Palestine Israel Dialouge Group

This is more on the serious side, this pas week I took part of a dialogue group with some DC based Palestinians, Saudis, Lebanese and Israelis and some Americans. A member of the board of the organization where I work had to persuade me to go and participate in the conversation; it was in West Virginia, about 3 hours way from Washington DC, in a retreat center. The people in charge of this dialogue are all PhD in conflict resolution and management in campuses around DC area.

There were about 15 of us, and we drove in separate cars. I really was not feel it because on the same day, the Israelis were bombing my town, but it took 3 people half a day to convince me to go (they even paid all my expenses)

During the weekend, we had a chance, to talk, argue, make meals, eat and play volleyball with the Israelis; some even were smoking together--something I did not take part of. But I did make some points needed to be made to the Israelis, and I did listen. The only thing I learned from the Israelis is something I did not know existed in this degree. Man, the Israelis really fear us. By us, I mean the Arabs and Palestinians. For real, they have so much fear from us that we will push them to the see. I never thought some people with the fourth strongest military in the world and nuclear programs and war driven government would have so much fear, but I was wrong. I thought when they spoke of fear on TV, they wanted sympathy, maybe they did, but now I know they have fears.

I have also learned of the diversity among the Israeli society, so many of them do not agree or come together, they have different agendas and visions for the place they call Israel. In away I do admire the diversity in them because some of those who attended were Jewish and Israeli and all served in the army, but still have different ideas about the Palestinians. Most of them however, were raised in right wing families where one does not speak of the P word (that's Palestine)

Here are few sound bits of some points I made.

-When the Israelis ganged up on the Palestinian lady who is from the inside that would be an Israeli citizens who happens to be a Palestinian. They were questioning her loyalty and her allegiance to Israel. She defended herself well, but I stood up for her by saying "Guys, you should not question people's loyalty, this is not you. The Nazis and the Fascistic did this and this is what some Arab regimes do to make it difficult for Arab Jews to stay where they are. I know this is beneath you"

-They were saying the Arabs need to recognize us before anything; they should have done this and that. We told them that they offered to do that many occasions including the Saudis. The Israelis said that's not enough. I have had it by then, I said "Guys, do not push us too far, some of your Jewish Rabbis does not even recognize your "little Jewish State" do not ask too much too soon"

-They also brought to our attention that the Palestinian are smuggling weapons from rafah and not respecting their agreements by brining in more guns. I snapped and I said respectfully, "do not say weapons, it is not like you can smuggle tanks and other heavy duty machines" "They might be smuggling weapons, but look they are shooting each other with them," and I know this is not something that worries you!

-Oh, Hamas want to push us to the sea, they want us dead, we are weak! I proclaimed, wow, you guys the 4th largest military in the world can be pushed to the sea with some fireworks (that's what I call the homemade rockets) the homemade rockets have killed more Palestinians than Israelis.

-They also made the case that Israel cannot trust any Arab country on its borders because Arabs will help Arabs go train in Iran and places to hurt Israel, they were skeptical of the Egyptians allowing Palestinians to go to train army style. I told them of my story at the borders where the Israelis cleared me to ravel and leave the strip, but the Egyptians were the ones kept me in the Strip by not letting me get into Egypt out of fear that I might be a threat. So in face the Israelis with all their sophisticated technologies did not have a problem with me, but the Egyptians saw something else. I was finally allowed to leave the Strip and get to Egypt after they did their research.

-Overall, it much harder for the Israelis to get in our shoes, but it was easier for us to make their arguments. I think because we hear it in the media almost all the time. They were the emotional one this time, not the Arabs and Arabs did not have much disagreement which is rare.

-For me, it was important to really listen to what their argument was which have either taut me something I did not know or have taught me to improve my argument which what happened.

-I have also learned that the Israelis do not like nor ready to talk about a one state solution, they do not want to think about it. When I brought it up, it was like “you would be fine with that?” I said sure, but it was like the heard this for the first time in their lives.

-The Israelis do not care much for the history of the conflict nor do they understand it, but for the Palestinains history is still alive and close to memory, that is an area where communication is important and both parties do not need to get caught in the past and what happend then and I know it is painful for both espcially for my people.

-I think peace is possible only if both sides curb the extremists and uproot them. For the Palestinians to uproot the extremists is important to gain the Israeli trust and get land once this trust been established. For the Israelis uprooting their extremists (settlers and such) is essential to gain the Palestinians’ trust and help them uproot the extremists among them. The existence of an extremists group on one side justifies and fuels the existence of a counter group on the opposite side. I realize this is dangerous for both leaders because it is dangerous for a Palestinian leader to be labeled as a traitor or someone who gives in easily or jail, punish, or even, kill their own people who the Israelis would love to see dead. The same goes to the Israelis; do not want to see little returns for their "investment" by giving the land back. That is the area where Saddat failed the most.

-Language was a problem because people make the arguments using words and names the other party is not comfortable with. Names of towns were important and using Arabic names or Hebrew name kind of indicates a claim on that town. For example, when the Israelis would say "Israel gave Gaza...." I reminded the Israelis to say give "back" not just give, this is important to many Palestinians to hear and it does make a different in your attitude.

-Bottom line, Israelis were looking to get something in order to trust the Palestinians and the Palestinians wanted to get something to be trusted. So the problem was not that they both need the same thing, the problem is that they both want the same things at the time. For the Palestinians, to get something from the Israelis comes first and for the Israelis to get something from the Palestinians first and giving them trust comes second and here is why Oslo failed in my humble opinion.


At the end I did some Stand Up Comedy for the group and it went well, went well means they understood my English and laughed. I enjoyed it because I had to test some of my material outside Utah, and boy it was good, some humor is global.