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...

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...

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...

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 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...

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...

An Arab's Holocaust museum

OK, this is a second hand story, but I could not resist sharing it with you. A Swiss friend of mine met this incredible guy, a muslim, Arab-Israeli, who opened up a Holocaust museum in Nazareth in 2005 and in Ni'lin in the West Bank this year.

Hi name is Khaled Kasab Mahameed and he defies the norm. He believes that teaching Arabs about the Holocaust is vital to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict. He regularly goes to the West Bank to educate Palestinians about the Holocaust.

He is criticised by both sides. By the Arab side for focusing on the suffering of the Jews and abandoning the suffering of the Palestinians. And by the Jewish side for making links between the Holocaust and the suffering of the Palestinian people.

I have not met him yet, so it is too early to judge, but it sounds like an important initiative. Another building block to peace.

30 days to go...

The sacrifice

Today was the Muslim fesival of Eid al-Adha, also known as the "Festival of Sacrifice." It commemorates the story of when Abraham tried to sacrifice his son to G-d. Jews, Christians and Muslims believe the same story, they just differ on which son went up to be sacrificed. The Jews and Christians say it was Isaac. The Muslims say it was Ishmael.

During Eid, it is customary to sacrifice an animal and then feast on it. I joined a group of kibbutzniks who went to wish "Eid said" (happy festival) to dozens of Palestinian families in the West Bank. We literally went around from family to family, offering sweets and chocolates, sharing in the festivities, and receiving their warm hospitality.

At every home we were offered sickly sweet tea, cardamon infused coffee, biscuits with dates and figs, traditional bread, rice, yogurt, and of course, the sacrificial lamb. In one case, the family actually sacrificed a camel. I am scared to admit this to my Hindu friends and my animal-loving sister, but I must confess, I ate the camel.

In Arab culture, hospitality is one of the most sacred values. To refuse their hospitality would have been the greatest insult, absolutely unthinkable. And by the way, it tasted damn good!

Now back to my story. Many of you already know the kibbutzniks I am referring to, they call themselves the Villages Group, and they are some of the most inspiring people I have met on my journey. They are Israelis who spend every weekend visiting Palestinian families to build friendships. They are determined to keep the human contact alive; to resist the demonisation of "the other;" to transcend the Us versus Them tag.

I am deeply moved by the simplicity of their acts and the power of their message. Too often I hear people from both sides accusing "Israelis" or "Palestinians" of being killers, fanatics, violent, ideological, full of hatred, and more. I have been guilty of doing this myself. I am not denying that these kinds of people exist here, they do. But I do not accept putting this label on an entire people. The label, and the discourse that accompanies it, is being used to justify the most horrifying acts. Worst of all, it is stripping people of their humanity.

I know that peace is a distant dream, but what price are we willing to pay until we get there? How far are we prepared to dehumanize?

33 days to go...

Puzzled in Jerusalem (part two)

I keep bumping into Palestinian taxi drivers in Jerusalem. It is quite odd. I thought the two sides were not allowed to mix, especially since the second Intifada in 2000.

So I decided to dig a little deeper to find out what was going on.

Basically, these Palestinians are from East Jerusalem, a group of 250, 000 people who have a unique place in this conflict. They are known as Jerusalemites. They have a different status to Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza, and from Arab-Israelis.

Jerusalemites carry Israeli identity cards but do not hold Israeli citizenship. They are entitled to free education, health care, social welfare, and all other benefits that Israelis are entitled to. They are the only people, other than foreigners, who can travel freely around Israel and the West Bank.

But to be honest, they do not have an easy time in the holy land. They face housing shortages, bad roads, and irregular municipal services. There are not enough schools. Only 8-10 percent of the municipal budget is allocated to them. If they leave Jerusalem for more than seven years they can lose their identity cards.

Many people blame the Israeli government for neglecting the Jerusalemites. I think the story is more complex. I think the Jerusalemites also have a lot to answer for.

The Jerusalemites were offered Israeli citizenship in 1967. Around 85 percent refused because they said it would undermine their struggle for a Palestinian state. I can understand that.

With their Israeli identity cards, Jerusalemites are entitled to vote in the Jerusalem municipal elections. But they have boycotted that too. This does not make sense to me. They are happy to receive health care, education and welfare from the Israeli government, but they will not exercise their right to vote to influence the decisions of the municipality of Jerusalem.

Jerusalemites are currently 35 percent of the population of Jerusalem. They are an important constituency. Voting could give them a say in how resources are allocated for roads, schools and hospitals, how building permits are distributed, and the quality of municipal services.

They refuse to exercise their political rights because it would mean legitimizing the Israeli occupation. It could also mean risking their lives for collaborating with Israel. And most importantly, it would undermine Palestinian unity, a precious ingredient for their national struggle.

I understand the importance of unity for a national struggle. It is how my people got their State, and why most of my people still refuse to speak out against that State.

Ideology has been an important tool for both peoples, but it is not helping anymore. It is time for some pragmatism.

35 days to go…

A breakthrough?

The news in Israel over the past few days has been about a possible deal between Israel and Hamas for the release of the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, in exchange for the the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Gilad Shalit has been held captive by Hamas since June 2006. He is kept in hiding, and denied all contact with the outside world, including from the Red Cross. It is still unclear whether the deal will go through or not, but the mood here is electric.

Sorry for the cliché, but Gilad Shalit has truly captured the hearts and minds of the Israeli people. All around Israel, people hang flags outside their houses and put bumper stickers on their cars, with his face and the slogan "Gilad Still Lives" or "Free Gilad." You can follow his campaign on websites, facebook and twitter.

If the deal goes through, there could be more at stake than Shalit's freedom. It could shift some of the dynamics in the region. First, it could help ease the blockade on Gaza, which is having a crippling effect on the population. Second, the potential deal is understood to include the release of a Fatah leader, Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for murder. Barghouti is popular among the Palestinian people and a possible candidate to replace Mahmoud Abbas as president of the Palestinian Authority.

It seems ludicrous that Israel would release hundreds of prisoners in exchange for just one soldier. But I think there is more to this possible deal than meets the eye. It could help unlock issues that have been frozen for years.

What would a deal mean for relations between Israel and Hamas? And where does a victory for Hamas leave Fatah? Could Marwan Barghouti re-unite the Palestinian people? And if so, will Israel want to deal with him?

The answers remain to be seen. But one thing is for sure, if this deal goes through it will put smiles on a lot of faces, at least for a few hours.

37 days to go...

Goldstone and Gaza

I spent the day at Hebrew University at a conference about international humanitarian law (the laws of war). The line up was extraordinary: judges from the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, professors who wrote the reference books on international humanitarian law, and lawyers who have taken cases before international courts. One of the participants said it was like being at the table with the Al Pacino and Robert Deniro of international law. It was incredibly stimulating and deeply humbling to be in the presence of people who have dedicated their lives to achieving justice for victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Unsurprisingly, the elephant in the room was the recent Goldstone report into the Gaza conflict, which took place earlier this year. The report essentially found evidence that both the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) and Hamas committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, during the Gaza conflict. What has since followed is a massive outcry, either in favour of or against the report's findings.

The majority of speakers at the conference where critical of Goldstone's report. They felt the report confounded human rights and humanitarian law, two separate but related bodies of law, thereby turning humanitarian law on its head. And they were shocked that a fact-finding report saw fit to conclude that war crimes had been committed, without having gone through a thorough legal and judicial investigation.

Personally, I do not like Goldstone's conclusions. I find them incredibly severe and hard to believe. Plus, to deliver it into the hands of the Human Rights Council, a body known for its bias against Israel, just felt all wrong. I think it was a mistake to conduct this investigation under the mandate of the Human Rights Council. I would have much preferred for Israel to carry out its own independent investigations. Israel has done this kind of thing in the past, so it is strange that until now Israel refuses to carry out independent investigations, insisting instead that the IDF internal investigations of its own conduct is adequate.

But, if you strip away all the problems with the report, we are still left with shocking evidence of what happened during that war; evidence that none of us should allow to be buried. According to the report, the IDF bombed the only flour mill in operation in Gaza, destroyed chicken and egg factories, razed 200 industrial sites, and bulldozed thousands of hectares of farmland, without any clear military objective. Mosques, hospitals and schools were also hit. Now, maybe all these targets were legitimate military objectives. But I would like to find out.

The allegations in the Goldstone report must be investigated further--in a thorough, independent and impartial manner. Can we really afford to dismiss all this evidence because we do not like the packaging? Can we ever afford to turn our backs on the truth because it is too hard to stomach?

38 days to go...

The forgotten people

Yesterday I visited a group of people who live far south of the West Bank, known as the "cave-dwellers." They are poor nomadic communities who live in caves. They are largely unconnected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but got caught up in the middle. Neither the Palestinian Authority nor the Israeli authorities provide services or support to these people. They lack adequate housing, electricity and water.

The family of cave-dwellers I visited are a special case. They are one of a few hundred families who live in an area near Yatta, which has been designated as a "closed military zone." People who have private land in closed military zones are usually allowed to stay in these zones, however, these families have been subject to numerous evictions from their land and their caves.

Two Israeli organisations, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and Rabbis for Human Rights, stepped in (along with a few other organisations), to defend the rights of the cave-dwellers. Their work is inspiring. They too are among the unspoken heroes.

ACRI represents the cave-dwellers before the Supreme Court of Israel each time they are evicted. In most cases their petitions have been successful and the cave-dwellers have been able to return to their land. The latest eviction took place in 2000, but last week the Supreme Court once again ruled that the they have the right to return to their caves.

A group of rabbis was immediately on the ground helping them rebuild and resettle. They performed the ultimate mitzvah, spending all day friday before shabbat, building pens for the sheep and cleaning up their dwellings.

I am overwhelmed by the acts of kindness performed by so many Israelis in the context of this conflict. This is not the news you read about in the media, which seems to only pitt Israelis and Palestinians against each other. Their acts may be invisible in the bigger story, but they flourish on the ground: it is a true testament to the human spirit.

40 days to go...

Metamorphosis

You will not believe this story, I hardly do. It's crazy, it's drastic, it will blow your mind. I met two men in the past two days, one Israeli the other Palestinian. They defy all logic, all stereotypes, and well, basically any pre-conceived ideas you might have had about the human race.

The Palestinian was a terrorist. When he was fourteen years old he regularly threw stones and molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers and civilians. One day, he tried to stab to death two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint. The attempt failed and he ended up in prison for ten years.

The Israeli was a settler. A religious orthodox Jew, part of the settler movement, whose family lived in settlements in Gaza and who still has a sister living in a settlement in East Jerusalem. When he went to the army, he served in the West Bank (mainly in Hebron), where he committed acts against Palestinian civilians that violated military law.

Now I am not trying to compare terrorists with settlers, there is no comparison to be made. Instead, what I find powerful in their personal stories is the human potential for transformation. The power to choose a different path.

Both men had an awakening in their early twenties. The Palestinian while he was in jail, the Israeli while he was serving in Hebron. Both men felt that something was not quite right with the status quo. They started to question their beliefs, re-examine their acts, and take responsibility for their future.

On his release from prison, the Palestinian, who had learnt Hebrew while in prison, started reaching out to Israeli peace activists. He wanted to build a joint movement for peace. He was responsible for mobilising the Palestinian side and he found an Israeli partner who was responsible for the Israeli side. Since then, he has set up numerous peace initiatives, including a recent initiative to build "peace villages" in the West Bank and Israel, working in partnership with Israelis and Americans.

On his release from the army, the Israeli decided that it was time for the Israeli people to understand what was happening in the Palestinian territories, what soldiers were doing in their name. Together with a group of other veteran soldiers, he travels around Israel giving lectures and holding exhibitions, to raise awareness about the military occupation in the West Bank and Gaza. They also take groups of Israelis around the Palestinian territories to show them what is happening.

The two men know each other and have worked together. They are truly inspiring. Their drive and ambition for peace is intoxicating. Most importantly, they instill a sense of hope, that people can change and conflict can be resolved.

41 days to go...