March 2003

Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC.

Citizen Diplomacy in the Middle East: Peace and Nonviolence Work is Still Alive

Nancy Wrenn is Co-chair of the Boston-based Coalition for a Strong United Nations.

Many Americans may not know that there are active peace organizations in Israel and Palestine. Often overlooked by the media, these groups are working under extreme conditions to change the prevailing culture in this conflict-stricken region.

"According to public opinion surveys in Israel and Palestine, large numbers of Israelis and Palestinians are still in favor of a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," writes Gershon Baskin, director of the Israeli/Palestinian Center for Research and Information. Once in a clear majority, today these people feel a lack of efficacy and their sense of powerlessness has created a feeling of despair and a significant loss of hope. He advocates building peace from the bottom up.

Baskin quotes Ambrogio Manenti, a Sarajevo writer on psychosocial trauma, which he describes as "the impoverishment of the human capabilities such as capability to think brightly, to communicate truth, sensibility for suffering of the others." It manifests itself in insecurity in facing one's own destiny, lack of making sense of things, a strong need to belong to a group, feelings of vulnerability and weakness, an excessive "state of alert," and feeling of a loss of control over one's own life.

Many people on both sides, perhaps most, Baskin points out, have lost their belief that peace is possible. Each side accuses the other of being responsible for the violence and the breakdown of the peace process. The first victims of loss of faith have been the elected leaders, but it has not stopped at the level of leadership. Both peoples have engaged in a mutual demonization. While many people on each side may still desire peace, they no longer believe that there are people on the other side who share that desire.

The recent history of peace efforts in the Middle East among citizens goes back more than a dozen years, and continues into the present.

In December 2000, three months after the beginning of the current Intifada, women from all over Israel--Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druse--and Palestinian women who were able to cross into Israel from the Occupied Territories held a rally for a just peace. They were joined by international leaders from Italy, Belgium, and the UK, and there were solidarity demonstrations throughout the world. Palestinian and Israeli women took the podium alternately to speak movingly and passionately of the suffering as well as their determination to end the bloodshed between their peoples.

In February 2002, 10,000 men and women, both Jews and Arabs, participated in a pro-peace rally in Tel-Aviv's Museum Plaza. Hundreds of black flags were raised, symbolizing the statement made by an Israeli court that if a military order has "a black flag of immorality" hanging over it, the order must be refused. Speakers included veteran peace activist Yehudit Harel, young men who refused to serve in the army of occupation, and older men and women, religious and secular. Shulamit Aloni, former government minister and perennial conscience of Israel, called out her message of hope. "We are the harbingers of a mass movement that already has begun. We shall clean out the crimes of this country and fill it with peace!"

Lucy Nusseibeh, head of Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy (MEND) in Jerusalem, reports that in Palestine today there are nonviolent marches, protests, and petitions from women's organizations, but that without international media coverage, these actions can not make a difference. MEND is a very active non-governmental organization, offering empowerment and support, as well as training in nonviolence. Lucy Nusseibeh is the wife of Sari Nusseibeh, president of Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem, who is also recognized for his work in nonviolence and was one of those who initiated a petition against the suicide bombings.

Lucy Nusseibeh has also worked with Mubarak Awad, currently director of Nonviolence International, who in the early 1980s was able to convince many Palestinians, as well as other Arabs and Muslims, that nonviolence can work and that it is more powerful than any weapon. Because of his work, the Israelis considered him dangerous, and he was deported. In a March 2002 article, "Nonviolent Resistance in Palestine: Pursuing Alternative Strategies," Awad and peace activist Jonathan Kuttab advocated for nonviolence in the form of boycotts, protests, and diplomatic pressure on Israel from the Arab and Muslim worlds. They also urged the international community, especially churches, to join the struggle.

The new International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a rapidly growing organization including Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals, is committed to the Ghandian principles of nonviolent resistance. Volunteers are provided direct action training and experience the life of Palestinians under the occupation.

Al-Watan, affiliated with Nonviolence International, is an NGO in Hebron which has been committed to civic education, nonviolence, and conflict resolution since its founding in 1988. It focuses especially on youth, literacy, and issues affecting women.

Neve Shalom/Wahat Al-Salam ("Oasis for Peace" in Hebrew and Arabic) is a community founded by Jews and Palestinians that is aimed at demonstrating the possibilities for living in peace while maintaining their respective cultural heritages and languages. The village schools seek to provide an opportunity for Jewish and Palestinian children to learn together in a Hebrew-Arabic bilingual, bicultural, binational setting.

Since its founding in 1979, the School for Peace has trained over 20,000 young people in the ways of peace--Jews, Arabs, and even inner-city youth from the US. Teachers from the School for Peace also serve as ambassadors, sharing their training in Northern Ireland, the barrios of Los Angeles, and other troubled places.

On the Israeli side, Jeff Halper and Fred Schlomka head up the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), a non-governmental organization based in West Jerusalem. ICAHD is a coalition of Israeli peace and human rights groups dedicated to resisting the Occupation in all its forms, bringing the realities of the Occupation to public attention, and working for a just and viable peace. They have partnered with the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights to rebuild Palestinian homes.

Ometz Le'Sarev, translated as "The Courage to Refuse," is a growing organization of Israeli soldiers who are refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories. More than 500 army reserve officers have risked their careers and many are now in jail for publicly refusing to serve in the West Bank and Gaza.

Rabbis for Human Rights, led by Rabbi Arik Ascherman, works within and outside of Israel aiding those who are displaced, confronting the injustice of the occupation, and raising awareness. This group practices "violence reduction" through obstruction and use of witnesses. They have actually used their bodies to shield Palestinian farmers from extremist Jews and have replanted olive trees.

A Palestinian Christian organization, the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem, is committed to a set of principles for a just, secure, and lasting peace for both Palestinians and Israelis in a two-state solution. There are "Friends of Sabeel" chapters worldwide.

Women have been particularly active. Under the umbrella of the Israeli Coalition of Women for a Just Peace, coordinated by Gila Svirsky, nine organizations have joined in weekly vigils and other peace actions. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and Women in Black have been actively vigiling in cities around the world in solidarity.

On June 8, 2002, the Coalition for Women held a very successful demonstration in Jerusalem. Some 1500 Israeli peace activists came out on a searing hot day. The demonstration, marking 35 years of occupation, focused not on the bloodshed or the rights of the Palestinians--though these points were also made--but on the price paid inside Israel for a costly and internally destructive military occupation. The crowd included many internationals who had come to express solidarity.

"The occupation is hurting us all," read the flyers and posters distributed in the thousands, "draining billions of shekels from us, forcing cutbacks in social and educational programs." What's more, they went on, the occupation inculcates the belief that "violence is the only way to solve problems," and "allows militarism to run rampant in our lives."

As officials of the Arab world, the United States, Israel, and Palestine continue to pontificate about "solutions" to the conflict, dedicated men and women from many countries are working toward a better future, one that is built on a belief in peace, nonviolence, and dignity and freedom for all.

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