OneVoice Movement

OneVoice discusses the importance of interfaith work in Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities

Members of the ADAMS Center mosque in Sterling, VA listen to the opening of the IEP event.

By Tamar Schneck*

“People have to recognize the humanity of people. We are talking about real people; it is not about the numbers.”

Imam Mohamed Magid, executive director of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) and a prominent Muslim-American leader who works on many interfaith initiatives, said this to the 50 attendees at an International Engagement Program (IEP) event at the Sterling, Virginia mosque on October 4.

The IEP fall tour featured events at political, academic, and religious settings, including the event at the ADAMS Center.

Both Samer Makhlouf, Executive Director of OneVoice Palestine (OVP), and Tal Harris Executive Director of OneVoice Israel (OVI), spoke at events in faith communities about the danger of designating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a religious one.

At the event at the Suffolk County Y, a Jewish Community Center in Long Island, New York, Makhlouf emphasized this point saying, “the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians is not religious...This is not a conflict between the Muslims and the Jews or the Christians and the Jews or the Christians and the Muslims. It is a political conflict, between two parties that are un-equal, and it has to be addressed this way.” Only when the conflict is addressed as political, will the issues be resolved and the fighting end.

Harris addressed the positive use of religion, saying that it can be used as a tool to bridge gaps. In fact, it was an interfaith initiative that brought Harris to conflict resolution. At the age of 17, he joined an Arab-Jewish Israeli orchestra, and he realized “once we managed to follow a tune together, and follow a harmony together, that’s when I began thinking that maybe we can synchronize on another, more political, level.” 

Harris and Makhlouf also visited Christian communities. They stopped at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian, a OneVoice connection made through a longtime activist and supporter of OneVoice, Reverend Bill Borror. They also spoke at Pacem in Terris, a Wilmington-based peace organization that hosted OneVoice in partnership with Westminster Presbyterian.

At Pacem in Terris, an attendee asked about contact between Palestinians and Israelis, asking if Palestinian and Israeli youth ever interact. Makhlouf answered that unfortunately, the situation on the ground prevents Israeli and Palestinian youth from meeting one another, and OneVoice’s approach is different as we work in parallel, which is more impactful.

This is one of the many reasons why OneVoice works so hard to change the status quo and end the occupation, so that ultimately, the youth of the region will be able to interact. However, OneVoice believes, as both Harris and Makhlouf mentioned, that the political step of a peace agreement and two-state solution must be reached in order for the peoples to begin on the path of reconciliation.

The topic of religious incitement was also addressed on the tour when an attendee at the Suffolk County Y event asked about religious incitement in the Palestinian educational system.

Makhlouf replied, unequivocally, that stories of religious or non-religious incitement within the educational system are rumors, and in reality, there needs to be agreement on what is defined as “incitement.”

“Criticizing the occupation is not incitement,” he explained. “As far as I know and from what I studied, there is no incitement in the Palestinian books. The Palestinian educational system even authorized a history book that includes the Israeli narrative.”

These types of rumors are often the manifestation of misunderstanding the conflict as religious, instead of addressing the real political issues. The important work is to recognize and address the conflict in its true context as well as use religion positively. As Rizwan Jaka, the moderator at the ADAMS event, said, it is important that the mainstream know “the narrative is not Jewish against Muslim…actually Jews and Muslims are coming together in America in big numbers…we have to be hopeful, practical, realistic, and not whitewash the situation, there are lives on the line, there are futures on the line, so we have to hope and pray.”  

*Tamar Schneck is the Fall 2013 IEP intern.

Imam Magid interacting with audience members before the event at the ADAMS Center mosque.

OVI Executive Director Tal Harris, right, speaks to the JCC of Suffolk County (NY), as OVP Executive Director Samer Makhlouf looks on.

Reverend Greg Jones giving introductory remark at the Pacem in Terris and Westminster Presbyterian Church event, with Harris (left, seated) and Makhlouf (right, seated).

OneVoice engages thousands in first fall 2013 tour

OVP Executive Director Samer Makhlouf (center) tells the POMED audience about Palestinian nonviolent activities to resist the occupation.

By Tamar Schneck*

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind, at the same time, and still retain the ability to function,” said Mark Rosenblum, director of the Queens College Center for Ethnic, Racial and Religious Understanding, quoting F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Introducing OneVoice to the audience at the October 8 event at Queens College, Rosenblum explained that, to him, the quote means one should be able to see things that are hopeless and be determined to act otherwise. The audience, an eclectic mix of student groups from political, faith, and social justice organizations, listened attentively. This theme was repeated in presentations from OneVoice Israel Executive Director Tal Harris and OneVoice Palestine Executive Director Samer Makhlouf throughout the Washington, D.C. tour three weeks ago.

The tour kicked off at the J Street Conference on September 29 where Makhlouf and Harris spoke about OVP’s and OVI’s tireless work in challenging the hopelessness on the ground and inspire the Palestinian and Israeli peoples to support negotiations and look forward to a time of peace. Combined, Makhlouf and Harris were able to speak to nearly 3,000 people in just two sessions that day.

On October 2, at the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED), Makhlouf explained the disillusionment of the Palestinian people, caused by the negative facts on the ground, such as settlement expansion. OVP works to combat this sentiment by acting nonviolently to fight against the injustice of the occupation and to create positive facts on the ground. He emphasized a recent event in which OVP mobilized hundreds of Palestinian activists to plant trees in an area east of Bethlehem to prevent Israeli land confiscation there.

Makhlouf explained that through nonviolent activism, such as the tree-planting, “we plant hope in peoples’ minds and hearts…this kind of activism shifts people from being negative and hopeless to being positive and full of hope.”

OVP also works to challenge people to think about the aftermath of negotiations. If they fail, what are the alternatives and next steps, and if they succeed, what happens the day after? Asking these tough questions can prompt a nationwide conversation.

OneVoice Israel faces similar challenges: after 20 years of peace talks that yielded very limited progress, people are dismissive and skeptical about the renewed peace talks.

To reach the apathetic and instigate the public’s interest, OVI seeks to amplify the voice of moderates in campuses and youth centers. These voices foster a constructive conversation around negotiations and focus on the positive effects of peace rippling beyond the immediate, opening up the entire Arab and Muslim world to Israelis for security cooperation, business, and travel. This voice must also be translated into direct support for negotiators to take the necessary bold steps, added Harris. It must also pressure decision makers to reject the pressures of spoilers such as the Yesha Council and the settlement lobby.

Although the negotiation room is filled with politicians, the voice of the youth in both Israel and Palestine is integral to ensuring the possibility of implementing an agreement.

Both Harris and Makhlouf emphasized that Americans, too, should proactively support negotiations in the face of hopelessness by reminding their politicians that Israeli-Palestinian peace is vital to American interests.

“We need you...Peace will be an image made up of a lot of pixels, and we can only aspire to be one bright pixel in that picture,” Harris said. “But we cannot take ownership of the entire outcome. It’s a collaborative effort.”

*Tamar Schneck is the Fall 2013 IEP intern.

Harris, left, and Makhlouf, right, address the Queens College (NY) students at their October 8 event.

A student asks a question at the diverse Queens College event.

Thank you from Rachel Steinberg

Dear friends and colleagues,

After four years with OneVoice, I will be moving on to pursue other professional endeavors. It has been an honor to run OneVoice’s International Engagement Program, and carry out the important task of amplifying the voices of our Israeli and Palestinian Youth Leaders. I have been proud to bring together diverse groups of Americans to change both their local and global communities for the better by uniting people to achieve an end to the occupation and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a two-state solution. From leading speaking tours that bring the voices of Israeli and Palestinian civil society to the U.S., to designing calls to action to mobilize support for the two-state solution, to engaging with students, community members, and decision-makers about these important issues, I am very grateful for all that I have learned and experienced with OneVoice. I feel incredibly lucky to have worked for an organization that has a mission I feel truly committed to.

Despite frustrations and challenges in this conflict, I remained motivated to carry out my important tasks in large part due to the daily inspiration I received from witnessing the tireless work of OneVoice Israel and OneVoice Palestine’s Youth Leaders. OneVoice is the civil society partner for peace operating on the ground in both Israel and Palestine, and the strength, creativity, and pragmatism of our parallel programming leaves me confident that the political leaders have no choice but to listen to the will of the people as OneVoice continues to mobilize the majority to raise their voices and demand change.

Moving forward, the International Engagement Program will be managed by Shaina Low, who many of you already know. I am confident that I leave the program in capable, passionate hands with Shaina. I invite you to join Shaina during our upcoming speaking tours in Washington/Pennsylvania/New York (September 29-October 9) and California (November 11-20), as well as to participate in our soon to be launched call to action campaign (stay tuned for details!).

Thank you all for making my time at OneVoice such a rewarding experience.

Warmest regards,

Rachel

Coming Full Circle: OneVoice Community Leader Engages Constituents in US and Middle East

Reverend William Borror and congregants visited Bethlehem and OneVoice Palestine on July 11, 2013.

*By Michael Habib

Strong relationships do not develop overnight. They grow from a series of positive interactions, which build a level of respect, understanding, and appreciation between the parties involved.

One of the International Engagement Program’s (IEP’s) goals is to create long-lasting and impactful networks - whether it be student, community, or decision maker - across the United States. These relationships are beneficial to both OneVoice and the communities involved as we all gain the opportunity to learn from one another, simultaneously strengthening and growing the Movement supporting the two-state solution and the end of the occupation among Americans through engagement with Israeli and Palestinian activists, and building momentum and motivation for our Youth Leaders that are working in parallel in their respective societies in Israel and Palestine.  

Reverend William Borror, a Presbyterian pastor, has had a long history of involvement with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. At his church, he was a member of the Middle East Monitoring Group and the Committee on Middle East and Peacemaking Issues. Both focused on conflict in the Middle East and its effects on the Christians in the region.

His connection to the conflict led him to attend the Christian Leadership Initiative, organized by the American Jewish Committee, last year in Jerusalem. The program focused on religious study in the Holy Land and featured guest speakers on various topics, such as religion, community, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

It was during this summer trip that Rev. Borror first encountered the Movement. Youth Leaders spoke with the delegation as part of IEP about the conflict and what the two-state solution meant to them.

Rev. Borror was so moved by OneVoice's message that he wanted the chance to bring the activists back home. During the holiday season, Rev. Borror organized an alternative gifts drive where his parish raised money on behalf of OneVoice. This past March, during IEP’s Washington, D.C. tour, Rev. Borror and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (JFGP) co-hosted Wasim Almasri from OVP and Tom Bar-Gal from OVI for an interfaith event at Media Presbyterian.

The event, with 80 attendees, further confirmed to Rev. Borror the positive attributes of OneVoice's mission by highlighting our commitment to a peaceful solution to the conflict, which focuses on the will of the people.

Following the successful event at Media Presbyterian (which is now Rev. Borror’s former parish), the relationship with Rev. Borror continued when he decided to bring a group to the region for a biblical pilgrimage. Based on his experience with OneVoice and his leadership in his church on Middle East peace issues, he knew that he wanted more out of this trip for his group than simply a tour, and reached out to OVP to speak with participants.

“I did not want this to just be a biblical pilgrimage, I wanted to add a dimension to the trip,” he said. “I wanted people from the group to meet a Palestinian and have a new perspective on the conflict.”

The two groups decided to convene at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on July 11 and walk the streets of the religiously significant town to talk about the realities of the conflict there (separation wall, closure, and occupation), allowing the visiting delegation to get an up close look at the struggles of everyday life and potentials of what could be in the future with a peace agreement and independent Palestinian state for those who live there.

“We talked about ending the occupation and the conflict in order to develop trust - we also talked about peace building and the work done by grassroots movements in the region,” said OVP Communications Officer Wasim Almasri, who organized the visit. “Our experience with the delegation, from meeting them in Pennsylvania to their trip to Bethlehem, has been engaging. They wanted to know about our experiences on the ground and it shows they are interested and deeply care.”

By sharing their experiences, stories, and beliefs about the conflict, both groups felt that they gained a better understanding of one another, allowing them to break the stereotypes often portrayed by media or popular culture.

“The way most US media portrays the conflict is different than what the facts are on the ground,” Wasim explained. “This experience allowed the American delegation to put a face to the conflict, allowing them to visualize the real conflict when they see the media’s portrayal.”

After the trip to the region, OneVoice's relationship with Rev. Borror is on pace to continue. He is working with OneVoice staff to find additional venues in and around Philadelphia in order to continue spreading the message of peace and a two-state solution.

Rev. Borror’s relationship with OneVoice exemplifies one of many ways that community members can build strong, long-lasting relationships with OneVoice and contribute to its mission. This network serves as a shining example of how Americans can educate their communities, amplify the voices of Israeli and Palestinian youth activists, and serve as partners in achieving the two-state solution.

IEP mobilizes American students and community members through education and advocacy efforts to play their role to ensure a just solution to this conflict. OneVoice recognizes the reality of the occupation creates unequal parties to the conflict. The Movement also understands that Israelis and Palestinians equally share the role and responsibility to propel their leaders toward the two-state solution that resolves all final status issues and establishes an independent Palestinian state, based on the borders of 1967 and international resolutions, at peace with Israel. This can only be achieved if the international community embraces its role, helping realize the vision of the Movement through constructive engagement and action.

*Michael Habib is the summer 2013 IEP intern at OneVoice.

Women’s Issues Take Center Stage on Capitol Hill

OneVoice’s Rachel Steinberg moderates a panel discussion about women's human rights issues and women’s roles in promoting peace in Israel and Palestine on Capitol Hill June 4. Photo courtesy of Congresswoman Johnson's office. 

By Rachel Steinberg*

History has shown that the viability of peace agreements is an uphill battle - nearly half fail within their first decade of being signed. Faced with this daunting statistic, conflict resolution theorists and practitioners are tasked with hypothesizing around how to ensure a sustainable, lasting peace. Many draw the same conclusion: a framework for sustainable peace must include women in the process.

On Tuesday, June 4, I moderated a panel on Capitol Hill entitled, “Moving Forward: Addressing Challenges to Promoting Israeli-Palestinian Peace.” The panel discussion, hosted by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, focused on challenges to women’s rights and empowerment in Israel and Palestine and the effect these challenges have on the peace process. I was honored to be invited to moderate amongst a distinguished group of speakers: Salwa Duaibis (Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling, Ramallah), Lior Finkel (Israeli Director, Peace NGO Forum), Tania Hary (Gisha), and Betty Herschman (Ir Amim).

Congresswoman Johnson began the “A World of Women for World Peace” initiative in 2001 to bring greater visibility to the women who are victims of war and aggression and the women who facilitate peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding activities in their communities.

As I prepared for this panel, at the forefront of my mind was the theory that more inclusive peace processes have a significantly increased chance of resulting in long-term sustainable peace. I know this not only because I am a conflict resolution practitioner, but because this is a guiding principal of OneVoice’s work to empower average Israelis and Palestinians to play a role in building peace and take an active role in the peace process.

Further, OneVoice works to engage marginalized parts of Israeli and Palestinian societies. This is evident in OneVoice Palestine’s Women of Influence training program, designed to empower, inspire, and activate Palestinian women to be business, civic, and political leaders, as well as to play an active leadership role in OneVoice’s efforts to end the occupation and achieve the two-state solution.

I felt the significance of this program as the panelists highlighted some of the unique challenges and violations of rights that women face in Israel and Palestine. They spoke about the challenges that the occupation and conflict impact, including access to education, family, healthcare, and politics; further, these issues greatly impact women.

Tania Hary also focused on the restrictions of movement for Gazans that prevent women from advancing their education and from being able to run businesses, and Salwa Duaibis pointed out that the biggest challenge women in the West Bank face to addressing their rights are the many and complex legal systems that prevent justice around issues like custody of children and violence against women.

As a result of these challenges and many others across Israel and Palestine, there is also a lack of women’s voices in positions of leadership. These organizations work to address these issues through education (local and international) about rights and violations, advocacy, legal aid, and service provision. I was incredibly inspired by the work that these organizations do not only on behalf of women, but on behalf of the societies as a whole.

I was struck by the panelists repeatedly pointing out the disproportionate effect that prolonged occupation and conflict have on women (and children). A common thread that several of the panelists raised was the fact that women are in a vulnerable position regarding violations of rights as a result of settlement expansion, which inhibits progress toward the two-state solution, and the resulting tension, violence, lack of service provision, and deterioration of socioeconomic opportunities.

To me, this points all the more to the need for women to have a voice in society AND at the negotiating table, both to address their unique needs and to speak on behalf of their societies as a whole. I’m proud that women are at the forefront of OneVoice Israel and OneVoice Palestine’s political activism to halt the growth of these negative facts and the ground and to end the conflict, as leaders and participants.

I was encouraged by something that Betty Hirschman pointed out - while there is still a long way to go to improve the human rights conditions of women, in this past January’s Israeli elections, there were more women elected to progressive parties than ever before. As a result, there is increasingly fertile ground for results to come from advocacy on issues impacting women.

Additionally, as Lior Finkel mentioned, in the last round of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations there were only two women in key positions in the negotiating teams - Hanan Ashrawi and Tzipi Livni. I believe that the empowerment OneVoice and the other organizations represented on the panel provides young women, as well as these positive steps within institutions, can change that level of representation as long as we all embrace our responsibility to push for them.

It was incredibly important for me to take part in such a conversation on Capitol Hill, to ensure that this discussion reached not only the ears of American citizens but also that of American decision makers. As the American policymaking community focuses its efforts on reviving the negotiations process, it is the responsibilities of all stakeholders to hear these messages and ensure that women have a seat at the table.

*Rachel Steinberg is the International Engagement Program Director at OneVoice.

Panelists (left to right) Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (organizer), Salwa Duaibis, Tania Hary, and Betty Herschman, with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. Photo courtesy of Congresswoman Johnson's office. 

In Queens, high school students create ads for Israeli-Palestinian peace

One of the ads on display at The Young Women’s Leadership School in Astoria, Queens. Click on the image to view them all.

*By Shaina Low

Last month, I had the pleasure of visiting The Young Women’s Leadership School, an all-girls junior and senior high school in Astoria, Queens. I was invited by 10th grade world history teacher, Zander Lyvers. Zander and his students were in in the midst of a unit on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and he was in search of organizations working on conflict resolution that would share their work and also take the time to view and learn about the students’ projects.

Their unit began by looking at the inflammatory Islamophobic advertisements Pamela Geller’s American Freedom Defense Initiative placed in the New York City subways last fall. As a project-based school, Zander assigned the students to research the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and create their own advertisements that promote peace and reconciliation. In addition to creating the visual ads, students were required to conduct research on the conflict and complete proposals detailing their ad’s objective, target audience, and the issue that it was attempting to overcome.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to view slideshows of all the students’ projects and meet with pairs of students to learn more about the motivation and inspiration behind their designs. One recurring theme throughout the projects was a criticism of international intervention that is not directly accountable to the needs and interests of Israelis and Palestinians. One advertisement depicted early 20^th century British diplomat Henry McMahon as a puppeteer controlling Arab and Jewish leaders, implying that the conflict in the Middle East was one driven by Western interests.

A personal favorite was a reinterpretation of British graffiti artist Banksy’s “Balloon Girl” (see the image above). The young girl’s body is superimposed with the Israeli and Palestinian flags, and she is grasping a bunch of balloons. Each of her balloons has the flag of a foreign country. In the student’s view, these foreign nations have played a role in perpetuating or prolonging the conflict, rather than helping Israelis and Palestinians meet their needs and interests.

Encouraging Israelis and Palestinians to be less reliant on international involvement and to take responsibility for ending the conflict, the poster includes a quote from German writer Hermann Hesse which reads, “Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.” This message, in particular, resonates with OneVoice’s message to empower ordinary Israelis and Palestinians to establish their own roles in conflict resolution, and without forgetting the past, find productive ways to move forward to ensure better futures for both societies.

During each of Zander’s three classes, I connected the students’ work with OneVoice’s by describing various OneVoice campaigns including OneVoice Israel’s headlines competition and OneVoice Palestine’s mural initiatives, both of which used advertising and mass media to promote the two-state solution. The students’ questions ranged from wanting to learn more about the challenges we face on the ground in Israel and in Palestine, to learning more about OneVoice’s unique focus on empowering youth to be change-makers and leaders in Israeli and Palestinian societies.

In each class, students asked about their own role and what they could do as New York City teenagers to make a difference and promote peace in the region. In our ensuing discussion, we brainstormed ways for them to get engaged—whether it is educating their families or peers about the conflict by screening a documentary or hosting a forum, meeting with their elected officials and telling them that the resolving the conflict should be a greater priority, or starting or joining club that is working toward conflict resolution.

Through IEP tours, I have visited countless university and high school classrooms across the county. In my experience, teachers often find it difficult to teach a unit on such an expansive, polarizing subject that covers over a century of history and simultaneously demonstrate the impact of the conflict on American foreign and domestic policy. Zander’s untraditional approach impressed me; not only were students able to see how the conflict directly influences discourse here in the United States, they were challenged to find creative ways to promote a peaceful resolution.

*Shaina Low is OneVoice’s International Engagement Program Associate.

OneVoice youth leaders showcase women’s activism on IEP tour

OVI’s Elanit Green addresses Religion, Empowerment, and the Role of Women in Nationalist Movements class at Yale University as Dr. Sallama Shaker and OVP’s Malaka Samara listen on.

It wasn’t that long ago when Malaka Samara’s family members were jailed or killed during the Palestinian intifadas. It also wasn’t that long ago when Elanit Green’s mother was at the sight of a suicide attack in southern Israel and neither knew each other’s fate.

Notwithstanding difficulties in living amidst the Second Intifada and beyond, these two women displayed some of the strongest mental fortitude and determination seen among their peers when they decided for themselves that the status quo – occupation, violence, and paralyzing fear – is not what they want to live with.

From April 8-16, Malaka, 35, and Elanit, 26, told their stories and shared their roles as peace activists to over 600 audience members in New York City and Southern California. While the tour spanned about 3,000 miles and encompassed over 20 events of varying diversity, both women managed to bring a sense of the familiar, a sense of what it’s like for women to work for peace in Israel and Palestine.

Malaka spoke about the difficulties of living under occupation—restrictions in movement, lack of economic opportunity, and confiscations of Palestinian land. Elanit described the current reality in Israel – since most Israelis do not feel the conflict on a daily basis, many have become indifferent to solving the conflict and fear changing the status quo.

Standing crisply at the podium to scan her American audience, Malaka introduced Women of Influence, the new program she is leading in OneVoice Palestine.

“I started Women of Influence because I think that it’s important for every Palestinian to take an action to end the occupation, and women are some of the most important Palestinian citizens you can imagine,” she explained. “They are mothers, they are wives, they are sisters, and they are daughters. And in every household you’ll find a woman. They educate the new generation, the future leaders. If they are not aware of the political situation they are not able to make the necessary improvements in our community.”

OneVoice has offered opportunities not only for resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but also for progress on social and political issues facing the Israeli and Palestinian societies. For Malaka, it is highlighting the importance of empowering women leaders in Palestine to work to end the occupation. For Elanit, who is politically active on and off Ben Gurion University’s campus, it is voicing the connection between the social justice issues inside the Green Line and government spending on settlements that keep the occupation in place.

“[What was missing from the social justice protests in 2011 was that] all of the power and energy behind the protests didn’t have a political link and Israelis didn’t ask where the money was going,” Elanit explained. “We haven’t had any negotiations for years now, and we’re frozen in our political situation.

“So in 2012, OneVoice pointed on those links that were missing and tried to connect the economic situation to the fact that we’re frozen in negotiations,” she continued. “We’re spending so much on security and settlement expansion. OneVoice tried to create the link and say that because we’re frozen in negotiations is part of the reason why we’re having so many economic problems. We need to freeze the settlements to unfreeze the negotiations.”

The two speakers came to the U.S. not only to share with American audiences their experiences and efforts, but also to engage the various communities in the U.S. toward peacebuilding, which ignited discussion on universal women’s empowerment.

In New York, Malaka and Elanit took part in a women’s NGO meeting at the United Nations, addressed progressive rabbinical students at Yeshiva Chovevei Torah, networked with young professionals, and reached out to students at Fordham Business School, New York University, Columbia, and nearby Bard and Yale.

Malaka and Elanit also traveled to Southern California, where they spoke at two events hosted by the Islamic Center of Southern California, as well as with J Street Young Professionals and students at Occidental and Santa Monica Colleges, University of Southern California, University of California-Irvine, and California State University-Long Beach.

Elanit and Malaka, now home in their respective communities, will continue to push for an end to the occupation and advocate for the two-state solution. If the memories of their difficulties surface again, as they often can, these young women will take comfort in knowing their present work will make the future a better place for their peoples.

Malaka Samara addresses UC Irvine’s conflict resolution class.

Elanit Green addresses an anthropology class at Santa Monica College.

OneVoice Occidental’s president reflects on “Two States 2013” campaign

By Dina Yazdani

Kizoa slideshow: Two States 2013 Campaign! - Slideshow

We at OneVoice Occidental (Oxy), the local OneVoice chapter at a Los Angeles college, felt the need to revitalize the two-state solution discussion on our campus. As president of the chapter, I have seen first-hand that students are losing hope in the peace process…and the discourse around the conflict is discouraging.

Students and professors speak as if they give up on the two-state solution in favor of other outcomes that would not allow the nationalistic rights and aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis to be realized. With Iran’s nuclear program, the Syrian civil war, and the transition the other Arab Spring states were and are undergoing, it is understandable why students are losing sight of the peace process. However, if Americans begin to forget, become discouraged, or stop caring about the Israeli and Palestinian conflict altogether, then President Obama will also be less motivated to work with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resolve the conflict. 

We knew we needed to do something unique and eye-catching to rekindle hope for a two-state solution in the students, and we saw President Obama’s visit to the Middle East as the perfect opportunity to make our voices heard.

On March 20, the same day that the president landed in Israel, we launched a “Two States 2013” campaign to revive support for the two-state solution on our campus. The night before, we plastered stickers with Israeli and a Palestinian flags with the words “Two States 2013” around our entire campus, and hung a large banner replicating the sticker at the front entrance of our cafeteria. We wanted to make it clear the next morning when students would make their way to class that the demand for a two-state solution is very much alive at Oxy.

That afternoon, we set up a table in our quad to hand out stickers and collect signatures for a OneVoice petition, which called for the president to prioritize a two-state solution during his second-term in office. We also hung an Israeli and a Palestinian flag on a branch of the tree behind the table, which coincidently, became the location of de facto photo-op sessions for students to display their support for a two-state solution. We were amazed and humbled by the amount of support students showed.

Everest Law, a sophomore member of OneVoice Oxy and international student from Hong Kong, explained to passersby the significance of doing this campaign on March 20 and the urgency of achieving a two-state solution.

"We chose our event date such that it coincided with Obama's visit to the Middle East, and one of our frustrations is that there is not enough conversation about [the conflict] in American society,” Everest said. “Therefore, we wanted to make use of the publicity of Obama's visit and remind people that there is still a conflict going on. If not now, then when?"

When, indeed? We need Americans to know now that despite a decade of frozen peace talks, activists on the ground at OneVoice Palestine and OneVoice Israel have worked and continue to work hard for two states, an end to the occupation, and an end to the conflict. It’s time that we in the United States work equally as hard to help end this conflict. Americans can help keep the peace process alive by urging their leaders to take constructive steps to revive the peace process. In addition, Americans can help educate their communities on the conflict and spread the message of a two-state solution.

My hope for the “Two States 2013” campaign was to amplify the Israeli and Palestinian activists’ voices and shed some light on the need to keep the discussion alive. I believe we did. Walking around campus, I still see some of the “Two States 2013” stickers stuck on light poles, buildings, and students’ laptops. Earlier this week, I saw one student wearing the sticker in the middle of his t-shirt. 

While the stickers may be small, the message is big. President Obama’s new Secretary of State John Kerry has announced that Israel/Palestine peace will be a priority, and has already visited the region multiple times since stepping into office only a few months ago. We’re confident that this year will be a milestone for the peace-process. After witnessing the excitement the “Two States 2013” campaign generated on campus, we’re ready to make sure that happens.  

 

"Two States 2013" sticker on the Occidental Campus.

OneVoice activists make the case for peace in Washington and deliver petition to key decision makers

From left to right: OneVoice Palestine’s Wasim Almasri, IEP Director Rachel Steinberg, and OneVoice Israel’s Tom Bar-Gal before meetings in Washington. Wasim holds the OneVoice petition. Tom displays an informational packet for D.C. policymakers.

Just a few weeks before President Barack Obama’s first trip in office to Israel and Palestine, OneVoice activists Wasim Almasri and Tom Bar-Gal set out to leave an impression on Washington’s policy community.

From March 3-8, Tom of OneVoice Israel and Wasim of OneVoice Palestine had an opportunity to meet with representatives of the U.S. Department of State, Congress, and members of the Obama administration; with prominent intellectuals and influencers at international think-tanks, and future leaders at some of the D.C.-area’s top universities.

In connecting the U.S. policymaking community with the voices of Israeli and Palestinian civil society, Tom and Wasim sought to achieve two goals: present OneVoice’s petition asking President Obama to support the two-state solution, end the occupation and a return to serious negotiations with a limited and clear time frame and references, and share with the policy community why supporting grassroots peacebuilding efforts on the ground in Israel and Palestine in addition to working to secure negotiations at the diplomatic level are a critical combination for breaking the status quo.

During the American election season and through Inauguration Day, OneVoice called on President Obama to leverage his leadership role to facilitate a return to serious and meaningful negotiations for the Israeli and Palestinian leadership and to prioritize ending the occupation and achieving the two-state solution in his second term. Over 1,600 people signed on to this call online and on paper, and during the Washington tour, Tom and Wasim delivered the petition to American policymakers.

On the collegiate level, the tour stopped at American University and the University of Maryland – College Park, as well as included a networking event with the Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. Questions about outreach and bringing skeptical people into the fold of OneVoice’s nonviolent resistance work and message were top on the agenda at these events.

“We cannot change everybody’s minds,” Tom told students at American. “We know there are people who are hard-headed [and] for a long time, the two-state solution was not part of the discourse [in Israel]. It wasn’t even relevant. And for some it isn’t achievable. But as long as we keep putting this message out there, it slowly becomes part of the narrative.”

“Through [OVP’s] youth leadership program, we talk to the people about the occupation, the two-state solution, and about what needs to be done,” added Wasim. “We start creating a human infrastructure that actually wants to work toward ending the occupation through actively participating in non-violent resistance activities and positive engagement. Also, our town hall meeting program addresses a lot of social and economic issues and connects the average person with the decision makers. This is how we try to create a ripe environment for conflict resolution and peacebuilding.”

At the Wilson Center for International Scholars and the New America Foundation, two internationally renowned think-tanks, Tom was asked for his thoughts on the relationship between the make-up of the Knesset and Israeli public opinion, as well as the generational gap regarding support for the two-state solution.

“My view is that the majority of the Israeli people are not represented in the Knesset because they are silent [on this issue],” Tom explained. “I think people, and this goes for about every person I talked to, are willing to give up more than they are willing to say...[L]ess people might be talking about this [and] people are less vocal about expressing their opinions, that is true. But, I think more people [young and old] actually support the two-state solution.

“For instance, last year we had a big social justice movement [#J14 Movement] that took place in Tel Aviv,” Tom continued. “We held an event of our own, connecting the social justice that so many Israelis wanted to the two-state solution and the costs of propping up the occupation. We showed them why we needed the two-state solution to achieve what they wanted and found it very successful.”

On Capitol Hill, Wasim contended that the structure of OneVoice is the only possible methodology for introducing the two-state solution to each side’s public.

“We believe that working in parallel is in the best interest of the people,” Wasim told Congressional staffers. “For [OVP], it addresses the national self-interest of the Palestinians and we [OVP and OVI] have different ways we interact with each society. So we try to address the conflict in a way that the Palestinians will have an interest in it…and our colleagues in Israel do the same thing [in their own community].” 

He paused, and looked at the staffers in the room. All work directly with prominent members of the U.S. House and Senate with varying interests in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Wasim had a direct comment for them all.

“In OneVoice’s message, there’s a sentence that states that the work we do is empowering the people to push their elected representatives toward establishing a two-state solution and end to the conflict.

“You are the people,” he said. “Start pushing your elected representatives toward it.”

Tom and Wasim before meetings at the State Department on March 8.

Interfaith communities discuss religion and politics with OneVoice activists

Members of Beth Chaverim Reform Synagogue and ADAMS-Ashburn Mosque listen to OVI's Tom Bar-Gal and OVP's Wasim Almasri speak about their work on the ground.

“How do we make those who make the decisions that derail the peace process understand that by doing so, Palestinians and Israelis are metaphorically sinking together in the River of Life?”

Rabbi Linda Joseph of Beth Chaverim Reform Synagogue posed this question to her congregants and interfaith partners at ADAMS-Ashburn Mosque. Luckily, the answer was right in front of the 78 attendees on the evening of March 3.

Tom Bar-Gal of OneVoice Israel and Wasim Almasri of OneVoice Palestine started out their Washington, D.C. speaking tour at this interfaith event, talking about the parallel grassroots work they do to push their leaders toward the two-state solution and an end to the occupation and the conflict.

As Israeli and Palestinian, Tom and Wasim can be thought of as “neighbors” due to their geographic relation to one another. So, too, are the members of Beth Chaverim and ADAMS. Quite literally.

Ray Daffner, Tikva Committee chair and member of Beth Chaverim, said that about a decade ago, the congregation had the opportunity – through a generous donation – to participate in interfaith cooperation. Loudoun Cares, a non-profit in the area, assisted with the outreach to others in the faith community. The idea was to build a vast network of the faithful in order to foster educational and spiritual growth, understanding, and respect between all participating members.

Not too long after their work began, Beth Chaverim was in need of a new space. They did find a building, and had some room to spare for a fellow interfaith partner.

“When we [at ADAMS] were looking for a place in Ashburn to establish a mosque, there was a synagogue in a new building that had a space to rent out,” said Syed Alam, chair of ADAMS-Ashburn. “They were very welcoming, the leadership and the congregation. I wanted to form an ADAMS branch to allow the community to come together. This was a history-making opportunity for me.”

The night’s event was also an historic one for the community. It marked the first time a discussion about the conflict took place between Beth Chaverim and ADAMS-Ashburn, overcoming any apprehension and signifying that the community is ready for the next step in their interfaith journey.

During the event, congregants asked the activists about the American media’s portrayal of the conflict, as well as factions in Israel and Palestine that are harming the opportunities for peace. Tom and Wasim had answers that were understandably familiar to the audience members.

“Most people are misinformed, but moderates,” said Tom. “It is our job to help break the myths from the realities on each side.”

Wasim concurred. “OneVoice represents the majorities. The other voices [extremists] will continue to be there no matter what happens, but we need to keep working toward our goals.”

Bumps in the road are bound to happen before sustainable peace can flourish, explained Mr. Daffner.

“There was some resistance from families in Beth Chaverim and ADAMS-Ashburn – stereotypes and fears on both sides,” he said. “The ADAMS Center’s move into our open space took about a year to go through. But as long as our kids go to the same schools, as long as we live down the street from each other, this type of cooperation must happen.”

While movie nights, Torah/Koran study sessions, potluck dinners, and teen programming work well for these partners, it’s not that simple for Tom, Wasim, and their respective communities.

Wasim spoke of his time growing up on the move. He was born in Lebanon and lived in refugee camps in Syria before moving to Gaza and then the West Bank, the latter of which has been home since the 2008 war in Gaza. Despite his hardships, he finds consolation in what he and his fellow youth leaders do at OVP.

“OneVoice gave me the tools, something to work with on the ground,” he said. “This is what’s great about the Movement: you see all these small ideas, small thoughts by the youth leaders that translate into actual activities to mobilize the people, empowering them to do something about the status quo.”

Tom spoke about living in Haifa, which he said feels untouched by the conflict. However, little by little, the long arms of violence crept into Tom’s life and he believed that he needed to challenge the problematic core of Israelis’ attitude toward the conflict – apathy.

“During my time at OVI, I’ve found there are certain types of Israelis,” Tom explained. “There are skeptics that say, ‘yes, I support the two-state solution, but Palestinians will never accept it and want a return to violence. Then there are the hopeless types that support it, too, but fail to speak up. We also have a problem with unmotivated political leadership. But we must address the needs of the people [by changing the status quo].”

While religion may be one ideology driving the conflict for some factions, who represent a minority of Israelis and Palestinians, there are also many other issues to be addressed in the conflict. This is why OneVoice focuses on pragmatic steps that can be taken to achieve a peace agreement and two-state solution. Nonetheless, religious leadership can play an important role in mobilizing their communities to take an active role in working to end the conflict.

During a stop in Philadelphia for another interfaith event on March 10, this time at the invitation of Media Presbyterian Church, who partnered with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (JCRC), it was made clear that the prominent communal role of religion in the region can be used in a positive way.

“Although we are a political movement working on establishing a political agreement [between Israelis and Palestinians], the role of religious leaders and of the religious community in Israel and Palestine can be enormously transformative in terms of building a base of support for conflict resolution,” said IEP Director Rachel Steinberg.

The work that Wasim and Tom do in their respective communities is also a transformative one. Their efforts did not go unrecognized by the people they spoke to while on tour.

“Those of us who deal with the public policy side of the issue are used to hearing talk that the peace process is stalled, and that certainly is the case,” said Rev. Bill Borror, senior pastor at Media Presbyterian. “[But] OneVoice members represent not hundreds, but thousands of young adults who want a different world…there are people who are working for hope in the region.”

An audience member at Media Presbyterian asks the youth leaders about the role of religion in the conflict.