In this blog post, I will give an update on current events and my volunteering situation. Then I will discuss my thoughts on the Israeli Palestinian conflict and share my experiences from an amazing OTZMA seminar. My next blog post will include more pictures and videos.

Current Events and a Personal Update

I am in Arad right now when I should be in Netivot.  I should be in Netivot mentoring kids at Youth Futures and tutoring math at the Netivot Science Center. I should be in Netivot planning a race to attract runners and walkers from throughout the Negev to run and walk for a good cause.  However, due to a rocket barrage from Gaza forcing everyone in Netivot to stay at home near their bomb shelters, I am temporarily stationed in Arad.

Since Saturday, terrorist organizations in Gaza have launched over 150 rockets into Southern Israel.  Each rocket results in city-wide sirens, emotional trauma, and God forbid casualties.  The cities of the South are living in fear.  Netanyahu, Israel’s right-wing Prime Minister, continually asserts the unacceptability of rocket fire from Gaza and the fact that all forms of Israeli response are on the table.  Yesterday, there was talk of a cease fire negotiated with the help of Egypt.  Even after the cease fire was declared, several rockets were launched into Israel.  

Because of the cease fire, my hopes that I would move to Netivot on Sunday increased.  Then, late in the afternoon, the Israel Air Force killed Hamas' military commander Ahmed Jabari in an airstrike.  The cease fire that was already broken by four rockets from Gaza was shattered with that assassination.

Members of Knesset (the Israeli parliament) from Israel’s left said of the attack, "assassinations are not the answer." However, most other Israeli MKs praised the killing of the terrorist leader "with blood on his hands."  I personally think that killing Jabari is justifiable – but whether or not it was the correct choice depends on if it will act as a deterrent or an incitement of more terrorist activities.  I fear it will act as the latter. Rocket attacks increased dramatically after his death – turning what seemed to be a de-escalation into a full blown military operation.   As if the rockets aren’t scary enough, Egypt’s response to the assassination sends a chill down my spine.  Egypt's Morsi praised the "martyrs" in Gaza and condemned Israel - not even mentioning the rocket barrages from Gaza.

I can easily envision a beautiful and thriving Israeli society that includes Arab citizens and Jewish citizens living side by side.  I can imagine a future where the Palestinians of the West Bank live in a peaceful state next to Israel.  But to be honest, I have trouble even imagining a peaceful future between Gaza and Israel.  With Hamas at the reins, there is no hope for a lasting peace in which the Palestinians of Gaza can thrive.

I believe strongly that I should get to Netivot as soon as possible, so I wrote a letter of appeal to my program coordinator.  It is copied below.  Clearly the situation is different now than it was three days ago.   All I can do now is hope for a deescalation.  I'd go at a moments noticed.

First of all, I want to thank you for looking out for my mental and physical well-being.  I have learned so much on this program and really appreciate the incredible and unique experiences that I have gained.  However, I strongly disagree with the decision to postpone our volunteer placement in Netivot.  I feel this way for the following reasons:

1.  I do not believe that my life will be in danger in Netivot.  The increased danger caused by proximity to Gaza is known to me, but I also know that the increased danger is small.  I know what I am getting into insofar as mental and physical risks are concerned.

2.  I believe the support and impact I will have in Netivot will be magnified, not threatened, by the increased tensions.  In fact, to not come, would send a message that is not in line with my values and beliefs.  I want to stand next to children in the Saligman Center and tell them that I am not afraid - I do not live in fear - and neither should they.

3.  I am a Zionist, and therefore I believe that Israelis living in Netivot should have as much of a right to work with American volunteers as those living in Haifa.  I believe that terrorists in Gaza should not impinge on those rights.Perhaps most importantly, I am confident that I will have the strength to communicate with you and ask to be moved if I feel uncomfortable with my living situation in Netivot.

Sincerely,

Marc Hendel

Conflict and Hope in the West Bank

Last week we had an amazing four day seminar called "Conflict and Hope."  We heard from professors, an Arab activist, a Rabbi from the organization Rabbis for Human Rights, a Palestinian Liberation Organization spokesman, and Jewish residents of the West Bank.

TEKOA

When they told us that we were going to spend Shabbat in a settlement, I was excited and scared.  I needed to do some soul searching - was I perpetuating discrimination simply by spending Shabbat in a settlement?  I have heard that settlements are a hindrance to the peace process, that they are filled by ideological zealots, and that they oppress their neighbors.  To put it simply, after that Shabbat, I had some rethinking to do - my stereotypes were blown out of the water.  I was hosted by some of the nicest people I have ever met.  They were a modern Orthodox family with seven children, ages 10, 13, 16,18, 20, 22, and 24.  Both parents were artists and moved to Tekoa because they wanted to live in a mixed community of secular and religious Jews near Jerusalem.  Tekoa was cheaper than living in Jerusalem, so they moved there from Philadelphia.  After one night I felt like I became friends with all of their children.  Their community was so special and warm.  I asked them all of the hard questions I had about living in a settlement.  I heard from many of the settlers a story like this - just because there are Palestinians who want to forbid Jews from living in a certain place, that is not reason create a Jew-free region in the West Bank.  Also, the settlers do not oppress the Arabs, and in fact support them in several ways.  It gave me a lot of food for thought.

Picture of Tekoa with Arab village in the distance.

PALESTINIAN LIBERATION ORGANIZATION

The next day, we spoke with a PLO negotiator.  [Just to be clear, I am not a fan of the PLO or its leaders, many of which have terrorist connections.] He described the PLO's hope for a secular Palestine that included Gaza.  He opened up the talk by explaining why the PLO is refusing to negotiate peace with Israel.  He said that every time they negotiate peace, Israel builds more settlements, effectively decreasing the territory of a potential Palestinian state.  He also stated that the Oslo accords created a Palestinian state on the '67 borders, so why should they need to negotiate? He said that for these reasons,the PLO wants a freeze on construction in the settlements before starting negotiations.  All in all, he said nothing surprising, but did have some zingers such as "Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is just an organization that occasionally uses terror" and "the rockets from Gaza aren't that bad."  It was hard to sit through, but I am glad to have had the opportunity.  Thanks OTZMA.

BREAKING THE SILENCE

One of the last speakers of the seminar was from an organization called Breaking the Silence.  It is an organization of Israeli veterans against what they call the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.  I asked the speaker the following question - "What is wrong with a city like Tekoa, built on an abandoned mountaintop on land legally purchased?  It is a loving community and it seems to coexist well with its Arab neighbors."  The speaker answered me by saying that the fact of the matter is that they will never have equal rights with their Arab neighbors because their Arab neighbors do not have a say in the government that controls them [because they live in Area C, governed by Israel, and the Palestinians most likely are not Israeli citizens].  Therefore, settlements, even peaceful ones near Jerusalem, are not sustainable and will be forever unequal as long as the occupation continues.  I believe that in the future, most settlements will be incorporated into Israel proper, making his response moot.  Then again, it would be hard for me to agree with him so soon after my amazing experience in Tekoa.

HOPE

If there is one thing I learned from this past week, it is that almost all Israelis and Palestinians want Israel out of a majority of the West Bank.  In order to have a Democratic and Jewish state, it is a necessity.  There can be arguments about who controls the airspace, who will rule Jerusalem, and what the borders will look like, but I believe a two state solution is possible [I still need to do some thinking about where Gaza fits into this picture].  The issue is not simple. Everything from water rights to the Palestinian right of return need to be negotiated, but I believe peace is possible.  I believe that it will involve Israel annexing most of the settlements and the PLO forming a Palestinian state with the remaining land.  Perhaps it will include Israel giving extra land to Palestine in land swaps.  My hopes for peace are difficult to fit in a paragraph, but I would like to hear yours.  Feel free to email me at Hendel.Marc@gmail.com with some of your ideas about how to create a lasting peace.