…rather than what people want to hear – hopefully not too late…
Olmert Says Israel Should Pull Out of West Bank
By ETHAN BRONNER, New York Times, September 30, 2008
Professor Carlo Strenger wrote a poignant article in Ha’aretz, accusing Israeli extremists who foment a culture of incitement against other Jews who disagree with them. An excerpt:
Let us not forget that Israel, rightly, demands of the Palestinians to stop its schools from inculcating hatred for Israel. The West, rightly, demands that Islamic authorities condemn the hate speeches of Imams who call for the extinction of Israel and conquest of the infidel world. We demand this, because we know that words create reality; injunctions to violence in the end find their ways into the hearts of fanatics who will put these words into practice.
So why should we apply a different standard to Jews who do the same thing? Why should we accept that Jews who call for violence, Jews who in the name of their ideals allow for the blood of their ideological opponents to be shed?
For too long the Israeli Right has taken a forgiving attitude toward its ‘wild weeds.’ For too long it has used extremists to present its own views as acceptable mainstream.
I just received an email from OneVoice Israel describing their Award Ceremony for the winners of the Imagine 2018 Essay Contest on the Israeli Side. This event follows a similar one that OneVoice Palestine organized last month in parallel, in their case with the participation of the Chief Palestinian Islamic Justice and the Palestinian Minister of Education among others.
Here are excerpts of the Israeli letter:
Dear All,
OVI is happy to share with you the summery on the 2018 prizes ceremony and the launch of our new book "2018" (see cover attached).
The ceremony took place at the Tel Aviv cinematheque, during the international children film festival. We invited the 50 winners and their families, and 95% of them showed up.
The hall was packed with over than 250 people, while a few leaders left with no seat. The crowed was very heterogeneous and the kids and their families came from all across the country. We had kids from towns and villages, different refigures, boys and girls.
[I encourage you to read more by clicking below]
When Sir Paul McCartney performed a historic concert in Israel earlier this week, he wore the OneVoice symbol on his lapel – as did every member of his band.
![clip_image001[4]](http://blog.peaceworks.net/wp-content/uploads/PaulMcCartneysVisittoIsraelABackStageRep_BE96/clip_image0014.jpg)
How did this come about?
When we learned that McCartney was headed to the Holy Land, our team in OneVoice Europe, led by Sayyeda Salam, took the initiative and reached out to him. They relied on a few of our Board members and supporters to connect, but it was primarily gumption and determination that got them to him.
Apparently Sir Paul was the most down-to-earth and kindest person, and he loved learning about OneVoice’s mission of empowering ordinary Palestinian and Israeli citizens who reject extremism and absolutism and demand a two-state solution. OVE arranged for Paul to meet with OneVoice activists in the region.
Anti-Israel groups campaigned aggressively to dissuade McCartney from visiting the Holy Land, and threatened to boycott him if he didn’t boycott Israel. Never mind that McCartney was bringing a message of peace and humanity and that he visited Palestine and respectfully shared a non-political humanitarian message for both Israelis and Palestinians. “Anti” groups and “cultural boycott” organizations often harm their own people because they make no distinction of the substance of the message or the group involved – rejecting and attacking even those who would work for a two-state-solution.
![clip_image001[6]](http://blog.peaceworks.net/wp-content/uploads/PaulMcCartneysVisittoIsraelABackStageRep_BE96/clip_image0016.jpg)
When McCartney met with our OneVoice Israel activists, he empathized with the challenges they faced exactly a year ago, when extremist groups attacked the OneVoice Summit, a parallel effort of mainstream Palestinian nationalists and separately mainstream Israeli nationalists to mobilize tens of thousands to propel their political representatives to end the occupation and all forms of violence through a comprehensive two state agreement.
McCartney told our activists:
“My father told me that regular people don’t like wars and don’t want conflict. I’m not a politician – I just want to bring a message of peace. In every place I perform I see that people want the same thing.”
Gil Shamy, our Israeli Executive Director, gave him the OneVoice pin.
McCartney was so touched with the vision of our youth leaders that he decided to wear the pin during the concert – and give a pin to everyone in the band who did the same.
At at a press conference later on, McCartney still carried with him the message he and OneVoice had agreed on:
“My little bit is to try to bring people together through music … It seems to me that most of the people are quite moderate and would like a solution. They would like peace like most people in the world … They want the governments to decide quite quickly on two states, on two nations rather than this conflict. They want it to work so they can both be separate and peaceful.” (full story)
Here is a story by UPI. One on E Entertainment’s website. One in the UK’s Independent. And one in the Wall Street Journal. Pictures show Paul McCartney wearing the OV symbol, including on Ynet.
24 Sep 2008
Iran built a danger to the entire world. Its quest for religious hegemony and regional dominance divides the Middle East and holds back chances for peace, while undermining human rights.
From his speech, quoting Rabbi Nachman of Breslav:
May it be thy will to remove war and bloodshed from the world and perpetuate the wonders and greatness of peace. All the inhabitants of the world shall recognize and know the truth: that we have not been placed on this earth to wage war and not for hatred or bloodshed. "
Address by the President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres, at the United Nations General Assembly
24 September 2008
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Over 60 years have passed since the United Nations General Assembly voted on the historic resolution that would have put an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Resolution 181 called for the establishment of a Jewish and an Arab state. Its title was: "Plan of Partition with Economic Union". It envisioned two states for two peoples, each fulfilling a distinct national aspiration.
Almost a year ago, I was so upset at unfair attacks being lobbied at my Palestinian partners at OneVoice. As they were gaining more and more prominence for their work to achieve a two state solution, those who opposed them within Palestine tried to discredit them based on a smear campaign revolving around questioning their patriotism. I was filled with hatred.
I blogged back then how I realized this and fought it and literally forced myself to disavow that hatred and even work around my emotions to literally stop hating and actually start caring for those who I was most hateful towards. OneVoice, the Movement, rose to do the same.
If I hadn’t gone through such a tough period, I would never have written these lines, and reading them would have made me gag for their cheesiness. I don’t consider myself a "leftist" or a "pacifist", just an ordinary human being who recognizes that the betterment of humanity and of one’s ethnic, religious or national compatriots comes from understanding the shared humanity they have with their neighbors and rivals – getting both sides to recognize the essential human needs and rights of the other, and working together to achieve them.
But something happens when you get so close to the abyss, when your anger at a sense of injustice leads you to feel unrelenting hatred that you had not felt before, that you literally discover a new negative dimension you didn’t know you had – and do not like having. And this scary discovery also affords you the possibility to fight that hatred back, to ensure you don’t become that which you are trying to fight, to grow from the challenge.
When I meditated back then, I couldn’t put it into words – to be earnest, it certainly was not "love" – but I did achieve a sense of empathy with even these former "enemies" that had attacked my partners.
Earlier today I was struck when Frederic Brenner shared that "compassion is the only antidote to cynicism and cowardice." Looking back, THIS was the feeling that gave me the strength to find myself again, to extricate myself from within so much hatred I had created, and to rescue the mission. COMPASSION.
Indeed, compassion is an antidote to cynicism – and to fear, and to hatred. It is the antonym of hatred, more than love is. You don’t need to "love" your "enemy." But if you have compassion towards all others, even those who offend you most – no, particularly towards those who offend you most – then you will be able to find the way.
Every person who cares about Israel or Palestine should read this letter.
This month marks 15 painful years since the Arafat-Rabin handshake on the White House lawn. Palestinian children who started school when the Oslo
Looks like Tzipi Livni won the Kadima primary, a relief for those who want a steadfast continuation of peace efforts. Now Israel is moving to national elections, where the next challenge for the direction of the country lies.
More and more mainstream Palestinians disenchanted with the continuing occupation are wondering if they should get behind the call for a "bi-national" "one state" approach. Most of them prefer a Palestinian State unencumbered by Israeli Jews, and would prefer a two-state solution. But they wonder if negotiations will ever really lead to this, and wonder if Israelis are willing to make the historic sacrifices and compromises necessary (something most Israelis wonder in parallel about Palestinians).
So many Palestinians want to use the "One State" approach more as a threat or bluff, than as a preferred course.
The Palestine Strategy Group (www.PalestineStrategyGroup.ps) just published a paper analyzing alternative options to accelerate either a two state solution or the One State approach.
While a lot of arguments in this study are compelling and make sense for Palestinians who want to end the occupation, I really worry that the movement towards this One State Threat will backfire. Here is why.
If Palestinians start pursuing the one-state approach, to the vast majority of Israelis it will translate to “you see, they want the whole thing, a phased approach to Greater Palestine, so let’s not negotiate anything, because we are not getting any real peace in return.”
The “one-state” “threat” is a dangerous one. On one side it may awaken some people to recognize that if they don’t move fast to end the occupation through two states, that option will disappear. But on the other side most Israelis may be so threatened and turned off by this vision that they will assume Palestinians are not serious about a two state solution.
A MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE IF DIFFICULT APPROACH IS FOR MORE ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS TO RAISE THEIR VOICES AND DEMAND A TWO-STATE-SOLUTION, to put pressure on their politicians, to support moderate policies, to propel an agreement, and TO SHOW THE OTHER SIDE THAT MAJORITIES ARE BEHIND A HISTORIC SOLUTION.
So, to the Palestinian people I recommend: amplify your voice of support for a two-state solution – emphasize you respect Israel’s right to exist, but demand also your liberty and dignity. THAT WILL BE FAR MORE EFFECTIVE IN RALLYING ISRAELIS AND THE WORLD BEHIND YOU.
And to the Israeli people I recommend: get your act together and support the moderate majority of Palestinians who want a two state solution, before it truly becomes too late and we become enmeshed in an eternal battleground. Be a credible partner by showing real progress towards establishing a Palestinian State that is vibrant and free. This can become your formidable partner for the future.