OneVoice Palestine is taking to the streets of the West Bank and Gaza to bolster support for the peace process by emphasizing that everyday Palestinians have a part to play in ending the occupation and establishing an independent state.
The “Wake Up! What is Your Role?” campaign, launched last year in the midst of the U.S.-led negotiations spear-headed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, is energizing the centrist Palestinian mainstream to take their future into their own hands and support the Palestinian negotiators. To launch the campaign, hundreds of activists gathered in the Jordan Valley to raise a 1,000-meter banner stitched together by OVP chapters in Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jerusalem, and Jericho. Written on the banner were the core national principles that are the basis for Palestinian negotiators. The PLO's Chief Negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erekat, addressed the activists while Jericho Governor Majid Fitani and Lieutenant Colonel Atef Naser looked on during an impromptu public meeting.
The “What Is Your Role?” campaign has five components: youth-led initiatives on campuses and in communities; public town hall meetings with Palestinian influencers; TV talk shows on Palestinian national television with live studio audiences and street interviews; radio shows on popular stations in the West Bank; and Siaseh (or “Political”) Cafés where activists get together to talk politics. Each medium reinforces facilitates open, candid discussions between average Palestinians and their leaders and provides a vehicle for non-violent activism and public engagement in the political process –making OVP’s campaign a unique and important part of the grassroots efforts needed for a successful outcome.
Andreas Reinicke, European Union Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, along with the EU delegation, met with OneVoice Palestine in Ramallah May 7.
In a week where
the United States started a new push for Mid-East peace, OneVoice sought to ensure another big
player - the European Union – stepped up to play its role.
On May 7, while OneVoice Europe
(OVE) staff were in Brussels gathering support from politicians, OneVoice Palestine (OVP) youth leaders in
Ramallah were paid a visit by Dr. Andreas Reinicke, the EU’s Special
Representative for the Middle East Peace Process.
Dr. Reinicke – appointed by the EU to push for a two-state
solution – chose OVP as the first civil society representatives he has met in
the West Bank. In an hour-and-half-long
discussion, Reinicke and OVP youth leaders seized the opportunity to quiz one
another on the status of the two-state solution.
Reinicke wanted
the view from the grassroots: what do Palestinian youth think of US Secretary
of State John Kerry’s new peace plan?
“The economic
path to peace is good, but it must be followed by a very serious effort on the
political level,” said Mohammed Asideh, OVP's field coordinator and senior
youth leader.
While Reinicke
said he agreed, Samer Makhlouf, OVP’s executive director, wanted to underscore
this point.
“Palestinians
need a guarantee that Kerry is talking about real peace - and an end to the
occupation - not just economic peace,” he said.
Dr. Reinicke was
also keen to know what Palestinians want from the EU. The youth leaders in the room had a long
shopping list for Reinicke – more consensus across EU states that the
occupation should end now; more pressure on the US to be a truly neutral
mediator; a more visible role in negotiations by the EU itself; and for the EU
to set the parameters of the peace process, based on the Arab Peace Initiative
and international law.
As the meeting ended, Dr. Reinicke thanked OVP for its time and efforts in Palestine.
''It was a pleasure meeting all of you today," he told OVP. "I have written
down some notes and I assure you your inputs were very valuable."
Meanwhile in
Brussels, OVE was meeting MEPs from across the political spectrum – Greens,
Socialists, and Conservatives – to garner support for OneVoice’s work in Israel
and Palestine. Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering
MEP, former president of the European Parliament and a supporter of the
movement since he hosted OneVoice youth leaders at a session of the Parliament,
reiterated his support for OneVoice to keep pushing the political leaders
toward ending the conflict.
John
Lyndon, OVE’s Executive Director, and Anthony Silkoff, OVE’s Advocacy
Coordinator, were told by Pöttering they could count on his support to increase
momentum toward a two-state solution now, before it becomes too late.
OneVoice Europe Executive Director John Lyndon (left) and Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator Anthony Silkoff (right) with Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering MEP, former president of the European Parliament, in Brussels.
Panellists debate
the legacy of President Shimon Peres: (L-R) Dr. Ghada Karmi, John Lyndon,
Richard Symons, and Paul Charney.
By
Anthony Silkoff
Boring? A father figure? An over-achiever? A failure? Conflicted? These were the varied descriptions of Israel’s
President, Shimon Peres, which an audience of activists, students, Israelis,
Palestinians, and others at Kings College, London, heard on January 30.
OneVoice Europe
hosted a panel discussion on leadership in the aftermath of the Israeli
election. Following a screening of the acclaimed
documentary, The Price of Kings: Shimon
Peres, a panel of speakers offered their take on Peres as a leader and
the legacy he will leave in Israel and Palestine.
There was
inevitably much disagreement on the panel, with different points of view
represented by Paul Charney (Chair, Zionist Federation), Dr. Ghada Karmi (Palestinian
activist and academic), John Lyndon (Executive Director, OneVoice Europe), and Richard Symons (Co-Director, The Price of Kings).
There
was as much criticism as there was praise for Shimon Peres, which was
unsurprising for a such a long-serving political figure.
Dr.
Karmi was forthright in her view, saying she found him“to
be so boring in that movie” asking “what has he achieved?” and suggesting she
would find a film about assassinated Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin far more
interesting.
Paul
Charney found much more to be positive about, observing that “Peres was
instrumental in the pulling out of Lebanon and a key figure in the Oslo
accords.”Watching both the film
and the debate, I was simply struck by the sheer, undeniable, expanse of his experience, having
spent decades at the frontline of Israeli politics.
However,
what is also hard to deny, is that all
political leaders so far have failed in their attempts to resolve the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The
occupation remains; Palestinians and Israelis both live in fear and insecurity;
neither side lives in peace. So given the gravity of this situation, there is
little point drawing up a ranking of the “best” and “worst” politicians of each
side. Rather, we need to support a new
generation of leaders who are courageous enough to make a two-state solution
become reality.
The
young Israelis and Palestinians at the forefront of OneVoice’s grassroots
campaigns continue to make me immensely proud to be part of this Movement. I often hear people quote Gandhi – “be the
change” - our young activists are doing, not quoting; leading, not following.
In the
past six months alone, OneVoice Israel
activists compelled their fellow citizens to “Wake up!” to the reality
of politicians who want to damage the two-state solution. OneVoice
Palestine activists went out across the West Bank, planting trees for a new
forest and demanding an end to settlement expansion.
Summing
up proceedings, OneVoice Europe Executive Director John Lyndon made just that
point, explaining out that there are many different ways to lead.
“Peres
represents a totemic figure in Israeli political life,” Lyndon said. “But across
the Middle East, young people are taking the initiative themselves, and
pressing the case for change. Whether it’s the hundreds of thousands of
Israelis who took to the streets for social justice or the millions across the
Arab world who have demanded democracy and justice, it is clear that new
dynamics are emerging, with youth at the fore.”
So
yes, leaders of all countries have failed to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace,
but hope is not lost when a new generation is so clearly putting its foot
down. No more excuses. Two states, now. As internationals, let’s make sure we support
them every step of the way.
OneVoice will be screening the second film in The Price of Kings series, examining the life and leadership of Yasser
Arafat, on the February 27 in London. Please email [email protected]
for more details.
Left to right at top: OVI Youth Leadership Program
Director Adva Vilchinski, Youth Leader Maya Peretz-Ruiz, YL Elad Laor, Egyptian
activist Maikel Nabil Sanad, YL Nir Mekler, YL Gal Raij, and YL Livne Tslil. Left to right at bottom: YL Gabriel
Avner, YL Smadar Cohen-Chen, and YL Liat Leizer.
In an intimate meeting room in Tel Aviv on January 1, OneVoice Israel staff and youth leaders met
with a man of peace, of justice, and of grassroots mobilization.
Maikel
Nabil Sanad is an Egyptian military conscientious objector, a human rights
activist, well-known blogger, and 2012 Noble Peace Prize nominee. He spent 302
days in prison for writing articles on the Egyptian military’s human rights
violations, and engaged in a 130-day hunger strike. Maikel was released from prison
on Jan. 24, 2012, and toured Europe, the U.S., Egypt, and now Israel, speaking
about democracy.
“Everyone was really excited to meet him,” said Smadar
Cohen-Chen, 29, an OVI youth leader in attendance. “It was a cooperative, but
laid-back atmosphere – very much like ‘what do you need from me and what do I
need from you to keep [our goals] going.’”
Maikel and the OVI team spoke about several topics, but the
relationship between Egypt and Israel was the most popular. The Muslim
Brotherhood, the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s new
constitution, and the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty were all on the table.
Likewise, feelings and concerns about the apparent quashing
of the liberal movement within the Egyptian revolution was an item for
discussion.
Maikel assured his audience that Egyptians got rid of
Mubarak and will not settle for another dictatorship – yet revolutions take
time, as the American and French Revolutions did, Smadar said.
What the American and French revolutionaries did not have,
however, is the Internet. Both OVI and Maikel utilize online communities to spark
grassroots mobilization, disseminate information that governments may not want
the population to have, and to speak out against prevailing feelings of apathy
and cynicism.
According to Smadar, a PhD. candidate in political
psychology at the University of Sheffield (U.K.), the cynicism found in Israeli
society tends to make people think in terms of ‘what happens if it [peace]
doesn’t happen?’ instead of the opposite. She said that Maikel explained the
need for Egyptians to act in order to survive, so apathy is not in order.
Instead, there is tremendous positivity for the future of Egypt.
“Maikel thinks differently,” she said. “He framed his
message as, ‘I know it will work – I’m not sure when, but it will.’ It was a
moment of pure optimism – and for someone who has suffered, a truly hopeful and
positive scene.”
Hope is something Smadar is studying. Her dissertation
focuses on emotions as a barrier to conflict resolution, specifically hope, and
its alter ego, despair. She didn’t have to go far to get a glimpse of her work
in action.
“In this meeting, Maikel proved what I am trying to prove
academically: when people see the world as changing and dynamic, they tend to
have hope for the future, and vice versa,” she continued. “Hope is universal,
but we need individuals who can drive it into the heart of a larger society.”
A message from Daniel
Lubetzky, co-founder and president, OneVoice Movement
So many in the Israeli and
American Jewish community say that Palestinians take no steps to build trust or
recognize that they are committed to live in peace with Israel. But
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has for over a decade consistently been
courageous about the need for reaching a two-state solution through non-violent
means, to the point that other Palestinians often criticize him for his
conciliatory tone and policies that have not been reciprocated by the present
Israeli government.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and perhaps worst of all, Vice
Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon, keep marginalizing Abbas and giving him no room
to operate.
And yet the Israeli
administration has continued to unwittingly (or some fear, intentionally, so as
to discredit the existence of moderate Palestinian partners to negotiate with)
strengthen Hamas’s credibility – most recently with the Gaza war that ended
with Israeli concessions that Hamas is trumpeting as a victory over the
Zionists. Sadly, over the last couple of months the Israeli government
has turned Hamas into an extremely popular party not just in Gaza, but even in
the West Bank, and even among Christian parties. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank increasingly feel that the Hamas way of violent resistance is the only way Israelis will react and they credit Hamas with numerous (often imagined)
victories, while seeing Abbas as increasingly ineffective and irrelevant
because the Israeli government ignores his overtures.
It wasn’t like this just a few
weeks ago!
The present Israeli
administration continues to try to weaken Palestinian moderates and destroy any
legitimacy or credibility they may have left. Last week, Ya’alon said,
“What stands out from this event is the irrelevance of Abbas. He's only
relevant for declarations and for unilateral steps to seek recognition at the
U.N.” So what does Ya’alon want? For Abbas to use force so that he will
listen?! Didn’t we ask Palestinians to use diplomatic means? Which is it?
Do we want the Palestinian leadership to use reason as Abbas does, or force as
Hamas does?
It takes enormous courage for him to be direct
about all these issues. Saying it on Israeli television takes even more
courage.
"Palestine for me is the 1967 borders with East
Jerusalem as the capital, this is Palestine, I am a refugee, I live in
Ramallah, the West Bank and Gaza is Palestine, everything else is Israel,”
Abbas said in an interview on Israel's Channel 2.
And yet, Netanyahu’s response
that same day was to announce more settlement building.
It is fascinatingly depressing to see how extremists help one another become
more popular. It is almost as if there is an unholy alliance between the
Israeli and Palestinian absolutists, reinforcing each other’s visions, and
destroying the moderate camps on both sides. How long will the voices of
moderation stay silent and watch their lives be hijacked?
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
