Daniel Lubetzky

Below is Tzippy Livni’s code of democratic values, based off of recent events in the Middle East, and decades of history:

Current events in the Middle East highlight the urgency of adopting at the global level what true democracies apply at the national level – a universal code for participation in democratic elections. This would include requiring every party running for office to embrace, in word and deed, a set of core democratic principles: the renunciation of violence and the acceptance of state monopoly over the use of force, the pursuit of aims by peaceful means, commitment to the rule of law and to equality before the law, and adherence to international agreements to which their country is bound.

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This video is very well done, regardless if one thinks that Israel should return to her 1967 borders. As the video describes, some Israelis are very concerned about returning to their previous borders from a defense perspective, and it is important to understand their viewpoint.

Others feel that Israel would be able to adequately defend herself (as seen in the 1967 war), and that the West Bank is not crucial to doing so.  As Mr. van Creveld, an Israeli military historian said in an article in the New York Times: “Strategically speaking . . . the risk of giving up the West Bank “is negligible.” He continued: “What is not negligible is the demographic, social, cultural and political challenge that ruling over 2.5 million — nobody knows exactly how many — occupied Palestinians in the West Bank poses. Should Israeli rule over them continue, then the country will definitely turn into what it is already fast becoming: namely, an apartheid state that can only maintain its control by means of repressive secret police actions.”

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Adeena Schlussel

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Although this article by Tom Friedman over simplifies the tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, it promotes a laudable lesson: Israeli and Palestinian leaders need to come together over a share goal, instead of working separately to advance their own agendas. The lessons learned from Mubarak’s ousting from Egypt teach that non-violence and leveraging  political and economic advantages will save the day.

by Adeena Schlussel

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Below is an interview between two OneVoice Youth Leaders, Danny Shaket and Ahmad Omeir, that was featured on NPR.  The two Youth Leaders, along with host Michel Martin, discussed their perspectives about the President’s meeting with Netanyahu. This clip shows the insights and potential change that can come from youth leading grassroots movements on the ground.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Adeena Schlussel

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Below are President Obama’s remarks about the palpable moment of opportunity that we are currently facing in the Middle East.  Shortly after delivering this speech, the President met with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss the opportunities for Israel and America’s partnership, and a summary of that dialogue follows. 

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Samer, the Executive Director of OVP saw this near his village and shared it because it really captures the challenges of how Palestinians and Israelis are attending to the conflict:

“We are living in a fantasy, they are living in denial.”

OneVoice Palestinian supporters attended the unity rallies in the West Bank on Tuesday, demanding reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas.  Many believe that cooperation between the two factions is the first and necessary step to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, redacted by Adeena Schlussel

OneVoice executives met with the Palestinian Prime Minister the other week.  While the meeting focused on many issues, Samer bolstered the importance of state building and civil society’s role in doing so successfully.

This article provides substantive and sufficiently detailed proof that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not intractable.

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It is especially fitting that the following OneVoice music video aired repeatedly in Times Square, the capital of diversity and entertainment in NYC.  Check out this great video by clicking on the photo below, to see the humorous message of peace and hope that thousands of New Yorkers got a chance to see: