis and Palestinians who are calling for an end to the conflict and a two-state solution. We will also be addressing the issue of how concerned British citizens can be most effective in pushing to achieve this change.  The Youth Leaders will be speaking about their experiences of living in the region and will be promoting their hope and motivation for peace.

Universities to be visited on this tour will be London, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol, Oxford, Southampton, Birmingham and Glasgow. Look out for more information about the events on our website and on posters and flyers in your area. 

OneVoice Europe go to Trade Union Conference

OVE at TUC in Liverpool by Joel Braunold Coordinator Media and Political Outreach OVE

Starting early from London myself and John (Executive Director of OVE) started our long trip up to Liverpool. We were off to the annual Trade Union Congress (TUC) where the Trade Union Movement decides its policy for the year ahead. This year was key for the TUC with the ongoing global recession and upcoming election. Yet the most controversial issue at conference was a motion whether or not to boycott Israel and the Israeli trade union movement. We were going to speak at a fringe event of the Trade Union Friends of Israel, a group that pushes cooperation between the Hisdatrut and the PGFTU (Palestinian trade union movement).

Arriving at the event we saw that many delegates felt connected to the conflict, and though OneVoice takes no position on issues such as boycotts, there was a general cry for action to be taken to end the conflict. We were clear in our discussions that peoples’ energies should be spent on actions that will hasten the end of the conflict rather than exasperate existing tensions and entrench existing positions.

At the actual fringe event, OneVoice received a warm reception- both from the floor and fellow speakers. Michael Leahy, General Secretary of Community, said:

“What the young people in OneVoice are doing should be a focus for inspiration... asking for real progress, real solutions and real peace.”

Roger Lyons, former president of the TUC and chair of TUFI encouraged all unions to invite OneVoice to their executives to learn about their activities within the region.

John stressed that it was vital that we end this conflict by appealing to the pragmatic moderate majority on each side. It is a vital time to put pressure on the leadership on both sides to sit down and negotiate, as the people of the region will not put up with anymore foot dragging from their representatives.

The panel also included the deputy ambassador of Israel to the UK, Talya Lador-Fresher, and the head of the TUC international division.

Regardless of the outcome of the vote on the boycott, I urged delegates not to retreat to entrenched ideological positions and work to find a pragmatic way forward. As the meeting closed many delegates from across the political spectrum came up to OneVoice to congratulate us on our unique and optimistic approach with offers of support and partnership.

After the fringe everyone rushed back to conference floor to hear the key note addresses from Prime Minster Gordon Brown.

The TUC in the end adopted a targeted boycott of settlement produce instead of the more wide-ranging measure initially suggested; but the General Secretary Brendan Barber stated what that the position was, “A two-state solution. The Road Map. Justice for the Palestinians. Security for Israel.” Read his full speech here.

OVE is hoping to work closely with the Trade Union movement, with both their delegations to the region and with their national executives within the UK, to add the trade union movement voice to ours- jointly and loudly calling for a negotiated end to the conflict.

Israeli and Palestinian Youth Leaders come to the US

Fed up with long-stalled peace talks, Israeli and Palestinian youths wanting to engage the masses to end the conflict are turning to the youth leadership development program at OneVoice.

The program, which forms the heart of the movement, aims to create a new generation of activists and leaders who embody a culture of understanding and tolerance and who have the tools to lead in their communities.

“We started with a small group of youths,” said Nisreen Abdallah, director of the youth leadership development program in the Palestine office. “But now we have more than 1,800 youths, both boys and girls, in the field, ranging from activists to senior youth leaders.”

Her Israeli counterpart, Roi Assaf, said approximately 400 Israeli youths underwent the program’s leadership training at various levels. Participants showing promise and greater involvement are put on an advanced track toward becoming ambassadors and trainers for the movement.

OneVoice maintains independent Israeli and Palestinian offices with each working for the national interests of their own people. Differences abound in the unique issues facing each society, but immediately striking is the similar language of optimism, hope and change senior youth leaders on both sides use to explain their motivation to play a role.

As OneVoice's work—and the peace process as a whole—gathers renewed momentum in the Middle East, the International Education Program (IEP) is delighted that two of the most active and experienced youth leaders will embark on a speaking tour in Washington, DC and North Carolina next week.

Ari Eitan, a 31-year-old attorney and head of OneVoice Israel’s Jerusalem chapter, and Antwan Saca, a 25-year-old researcher at a Palestinian research institute, will talk about their efforts to break taboos surrounding the conflict in their communities.

Eitan believes his country’s settlements in the occupied West Bank serve as a major obstacle to peace and says there is no justification for an Israeli “civil presence” in the Palestinian territories.

Wearing a black yarmulke, a sign of religious piety in the Jewish faith, Eitan said his focus is on trying to influence Israel’s religious ideologues that are behind settlement expansion.

“I’m ashamed to say they caused the problem here with the settlements activities, which is inspired by religion,” he said. “So that’s why I go to the root of the problem and there I’m trying to find a solution. I think the key to solving this problem is among the religious people.”

Saca, who serves on OneVoice’s Youth Advisory Council, wants the voices of moderate Palestinians to reach stakeholders and the international community in order to “seize back and advance the peace process agenda.”

He stresses the need to raise awareness among Palestinians of the compromises necessary to peacefully resolve the conflict and the personal responsibility of civil society in achieving this goal.

“I am really excited about my first trip to the United States and touring university campuses,” said Saca. “It will give me the chance to freely interact with counterpart students in the US.”

Both Saca and Eitan want to emphasize the important role that Americans—especially young people—have to play in being part of the solution.

“It is vital to engage the youth of other nations involved in policy making toward peace in the Middle East,” said Saca. “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.”

The tour will kick off at American University and includes stops at eight other universities in the region.

In North Carolina, Muslim and Jewish students at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro have arranged a “Unity” Iftar, the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan, to welcome Eitan and Saca.

OneVoice is also working to ensure that Israeli and Palestinian civil societies are represented in Washington’s dialogue on the two-state solution in anticipation of US President Barack Obama’s expected announcement calling for a resumption of Middle East peace talks later this month.

During this crucial time, a major component of the IEP tour will be connecting U.S. policymakers and leaders with the youth leaders. Eitan and Saca will attend several meetings with government officials, present a briefing to Senate staff, and feature in roundtable discussions at the Buxton Initiative and the United States Institute of Peace.

2018 letters from UK Jews

The Liberal Jewish movement in the UK asked some of its younger members what it would be like in 2018 if there were ten years of peace. They then sent the letters to OneVoice Europe. Here are a few:

“In 2018 is where Arabs and Jews can live side by side without worrying about being judged on anything. Where there are ‘Palestinian areas’ and ‘Israeli areas’ but they can choose to live together or separately. People wouldn’t be judged on what they believe where everyone has equal rights. Where there is no violence, where people can eat together, shop together and there is a united army of Israelis and Palestinians. Where it is optional to join the army. PEACE “ - Anna aged 15

“In 2018 Jews and Arabs live together with no conflict and frustration, but saying that there still will be groups of people who have frustration against the groups; but that happens in most countries. I think the daily panics of whether there will be a bomb will not be a problem. 10 years of peace means that maybe armies and the recruitment of soldiers will not be required as urgently and the age limit will rise. Young soldiers are not right and they deserve an education. But still hopefully over 10 years of peace Arabs and Jews will be able to live and work together without violence or anger that is present today.” – Rosie aged 14

“In 10 years time I hope that at the age of 18 you get the choice of joining the army” – Cecily aged 14

A big thank you to LJY for this!