The grand finale: your New Year's resolutions

Last day of the year. My blog has come to an end. After my emotional outpouring yesterday, I want to leave you with practical ideas of what you can do next. So how about it folks? Are you ready to make a resolution tonight to do at least one thing in 2010? Take your pick.

1. Educational Tours. On your next visit to Israel, set aside half a day to accompany an Israeli organisation on a tour to learn about different aspects of the conflict.

For tours of East Jerusalem - Ir Amim

For tours of Hebron and the South Hebron hills - Breaking the Silence

To meet Palestinian families in the West Bank - The Villages Group

2. Tell your friends. Let the voices of peace grow louder. The next time you speak to friends or family about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the next time you hear someone say that there is no hope for peace, tell them about all the different peace initiatives between Israelis and Palestinians. Tell them about the people who do believe in peace and who are trying to make it happen.

A list of peace organisations can be found here (scroll down to the bottom) and here. Take 10 minutes to look through. Try to remember two organisations and spread the word!

3. Stay informed. Choose one new source of information to find out what is happening on the ground. Choose a credible source, and be daring, pick one from the other side of your political leaning. You can subscribe to information bulletins or e-newsletters.

For the lefties out there try:

The Council for Peace and Security

Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

For the righties out there try:

B'Tselem

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel

4. Make a donation. If you already give money to Israel, think about allocating 5-10 percent of that amount to peace initiatives. If you do not give any money to Israel think about supporting one peace initiative this year. Personally, I like the following organisations:

If you want to support human rights:

B'Tselem (The information center on human rights in the Occupied Territories)

Hamoked (Providing legal defence for individuals)

Gisha (Working on freedom of movement)

If you want to help improve people's health:

Physicians for Human Rights - Israel

Peres Center for Peace

If you want to support peace dialogues between Israelis and Palestinians:

The Peoples Peace Fund (bringing together Palestinians and Israelis wounded in the conflict)

The Other Voice (bringing together people from Gaza and Sderot)

The Parents Circle (bringing together parents who have lost children in the conflict)

If you are interesting in art, music and culture:

The Villages Group (they just started a music center in two Palestinian villages)

If you are interested in environmental initiatives:

Comet-ME (Israelis installing solar panels and wind turbines in Bedouin villages in the Southern Hebron hills)

If you are interested in sport:

Peres Center for Peace

That's it. I'm done. Now do your own homework.

So here we are. Sixty one days later. Can you believe it? It is time to say good bye and to thank you for sharing this journey with me. I have cherished it dearly, and you have all made it worthwhile.

The End.

No more days to go.

So, how do I feel?

My journey has almost come to an end. I am packing my bags and getting ready to leave. So how do I feel after these two months? Well, terribly mixed.

I marvel at what the State of Israel has created in just 60 years. From science and technology, to research and development, to literature and the arts, to innovation in water conservation, agriculture and forestry. The greening of the desert. The high-tech industry. It is mind-blowing.

I also love the fact that Israel has created a space to express Jewish identity beyond religion, through a common language, land and culture. And I am in awe of Israel's numerous operations to save Jewish communities in distress from all over the world.

But I do not think this project will last unless Israel makes peace with its neighbours, especially the Palestinians. And when I look at what Israel is doing in that respect, I am deeply concerned. I cannot believe that the situation has been allowed to deteriorate so badly, and I cannot understand why most Jews in Israel and the diaspora are okay with what is happening.

I am shocked that Israel has allowed the settler population to quadruple in the last twenty years. As you drive through the West Bank, the landscape is dotted with prosperous Israeli settlements connected with sophisticated highways, electricity and running water, amidst a sea of poorer Palestinian villages, with badly maintained roads and services. If a Palestinian road runs too close to a settlement it is closed off. If an Israeli road crosses through a Palestinian village, there are army checkpoints to control Palestinian movement, or the land is simply confiscated. Is this how we show support for the creation of an independent Palestinian state? Is this our idea of peace?

I am disturbed by Israel's policy of separation. Separate roads and laws for Israelis and Palestinians living in the West Bank. A Separation Barrier between Israel and the West Bank. A prohibition on entry into Israel for Palestinians and vice versa. And restricting movement of Palestinians between the West Bank and Gaza.

It distresses me that we find it acceptable to put 1.5 million Gazans into a prison because they are controlled by an extremist militant group. That when we think of Gaza we only think of terrorists and forget that the vast majority are civilians who crave a normal life.

Of course, I am also angry that the Palestinians have not been able to get their act together. That they have not figured out that violence against Israel simply makes their situation worse, and that non-violent resistance might be a more effective approach. And I am angry that after 60 years, the Arab world has not faced reality: that Israel is not going anywhere, whether they accept its right to exist or not.

I believe that Israel needs military strength to defend itself. But I worry that today we are more proud of Israel's military might, than of our contribution to humanity. I feel sad that the iron fist is our claim to fame and not our compassion for human life.

But I have not given up hope. This is the Middle East. And the situation can change at the most unexpected moment.

1 day to go...

What have I learnt?

Believe it or not, I was scared to embark on this journey. I do not thrive on seeing conflict, injustice and suffering. I was scared to have my world turned upside down. I was scared about feeling hopeless, despair and full of hatred. I did not think I was ready to face the situation. I did not want to turn against my people and I did not want to blame the Palestinians for everything either.

I spent so many years avoiding the question of Israel and the Palestinians. The issue was so divisive with my family and my community, it always felt easier to talk about something else and to focus on other people's issues. I was unsure how my journey would be perceived. But this part has been easy. People have been open, engaged and interested. It has enabled me to be more open in return, and given me a greater ability for understanding.

I learnt a lot about the conflict, from the eyes of Israelis and Palestinians and through my own eyes. I have a better grasp of the issues, the different perceptions and perspectives. Everyone I met, Israeli or Palestinian, has an answer for everything, so it can be difficult to judge whether certain policies and acts are justified or not. I realised that the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

One thing is clear though, very few people think about the future, or have a plan for the future. Fewer and fewer people believe the two-state solution is possible, and almost no-one wants to live in a binational state (one state for two peoples). So what will it be? Eternal conflict? Never-ending occupation?

I lost some of my innocence about the ideal that Israel and the Jewish people always try to do the right thing with the highest moral ethic. I think this cannot be assumed, it must be proven. No people is naturally good or bad. Every nation has the ability to commit atrocities, albeit to varying degrees and at different moments in history. Which is why this journey has strengthened my belief in the rule of law. No-one should be above the law, and a person is never the best judge of their own acts.

It troubles me to see cases where Israelis are put above the law, especially when it comes to alleged wrongdoings against Palestinians. I heard and saw a number of cases where the army sat by and watched as settlers threatened and threw stones at Palestinian children on their way to school. After the war in Gaza, there were serious allegations of violations of the laws of war by both sides. I had no expectations that Hamas would carry out an independent investigation, but I was shocked that up to now, Israel has not launched an independent investigation. Instead Israel preferred to allow the military to investigate its own conduct. These are not good examples of upholding the rule of law.

But I also feel immense pride and hope, seeing how many Israelis care about what is going on and do something about it. I was thrilled to see how many Palestinians were active in peace initiatives, especially when it came to non-violent resistance. I really do believe that if the voices of these Israelis and Palestinians grow louder, that it will create an impetus for change.

Personally, I feel closer to my own identity, to my own people, than ever before. Whilst I was exploring a conflict between two peoples, I come from one of those peoples, and my journey was very much rooted in that identity.

Most importantly, I feel humbled by the experience. I do not have any big ideas to bring to the people in this region. I think they are trying everything they can, with enormous obstacles. I respect people's efforts and believe that our job, as people from the outside, is to support those efforts.

2 days to go...

So what are the chances for peace?

As I near the end of my journey, I feel it is time for reflection. What have I learnt from this experience? Is there any chance for peace? And what next for those who want to stay engaged?

Tonight I want to explore the chance for a peace agreement. No need for rocket science on this one, the prospects are pretty slim.

Why? Well, I wonder if anyone in power really wants peace. The Netanyahu government is not interested, the Abbas government is unable to deliver, and nobody trusts what Hamas says.

But, I also wonder if people here believe in peace right now. The majority on both sides do not believe the other side wants peace, nor that it is possible to live side-by-side in peace and security; and they are probably right.

Finally, I wonder if most people here are not more addicted to land than to peace. For Jews it is about a united Jerusalem and reclaiming other holy Jewish sites in the West Bank. For the Palestinians, it is about the right to return to their homes and their family's homes from before 1948.

So what next, what hope for this region? I can imagine a few scenarios. One option is the status quo. People in Israel continue to live in relative peace and security. Israel continues its military occupation, building settlements and the separation barrier on Palestinian land, and restricting the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank. The Palestinians remain divided (Hamas rules Gaza and Fatah the West Bank), the suffering in Gaza continues (or worsens), and Palestinians in the West Bank are better off economically but increasingly isolated from one another and not free to determine their future or govern their daily lives.

A second option is renewed violence: rocket attacks, another intifada and/or another Israeli military operation. Without a solution to the conflict, the situation will remain volatile. The support for non-violence by President Abbas has not achieved much in terms of concessions from Israel, and a culture of violent resistance remains alive. So long as Palestinians are not free, and so long as they continue to experience injustices in their daily lives, hostilities could flare up at any moment. And, so long as Israelis feel threatened and insecure in their daily lives, military force could be used at any moment.

A third option is to forget the idea of a final peace agreement and look for a temporary solution. This is not ideal, but it is the most pragmatic option available. I found the insight of former head of the Mossad, Ephraim Halevy, particularly persuasive. A long-term truce and provisional borders on the pre-1967 line. Once a temporary solution is in place, it will give the parties time to work out the final details and show if they are both serious about long-term peace. And who knows, it might also create the space for desperately needed confidence-building measures.

So, whilst there might be no chances for a peace deal now, I do believe another solution is possible.

4 days to go...

An oasis in the desert

This weekend, I took a break from the conflict, and went south with Andres to the dead sea, the Arava and a massive crater in Mitzpe Ramon. I was not planning to write about it, but we had such an amazing weekend, that I could not resist sharing the highlights.

The dead sea was a total trip-out from start to finish. From Jerusalem we took the so-called "bypass" road, which is an Israeli-built road in the West Bank designed to serve mainly the Israeli population. We arrived at a beach resort called Kalya, located in the West Bank, but which was covered with Israeli flags. And then as we entered, the place was full with a diverse mix of Israelis, Palestinians, and christian Indians, Sri Lankans and Koreans, who are here to celebrate Christmas. This place is nuts!

My favourite spots, however, were two moshavs we visited in the Arava. The oases in the desert. The first one was Ein Yahav where we stayed in a "zimmer" (the name taken from German), a Swiss-style chalet in the desert, which has become wildly popular with Israelis looking for a weekend getaway. The second moshav was Zipor, where we ate one of the most amazing brunches of my life.

An Israeli woman from Zipor called Ronit, decided to start an organic farm to teach children in the area about where their food comes from and how it is grown. Every year, with the help of children aged 4 to 10, they grow fresh, wholesome, and great-tasting fruits and vegetables (except for the Summer months, which are way too hot and burn everything!). She also keeps a small farm with rabbits, chickens and goats.

The arava

Two years ago she opened a restaurant in the garden, where you sit and eat amongst the tomato vines, cabbage patches, and rows of rocket leaves, parsley, basil, and oregano. We drank tea with fresh hibiscus, camomile and lemongrass. We ate freshly made jams and cheeses. I was in heaven.

75 percent of the water used for agriculture comes from wells dug by the government. The water is a bit salty, so they add 25 percent fresh water. Today, the farmers on the moshav use 90 percent less chemicals and pesticides they used 20 years ago (except for the organic garden which uses none). It is quite remarkable what these communities have been able to achieve in the desert (of course with the help of the government and the Jewish National Fund).

I expected the Arava to be dry, boring and empty. Instead, we saw amazing landscape, a booming tourism industry, thriving communities, and hidden gems! A much-needed weekend away.

5 days to go...

Meeting Mossad

Today I met a former head of the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency. He had an aura about him, a confidence, a clear-sightedness. I was in awe of him. Plus, he had many interesting things to say, particularly about Hamas.

The starting point was Gilad Shalit. In his opinion, if the Shalit deal goes through, it will remove obstacles between Israel and the Palestinians: "it will be impossible for Israel to maintain the blockade on Gaza," he said, "and Israel and the world will be forced to come to terms with how to deal with Hamas."

He said the option of erasing Hamas has been tried and failed. In Israel's dealings with the Palestinians, they must ensure that Hamas is part of the solution and not part of the problem. He encourages reason and logic when dealing with Hamas, and refraining from dealing with the ideological issues. "Our right to exist does not depend on them," he said, "this should not be a condition to talking with them."

He believes that Hamas is effective, credible and logical, but most of all, have shown they are capable of being in control in Gaza, something which he believes is not the case when it comes to Fatah in the West Bank.

He is not interested in convincing Hamas that their ideology is wrong, but rather, that it is in their self-interest to have an agreement with Israel. He believes that Hamas' proposal of a long-term truce and accepting provisional borders on the pre-1967 line is "a fine idea," because they are capable of implementing it, and because a provisional agreement might be the only thing possible right now.

And what about Iran's influence over Hamas? "Yes," he said, "Hamas receives aid, training and equipment, but Hamas are not a proxy of Iran, they do not take orders from Iran, they do not even have religious leadership."

So voila, insights from the heart of the Israeli intelligence community. What is your take on Israel negotiating with Hamas?

8 days to go...

Punishing who?

Today I was asked to prepare a short briefing on the Israeli blockade on Gaza. This is a really tough one (as you can see from my previous blog entry and the comments I received).

First, a bit of background on the blockade. In June 2007, Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in a somewhat bloody battle with Fatah. In response, Israel tightened its closure on the Gaza Strip, initially for fear that goods entering Gaza would be used for military purposes.

In September 2007, Israel's security cabinet declared the Gaza Strip a "hostile entity." The decision allowed the authorities to restrict the movement of people and goods in response to rocket fire. According to Gisha, an Israeli organisation that works on freedom of movement, the cabinet decision effectively authorizes collective punishment against civilians, because it allows Israel to impose restrictions, not in response to a concrete security threat, but rather as a means of exercising pressure on Hamas.

Since 2007, Palestinians are almost completely barred from leaving the Gaza Strip, apart from exceptional humanitarian cases. Israel has limited the amount of fuel entering and blocked the import of building materials and most kinds of goods. According to B'Tselem, the fuel shortage directly affects the water and sewage systems in the Gaza Strip. Some 30 percent of Gazans are denied regular water supply because of the cuts in electricity.

According to UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in the period before the blockade, an average of 583 truckloads of goods and humanitarian supplies entered Gaza. During the two years that followed, an average of 112 truckloads entered, less than a fifth of the previous number. Prior to the blockade, some 4,000 items were imported into Gaza from Israel. Currently, Israel allows 35 items, of which 74 percent are basic foodstuffs, although the number of items changes regularly. On average, four truckloads of construction material enter Gaza per month, 0.05 percent of the number entering prior to the blockade. A system of smuggling goods through tunnels has developed in response.

The closure intensified when a partial ceasefire between Hamas and Israel collapsed in November 2008. This led to a new wave of rocket attacks into Israel and the war in Gaza. According to OCHA, during the war, about half a million residents were affected by the frequent shutting down of the Gaza power plant, including their sanitation, water and power supply. 60 percent of the population received running water only once every 5-7 days and sewage poured onto the streets.

A year after the war, the situation remains critical. The destruction from the war has not been cleared away. Very little has been repaired or rebuilt, including hospitals, schools, factories and power stations. Dozens of families are still homeless, the health system is weak and the economy in tatters.

I do not pretend to know the way out of this mess. But, the failure of the authorities on both sides to differentiate between combatants and civilians, between military and non-military targets, is the most dangerous legacy left behind.

Yes, people on both sides have elected their leaders, but this does not justify indiscriminate attacks and reprisals against them. When you punish an entire group of people for the actions of their authorities or armed forces, it is called collective punishment, and it is prohibited under international law. When you label an entire group of people as hostile you silence the voices of reason.

Hamas's incessant rocket attacks have punished the civilians of southern Israel. Israel's response, a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, has punished the civilians of Gaza. Worse, neither strategy has worked. Hamas' actions strengthen the anti-peace camp in Israel. Israel's actions strengthen Hamas' popularity in Gaza.

I am all in favour of being tough on terror, but not to the detriment of our humanity.

9 days to go...

Is the Shalit deal imminent?

Today, once again, the talk on the street is about the imminent release of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier held by Hamas, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. A deal between Israel and Hamas, now that would be a first. Is this the start of something new?

10 days to go...

Trapped

Did you know the Israeli government has imposed a blockade on Gaza since Hamas was elected to power in June 2007? The blockade essentially means restrictions on the movement of goods and people. Only some humanitarian goods are allowed in and only people with life-threatening medical conditions are allowed out. The Egyptians on their side, have also severely restricted movement of people at their border, for fear of inheriting the problems in Gaza.

In response, the Gazans have dug hundreds of tunnels on the border with Egypt to allow goods to enter. Today there are around 700 tunnels that bring foodstuffs, clothes, electronic goods, gas, petrol and even cars into the Gaza Strip.

Last week however, news emerged of an Egyptian plan to build a 20-30 metre deep steel barrier to shut off the tunnels. No-one knows if the Egyptians will go through with it, but just imagine if they do. There are 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip who are completely dependent on the tunnels to meet their basic needs.

The people in Gaza are already isolated from the rest of the world. What would happen if they were totally cut off? How much more desperate can the situation get? What will become of the people?

11 days to go...

The gandhi way

Back to the IPCRI peace conference. This time I attended a workshop run by two amazing women, one Israeli the other Palestinian. They work together in an organisation called Just Vision, which is run almost entirely by women. I was instantly drawn to them. This conflict is so male-dominated, that it was refreshing to see women at the forefront of peace efforts.

Just Vision was born out of a desire to show Palestinians, Israelis and the international community that it ain't all about violence and aggression. Their goal is to inform people about joint Israeli and Palestinian efforts to resolve the conflict in a non-violent way. To allow the voices of peace to grow louder.

In 2006, they produced a film called Encounter Point. It tells the story of Israelis and Palestinians--most of whom either lost a loved one in the conflict, spent years in prison, or were driven from their homes--coming together to work towards understanding and a resolution to the conflict. This is the kind of work I like because it builds hope. Nothing is more urgent for this region.

Just Vision is about to release a new film, Budrus, which tells the story of a group of Palestinians and Israelis who come together to create a non-violent movement to save the village of Budrus from the route of the separation barrier.

The story has its limitations. One of the characters is a local Hamas leader, which seems misplaced, given that Hamas openly advocates violent resistance against Israel, including deliberately targeting civilians. But, what I find interesting is the realisation in some leaders that violence has not served the Palestinians interests. That it is time for a different approach.

A non-violent movement is starting to take form. It might be small but it is growing. And it is strongly supported by the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas. This is not the first time on my journey that I have heard stories and seen examples of non-violent resistance. I think these initiatives deserve to be treated seriously. If they become stronger, it might shift people's mindsets and open the way for a different future.

12 days to go...

The king of laughter

Another crazy day. This one I was not expecting.

I attended yet another conference organised by Israeli and Palestinian peace activists, this time under the umbrella of IPCRI. I looked at the program, saw the people, and thought I had walked into the land of the whackos. You know what I mean, the kind of people who are into eastern philosophy, and who believe that peace will come to the Middle East through magic tricks, yoga, reiki, tai-chi, meditation, and even laughter! Come on guys, give me a break, I thought, get off your clouds and come back down to earth.

But you know what? The big skeptic in me was totally captivated by what I saw. I went to two workshops, one about using magic for peace and the other on the power of laughter.

The first workshop was cool. The facilitators are magicians who believe that magic and politics share many things in common, and that magic can be a tool for peace. They taught us four practical tricks that each person could use in their own peace work. I was there with a bunch of Israelis from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and Palestinians from Gaza, Hebron, Nablus, and Bethlehem. And they loved it. Adored it. Everyone was so excited.

But then came the laughter workshop; and it has changed me. His name is Belachew Girma and he calls himself a laughter therapist. He is from Ethiopia. His story is one of tragedy, suffering, despair and rebirth. He lost his home in a fire, lost his businesses and property to the government, contracted HIV/AIDS, lost his wife to the virus, and then turned to violence and alcoholism. But one day he changed his mind. Decided to stop worrying and start living.

He read dozens of psychology books, found Jesus, and a new path. He believes in the power of laughter to melt fear, hatred, anger, despair, and suffering. So he just started laughing. And he kept laughing and laughing and laughing. His laugh is infectious, his aura is magical.

Just see for yourself.

The people in the room were ex-prisoners, ex-soldiers, people who have suffered from years of conflict, war, hatred, violence and anger. And they were all in fits of laughter. Together.

Belachew Girma changed something in the people in that room. Who knows how long the effects will last or what it will achieve in terms of concrete peace for the future, but the weight was lifted. His message was clear: you must stop feeding negative emotions and strengthen positive ones. You must forgive and forget. He showed us that laughter can transform emotions. Until today I did not know to what extent.

13 days to go...

An Arab peace initiative

Today I met a guy who told me about an Arab peace initiative, an offer made by Arab states in 2002 to end the Arab-Israeli conflict, establish peaceful relations with Israel, in exchange for a complete withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and a just settlement to the Palestinian refugee crisis. Sounds pretty good, no?

Think again. The initiative never really got off the ground. The day before the initiative was tabled, a massive terrorist attack, the Passover Massacre, was carried out by the Hamas military wing. Thirty Israeli civilians were killed and 140 injured. The attack sent shockwaves through the Israeli society. It completely overshadowed the initiative.

Since then, the Arab peace initiative has laid dormant, although it was re-endorsed by the Arab states in 2007.

I feel conflicted. On the one hand, to accompany a proposal for peace with a massive terrorist attack does not instill any confidence in the sincerity of the initiative. In fact, it stinks. But on the other hand, this was the first time that all Arab states came together to offer such a comprehensive peace deal with Israel. Can we really let a Hamas terrorist attack destroy this opportunity?

I wonder, does there have to be zero violence before a peace initiative can be considered? Does there have to be complete trust and confidence before a deal is possible? Or is it time to breath new life into the Arab peace initiative?

14 days to go...

The other voice

Today I went to Sderot to meet a guy who refuses to give in to the hatred. And believe me, this guy has a lot of cause for hatred. When the second intifada broke out in 2000, qassam rockets started coming over from Gaza into Sderot. At first, people in Sderot thought the rocket attacks would only last for a short time. No-one ever imagined that they would become an ongoing, long-lasting, and almost daily reality. Between 2005 and 2008, rocket attacks were particularly intensive. On good days, Sderot received two or three rockets, on bad days, up to sixty rockets.

The guy I met lives in Sderot with his wife and three children. His twins were three years old and his eldest daughter was six when the rocket attacks started. They are now 12 and 15 respectively. They do not know any other kind of reality. There are bunkers and shelters every few hundred metres. Many people receive ongoing trauma counselling.

When Justice Goldstone conducted a fact-finding mission earlier this year, he found Hamas militants guilty of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, for their indiscriminate and incessant rocket attacks at civilians in southern Israel. And rightly so. He called on them to investigate and prosecute those responsible.

Three years ago, the guy from Sderot, met two people from Gaza at a peace dialogue in Jerusalem. It was the first time he had met someone from Gaza since the rocket attacks had started, and it was an eye-opening experience. The three men promised to stay in contact.

And for the past three years they have kept the channel of communication open. They spoke, emailed and blogged together daily during the war in Gaza, from December to January.

They set up an organisation called the Other Voice, which is dedicated to bringing together people from Sderot and Gaza, if not in person, then by phone, skype, email or even through loudspeakers across the wall that divides Gaza from Israel!

They are trying to fight the demonisation of the other. They are concerned with the consequences of the dehumanisation, of treating everyone from the other side as an enemy. They believe that ongoing and sustained contact with people is key to remembering that human beings live on the other side.

What affects me so strongly about the story of Sderot and Gaza is how the situation has led to the blurring between military and civilian targets, between combatants and civilians. On the Hamas side, the enemy is the State of Israel, and they deliberately target civilians. On the Israeli side, the enemy is the Gaza Strip, which was declared "hostile territory" in 2007, and whose people have been severely punished ever since Hamas was elected.

The result: terrorized and traumatized civilian populations on both sides. 3 civilian deaths in Sderot and 773 civilian deaths in Gaza, including 320 children, during the last period of hostilities.

What I love about the work of the Other Voice, is that its members resist the blur. It is simple, yet incredibly powerful. They are a minority, but just imagine what could happen if these voices could got louder.

15 days to go…

Sorry guys...

I am exhausted. See you tomorrow.

16 days to go...

Who are the settlers?

Tonight I want to take a closer look at Israeli settlers. There are currently 479, 500 Israelis living in settlements in in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

But first a map from B'Tselem. The dark blue areas are settlements (homes, schools, synagogues, medical clinics etc...). The light blue areas are the municipal boundaries. The dark brown areas are Palestinian towns and villages. The light brown areas are administered by the Palestinian authority. The even lighter brown areas are under Israeli security control and Palestinian civilian control. And the white areas are controlled by Israel.

Settlements

Israelis choose to live in settlements for economic, religious and ideological reasons, all strongly encouraged by political parties and the government (through both financial incentives, infrastructure and other support). Peace Now defines ideological settlers as those who live in settlements to settle Eretz Israel and prevent implementation of a two-state solution. A second category choose to live in settlements for their low housing prices and relatively high quality of life. The third category are ultra-Orthodox Jews who live in settlements built especially for them, for example, Modi’in Illit and Beitar Illit, but who are not ideologically motivated.

There are no official statistics, but Peace Now estimates that 40 percent are ideological settlers and 60 percent are there for economic reasons, both the ultra-Orthodox and secular Israelis.

All this is good and bad news. The good news is that the majority of settlers are not there for ideological reasons, which means that if the time comes to establish an independent Palestinian state, it will be relatively easy to move these people back into Israel (so long as the government provides financial incentives).

The bad news is that these figures show just how extensively the settlement enterprise is driven by government policy and support (and not by a bunch of whacky Jewish cowboys). The majority of Israelis move to settlements because it is financially more attractive for low-income families.

So it makes me wonder: why does the government provide such strong support for settlements? Why are they supported by both the left and right? And what does this mean for the prospects of an independent Palestinian state?

17 days to go...

Extreme measures

Tonight I have no words, I just ask you to watch. Each film is around 9 minutes long. If you do not have time for both, watch a few minutes of each one (it is important to see the end of the second film to understand the message).

18 days to go...

The festival of lights (or the modern Jew)

Last night I celebrated the first night of Channukah, the Jewish festival of lights. Channukah is not really a religious festival, it is a celebration of the victory of light over darkness, and a reminder of the history of the Jewish people.

I went to a really cool Channukah party in Tel Aviv organised by a group of arty Israelis at "the hub." I met people who are involved in all sorts of peace initiatives, actors, artists and journalists. And there we were all celebrating Channukah!

We sang Channukah songs, heard a few Channukah stories, and ate lots of food fried in oil (which ain't so good for the hips, but at least reminded me of the oil that miraculously lasted for eight days when it should have only lasted for one).

I am not a religious Jew. I found my connection to G-d outside of Judaism. And whilst I do not reject the religious aspects of the Jewish people, I feel there is so much more to us that is often hidden in the shadow of the religion. Last night's Channukah party was a celebration of Jewish identity rather than the religion. And I loved it! It is one of the reasons why I also love the festival of Pesach so much. Pesach is essentially a reminder of the injustice of slavery, and a celebration of freedom (although it does have a religious aspect to it as well).

Most of the "jewish" stuff I do here is with my religious friends. I enjoy it but it doesn't feel like me. Even when I celebrate religious Jewish festivals with my atheist family in Australia, again, I love it, but it feels like I am being transported back to the shtetl in Lithuania where my great grandparents came from. It is more about tradition than an expression of my Jewish identity today.

Last night was something different. And I only realised it today: one of the amazing things about Israel is that it has created a space for a more modern expression of what it means to be Jewish. And it was wonderful to be a part of that.

19 days to go...

The music of life

You know what? I am exhausted. It feels like I never stop. My journeys into the West Bank are long and tiring. But what can I say? I am addicted. And today was a particularly special day. I would not have missed it for the world. I went to a place where I personally feel part of the peace efforts, and where many of you are personally part of the peace efforts.

I went to Salem, a Palestinian village in the northern part of the West Bank, around 2km from the major city of Nablus. I joined two kibbutzniks, Erella and Ehud, from the Villages Group for their weekly family visits. The main reason we went to Salem was to visit Jubier Ishtayya, a local musician and teacher who is starting a music centre with your help.

Erella met Jubier a few years ago. They connected over a common dream to create peace through music. Well, peace is actually the word I chose. Erella and Jubier are more grounded than that. They do not have any grandiose ideas about peace. Instead, they believe in the transformative power of music. They believe that music is a tool for developing creative minds, rather than destructive ones. The music centre will be a place of learning, artistic expression and concerts; a centre for healing and hope.

I met Ehud, Erella and Jubier earlier this year and I was blown away. Not by the idea of the project, that was not new to me, but by the spirit, the energy and the relationship between these three people. Their idea was well thought out, realistic, and targeted at a particularly vulnerable group: boys and girls in their late teens, living in extreme conditions, with few employment opportunities, and nothing to do in the afternoons. The centre will start small, but they have big plans for the future.

And the dream was made possible because of support from many of you. So tonight, even YOU can put smiles on your faces. The music center will open in January, half the students will be girls and half boys. The head of the village has provided the space and political support for the project.

It is wonderful to feel part of a concrete project on the ground; particularly one that I so strongly believe in. This gives me hope. And I promise, before I finish this journey, I will provide you with plenty more ideas for how you can stay engaged.

20 days to go...

The odd couple

I hope you are not getting sick of the feel good stuff, because I have another excellent story to tell you.

Sulaiman, a Palestinian, and Gadi, an Israeli, met while they were both travelling in the U.S. A common friend forced them to meet, against their will. They started talking, which turned into arguing, quickly transformed into fighting, until one day they started to laugh. It took a few years, but finally they built up trust, and started working together.

Now, they want peace. "Nu," you must be saying, "so vot's new? Ma nishtana halayla haze mikol haleylot?" (What makes this night different from all other nights?)

Call them crazy, but Gadi and Sulaiman really believe peace is possible. And they do not just talk about it. They feel it and they act it. I wish you could all be here with me to bear witness, to feel their energy. It is so amazing to be in their presence, not crazy lefties, but mainstream guys, who are prepared to fight for peace at all costs.

Gadi and Sulaiman are not interested in preaching to the converted. The right wing is their target group. They call themselves "social entrepreneurs." I think "the odd couple" seems more fitting.

Two years ago, an ex-chief warden of one of the most notorious Israeli prisons in the West Bank, approached Gadi and asked him to organise a meeting with ex-Palestinian prisoners. The ex-chief warden had discussed the idea with ten other Israelis, all wounded while serving in the army.

Gadi immediately called Sulaiman and asked if he could organise the Palestinian side. Sulaiman had spent ten years in prison over fifteen years ago, for attempting to kill two Israeli soldiers. He is well-connected to the ex-prisoner community in the West Bank. He convinced ten Palestinians, wounded either from before or during their time in prison, to meet the Israelis.

The group now meets regularly. They have also met in Bosnia and Switzerland. Two years on, and the dialogue has survived, with many wild and wonderful stories to share (for another time).

Gadi and Sulaiman are a peace process in the making; never abandoning their own but determined to live in peace with each other. This odd couple has achieved a delicate but powerful balance; and they have managed to attract the most unlikely and hardcore characters on their peace mission. Now, that is what I call the real deal!

21 days to go....

Suddenly, an oasis of peace

Today I travelled to the village of Aqabah in the northern part of the West Bank, to meet the head of the village, Haj Sami. Haj Sami is no ordinary guy and his village is no ordinary village. He is dedicated to peace and has created an oasis around him.

Aqabah is a small village with 300 people, a mosque, a school and a medical clinic. Aqabah is also located in what used to be an Israeli military training ground. In 1971, when Haj Sami was sixteen years old, he was wandering in the fields during a military training exercise, and was accidentally shot by Israeli fire. The incident left him in a wheelchair.

But it did not deter his commitment to peace. Haj Sami has a zero tolerance policy on violence and he implements this policy in every aspect of daily life: at schools, mosques and in the home. He told me that once an Israeli military jeep skidded and turned over on a road near the village, injuring three soldiers. He immediately sent people to help and provide medical assistance.

He speaks fluent Hebrew and encourages dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. His latest project is to build a peace house where Israelis and Palestinians can meet, share their grievances and frustrations and then find ways to build a better future.

Haj Sami's energy is infectious. And the village is eerily peaceful. I feel a huge sense of hope. It is exhilirating. And I am off to celebrate!

22 days to go...

The "S" word

I do not know about you guys, but I am often confused about the whole settlement thing. On the one hand, both the left and the right in Israel support and encourage settlement construction when they are in power. On the other hand, the whole world says Israeli settlements are illegal and an impediment to peace. So what is going on here? On what basis are settlements legal or illegal?

This is what I found out. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the historical context for allowing Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip comes from the Mandate of Palestine adopted by the League of Nations in 1922, which provided for Jewish immigration and settlement on the land, including State lands, but without prejudice to the local population.

The Ministry also examined international laws that Israel has signed regarding the issue of settlements. The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the forcible transfer of segments of the population of a state to the territory of another state which it has occupied. The provision was drafted immediately after World War II, and was intended to protect the local population from displacement by the occupying power. The rest of the world says that the provision on population transfer in the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. They consider all settlement construction illegal.

The Ministry, however, argues that the provision does not apply to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, because it does not prohibit the voluntary return of individuals to towns or villages from where there ancestors have been ousted; and because the provision does not prohibit movement to land which was not formerly a sovereign state. The Ministry claims that Israeli settlements have been established only after exhaustive investigations, under the supervision of the Supreme Court of Israel, to ensure that no settlements are established on private Arab land. The Ministry emphasises that the movement of individuals is voluntary and not intended to displace Arab inhabitants, nor do they do so in practice.

From 1967 to the end of 2007, Israel established 121 settlements in the West Bank. 12 other settlements are located in East Jerusalem. There are an additional 100 unrecognized settlements, referred to in the media as “outposts.” The 16 settlements built in the Gaza Strip and three settlements in the northern West Bank were evacuated in 2005 during the disengagement plan. By the end of 2008, the number of settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem stood at 479,500. Israel provides strong economic incentives to encourage Israelis to move to settlements.

In 2006, Peace Now, an Israeli peace movement, got access to information from the Civil Administration, the governmental body that administers the construction of settlements, about settlement activity. Leaving international law to one side for a moment, Peace Now found that Israel is even violating its own policies and laws with regard to settlements.

The report found that nearly 40 percent of settlements are built on private Palestinian land. In some settlements the percentage was higher, with 86.4 percent of Ma'ale Adumim being built on private Palestinian land. Only 1.3 percent of settlement land was actually purchased by Israelis. The rest of the settlements have been built on so-called "State land" and a smaller percentage on "survey land." Much of this land had people living on it beforehand, using the land for their homes, to graze sheep, or for agricultural purposes. But most of these people did not have formal title to the land.

Given this evidence, the answer to the legal question seems clear. Houston, we have a problem. But the bigger question is why? Why is there such strong support from Israeli governments, left and right, for the settler movement? Why does Israel seem so ready to bend the rules on this issue?

I still have more searching to do.

23 days to go...

Being dafka

I am having an ongoing dialogue with my aunt about my blog. I have upset her. She feels I am badmouthing my own, providing fodder to feed the hatred against Israel. She says I am biased and only show sympathy for the Palestinians. I know she is not the only person who feels this way so I want to respond here.

First, I am incredibly grateful to everyone for sharing this journey with me. It is not an easy one. I appreciate your openness and honesty. That you are ready to engage counts enormously.

Second, there are many things I love about Israel. I love the food, I love the warmth of the people, I love the vibes in the cities. There are so many amazing Israelis who are trying to make things better and trying to reflect on what is happening here, the unspoken heroes of this conflict.

I am proud of being Jewish. My journey, while critical of the policies of the Israeli government, is deeply rooted in my love for my own people. One of the things I value most is our emphasis on asking questions, discussing and debating. Being dafka. I think it makes us strong. I think it makes us confront reality.

But I also understand, that because Israel receives so much criticism from the outside, most Jews believe it is their duty to be loyal, to stand by Israel.

I think a lot about my Bobba (my grandmother). She was not in Europe during the Holocaust, but she had to stand by and watch while Hitler tried to exterminate our people. How do you live with that? For me it is obvious that in her time, the most important cause was the creation of a homeland for the Jewish people. And she fought for it with a passion and determination that I deeply admire. She even bought an enormous apartment in Tel Aviv in the hope that her three children and their families would make aliyah, and that she would house all fifteen of us!

Israel is now a strong, independent, vibrant and thriving nation. It has proven its resilience time and again. But with power comes responsibility. And this means being accountable for your actions and respecting the rule of law. If it is our duty as Jews to support Israel, then are we not undermining the state by not holding it accountable for its actions? by not insisting that it upholds its own laws and international obligations?

I am not asking Jews to become the victim again. It stinks to be the victim. I would rather be strong and have enemies than be weak and extinct. So I am not asking us to be perfect, I am asking us to be better. Because I believe we can be, and because I believe it is in our interest to be better. For now. For tomorrow. And for the future.

24 days to go...

A short holiday

Am taking a break from the conflict for four days. Will be back on Sunday with more riveting stories to share. Please feel free to use this time to catch up on reading, and to post your own stories, experiences and comments on the conflict.

27 days to go...

Tomb of the Patriarchs

Today I did a tour of Hebron with B'Tselem. The guide was an Israeli who served in the army in Hebron twenty years ago, for the Golani Brigade. We met the spokesperson of the Hebron Jewish community and a Palestinian who runs a non-violence centre. Once again, I was amazed by the individual stories and the path which led each person to this point.

But first, a few words about Hebron. Hebron is a Palestinian city located in the West Bank. It is also the burial site of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Leah (and possibly also Adam and Eve). You see, all this is Abraham's fault. When he arrived in the land of Canaan, he settled near Hebron, and when his wife Sarah died, he purchased a plot of land including a burial cave. This later became the tomb of the patriatchs, and has become one of the ugliest faces of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (if only Abraham knew what trouble he started!).

We stayed in the Israeli-controlled part of Hebron, which is 3 percent of the city, and where 25, 000 Palestinians and 600 Israelis live. 1, 000 Israeli soldiers are also stationed in Hebron.

The spokesperson of the Hebron Jewish community told us the story of the Jews in Hebron. The tomb of the patriarchs is the second most holy place for Jews, although it is also considered sacred for Muslims and Christians. Jewish presence in the city dates back to the 11th century. The Jewish and Muslim population of Hebron lived side-by-side in relative harmony for much of this time. Although, for seven hundred years, during the Ottoman rule, Jews were not allowed to prayer at the tomb.

And then, he said, came the massacre. In 1929, during the British rule, things turned sour. A mufti from Jerusalem began inciting violence against the Jews. On 23 and 24 August, Arabs from Hebron and surrounding villages massacred 67 Jews and wounded over 70. Many other Jews were saved by Arab families who hid them in their homes (19 families, according to our guide). After that, most Jews were relocated to Jerusalem, and the last remaining inhabitant left the city in 1947, just before Israel's independence.

The spokesperson for the Jewish community then turned to the more recent history. In 1968, a group of Jews requested permission to celebrate Pesach in Hebron. After the holiday they stayed and announced their intention to establish a Jewish settlement and received support from the government. They occupied synagogues, yeshivot, a hospital and homes which belonged to Jews prior to 1929. Today there are four settlements in Hebron city, with 600 Israelis, and one neighbouring settlement, Qiryat Arba, with 7, 000 Israelis.

The veteran soldier from B'Tselem told us that the settlement in Hebron is the only Israeli settlement in the heart of a Palestinian city. It is also the most fanatical and ideological of the settler movement. In fact, he said, the vast majority of settlers live in the West Bank because it is more affordable than in Israel, not for ideological reasons. There is ongoing violence and tension in the city, which is why B'Tselem has an active presence in the area, including a video project that acts as a deterrent to violence.

In 1994, an American-born Israeli, Baruch Goldstein, entered the tomb of the patriarchs during muslim prayers and opened fire, killing 29 Palestinians and injuring 150. This was a massive turning point, our guide told us. After this incident, the Israeli government implemented severe measures to separate the Israeli and Palestinian populations. The main Palestinian marketplace and shopping area, where the settlers also live, was closed and moved elsewhere. Palestinians who have their homes next to the settlers are not allowed to bring cars into the area nor receive visitors. They have grills on all their windows and balconies to prevent them throwing stones at the settlers and vice versa. The tomb of the patriarchs was split in two: one side for Muslims and one side for Jews.

It is like a ghost town. All the shops are bolted closed, buildings are in disrepair, and there are army checkpoints, barriers and barbed wire on every corner. All I kept thinking was, Abraham must be turning in his grave.

Our last stop was to visit a Palestinian man from Hebron who recently established a centre for non-violence in Hebron. He is furious with the Israeli government for allowing the situation in Hebron to get so bad, but he believes the only solution is non-violence. He rents a house in Hebron which houses non-violent projects. He is currently running workshops on how to use video-cameras, shoot films and edit documentaries; they run English and Hebrew classes for women, and it is a place where Palestinian children can come to play.

My initial thought of Hebron was, of course Jews have a right to be present here, it is where our forefathers and foremothers are buried, Jews have been here since the 11th century. But if I think that, then surely I must afford the same rights to the Palestinians, who's homes, or who's parents and grandparents homes, and who's holy sites are in Israel. But where does that leave us? Can the two peoples ever live together? And if not, is asserting our rights the best starting point for figuring out how to solve this mess?

I started wishing again that the pragmatists had a louder voice in this conflict.

29 days to go...