Israel’s policy of aggression and annexation toward the West Bank is acknowledged not only by Palestinians but by a growing segment of the Israeli population who sees the present measures as an obstacle against medium and long term interests of all. An example: the wall built to protect Israel’s borders. Sections of it were planned inside Palestinian territories, not along the so-called “Green Line” of 1967. The village of Budrus would have been cut off from the rest of the West Bank, in fact even enclosed between two walls, and farmers would have seen part of their olive trees uprooted, and lost access to some of their land. The wall would have run close to their school and cemetery. Nonviolent resistance allowed it otherwise.
Beyond political concerns, nonviolent responses are creating a healthy response to the growing spiral of hate. Another paradigm needs to emerge. Otherwise more and more oppressive measures will rise. See anti-boycott laws just approved by the Knesset.
Resisting: Taking on New Roles, Expecting the Unexpected
The work of Just Vision has produced two instructive documentaries: Budrus (see trailer) and Encounter Point 
(see trailer) . The first illustrates the successful nonviolent resistance of the Palestininan village to the erection of the wall; the second follows the work of Bereaved Families Forum through which some 250 Israelis meet regularly with another 250 Palestinians. All people meeting are willing to share their experiences and seek outlets to the crisis through an understanding of the other party’s reality. From a new perception of reality is born the ability to reach out, and educate people of each group to new alternatives.
Watching the movies is a learning experience at every turn. We are invited to let go of what we know from the past, and simply make room for the new. In Budrus women discover with pleasure that they can play the same role as men in marching in defiance to the wall. And, not only do Israeli activists join the fray. Budrus becomes the center of attention of international support; even a delegation from South Africa shows up.
Nonviolence is not for the weak. Some of the main characters – the Palestinians Ayed in Budrus and Ali Abu Awwad in Encounter Point – know first hand the cost of armed resistance, the loss of lives to the adversary, and time spent in jail. They have been seasoned, and they have credibility when they speak about trying to reach out to the Jews. The first barrier is one of perception. Hardly anybody knows anybody on the other side, and in general they consider all of it evil and unable to change. And nonviolence is not considered a viable option on either side. Among Palestinians authorities it is most often perceived as an effort toward “normalization,” or selling out. Inviting any individual to consider meeting anyone of the other side takes time and dedication.
Building Alternatives: Testing Beliefs
The comfort of a political platform stands in knowing what the goal is and what it will look like regardless of time elapsed. Nonviolent resistance and bridge-building is deeply personally transforming and socially co-creative. In Encounter Point Ali Abu Awwad expresses that he is willing to meet people at the extremes of their positions. He meets with an ex-settler – Shlomo – who is now in the process of changing his mind. Shlomo’s journey takes him for the first time away from his tight-knit community into the anonymity of the big city.
The Jewish activist, Robi Damelin, also meets with the reality of a settlement. She knows that it will be extremely hard to hear the other side, and the film shows it. But the hardest test to her beliefs comes when the sniper who killed her son, David, has been identified. With pain she reaches to the family of her son’s killer, and their first response shows openness. Where this will go from here we don’t know yet. But, walking this path means being ready to meet inner challenges and being transformed.
Sami al Jundi, a young Palestinian, realized while in prison that he needed to change. He had been jailed at age 16 for use of explosives, and he took advantage of the time he had to acquire an education about nonviolence. Now he invites young Palestinians to meet with their Israeli counterparts. “Speak to each other” he says to a group of embarrassed 
youth.
In Budrus a meeting is organized for Israelis and Palestinians to know each other. The checkpoint authorities render it difficult for Israelis to cross through; passing through unsettled occupied territory is another concern; and losing trust in each other can become the real problem in the end. Can everyone hang in there believing that the other side is willing, trusting what they say, rather than letting the ancestral fears rise up, or doubts emerge about the usefulness of these efforts? How can one rally the skeptics for whom every setback is further proof of their doubts?
And New Outlets for Action
Lives are touched and changed, and new action emerges that could not have been foreseen. The organization Windows publishes now a joint Israeli-Palestinian youth magazine. Tzvika Shahak lost his daughter in a Palestinian terroristic attack. He later discovered the peace poems she had written and published them in Hebrew and Arab. Others who have been transformed work now in the interfaith movement.
And Just Vision? Besides offering many screenings of the two movies, they
- brought together Arab, Muslim, Christian and Jewish organizations in North America that had never before cooperated to co-sponsor Encounter Point screenings.
- catalyzed a discussion among Fatah movement leaders about strategic nonviolence and media coverage of nonviolent initiatives to end the Occupation.
- hosted US-based “Best Practices” facilitation trainings, bringing together Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Arab leaders to address the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in North America, and co-convened two strategic nonviolence workshops in Palestinian society for local community organizers in partnership with the International Center for Non-Violent Conflict. And more.
Salaam Shalom promotes innovative educational methods and conflict resolution training aimed at nurturing the minds and souls
of Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Druze children in the Middle East.
The two main programs of Salaam Shalom are:
- Paths to Peace: co-sponsoring Jewish – Arab Paired Waldorf Classes which includes the first Arab Waldorf School in Israel
- The first integrated Jewish Arab Kindergarten Teacher Training: Palestinian kindergarten teachers from the West Bank area of Jenin are receiving Waldorf Teacher training at the Harduf Arabic Teacher Training Program in Israel. Read more.
Hear an interview of Shepha Vainstein, co-founder of Salaam shalom
Tags: civil society, dialogue, Israel, Nonviolence, Palestine, reconciliation, sustainable social change
