Trips and why I do them

Neve Gordon writes in the LA Times today about boycotting Israel as an Israeli Jew. His article was the final push of inspiration I needed to finally sit down and write this post. I am a few days later than I promised, but at least it's done.

As I mentioned a few days ago, I recently spent 10 days taking a group of 12 Americans around the West Bank, Jerusalem, and "Israel"/Palestine '48. This was the third such trip I have led. I originally agreed to do it because last year I was not working, was in dire need for something to do and a little income. However, during the first trip and increasing since then I have come to embrace this as my brand of activism. There are two things I very much believe about the situation here: first, that any otherwise uninformed and unafflicted American who is presented with raw facts about what is happening here will undoubtedly agree that Palestinians have certain rights that are consistantly and systematically being denied. Once they know this, many Americans will use conversation to convince others of this. I believe that the average American is a decent human being who, once they have right knowledge, will want a just solution here. Secondly, I see the American government as the third party in this conflict. They are by no means an impartial unbiased negotiator for peace. They are perpetrators and invested partners of the Israeli regime. That said, I think much of the power to end the occupation and bring about just peace lies in the hands of the American people's responsibility to hold their government accountable. This can happen through tax-refusal, sanctioning, aid reform, and voting but also through grass-roots efforts such as boycotting and divesting. This is why I bother to do these trips. The Global Exchange trip is not perfect and I actually believe there are better trip out there, but for now this is the opportunity I have and one that does a damn decent job at achieving what I have in mind right now.

So, what do we do? First, participants are given a pretty substantial amount of reading material to prepare them for what is happening here. This is historical, contemporary, and political. Then, participants come and see. We spend 10 days meeting with organizations and individuals who are working for a just solution. On the Palestinian side, this generally includes a day in Dheisha refugee camp, Addameer, Hani and Muneera, the Right to Education and many others. On the Israeli side, this includes ICAHD, Zochrot , B'tselem, Who Profits and others. We also meet with several "joint" projects with both Israelis and Palestinians working with them such as Combatants for Peace and the Alternative Information Center. We visit as many people and places as we possibly can in ten days. On this past trip, we got to Jerusalem (including the Ma'ale Adumim settlement), Ramallah, Hebron (including the Efrat settlement and one of its outposts), Bethlehem/Beit Sahour, Jenin, Jayyous/Qalqilia, Yaffa/Tel Aviv, Rahat/bedouin villages in the Negev, and drove through/stropped briefly in Nablus and Jericho.

Generally speaking, at the end of the trip the participants are feeling tired, overwhelmed, and eternally greatful they took the time, money, and energy to come. One of the complaints I have of the trip thusfar is that its participants tend to not do as much when they go home as I'd like. I think this is a problem with all such trips to anywhere in the world. However, the most recent group is giving me hope. Several of them seem quite enthusiastic and energetic to get to work.

Palestinians active in the boycott campaign tell me that the boycott in some ways is secondary to the primary goal of the education campaign. The more people who come here and see it first-hand means there are more people in American who know someone who came here and saw it first-hand. As the people who came here make presentations and have conversations, the more it spreads. Israel has, since its creation, consistently spent billions of dollars and uncountable man hours to develop its PR and media machines. Palestine is now developing this in a very grass-roots way and it is starting to have an effect. I have watched general public opinion among Americans shift quite substantially (in a good way) just since I first got actively involved in this issue maybe five or six years ago.

The third thing I believe about the situation here is that one possible way the occupation will end is that America will say it has to end. I am no Obama-is-going-fix-the-world believer, but I do think he is in a unique position of having the trust and interest of a lot of people on both sides here. I think if we, as Palestine activists, play our cards right, he could be an ally to creating a just solution here. However, I think grass-roots efforts, supported by trips like these, will have the most power effect long-term.

Where was your green avitar in 2006?

It has been truely inspiring to see the world rise up in the name of justice this week. The internet has been painted green as people all over the Western world (and Israel) tweet and blog about freedom, democracy, rights of assembly and free speech, liberty and justice for all.

Right...

My mood quickly turned bitter as I instantly saw the hypocracy in this. I find it disheartening that so many Israelis and Americans are backing the Iranian protestors while simultaneously defending Israel. Even President Obama came out and called on Iran to, "stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people". He also said something about how when Americans see these sorts of reactions, they must disagree/speak up...something like that. I can't find it, but he basically spoke out against the Iranian government's actions on behalf of Americans.

Prime Minister Netanyahu had the gall, the audacity even, to go on NBC's Meet the Press and say about the situation:

"It is a regime whose real nature has been unmasked, and it's been unmasked by incredible acts of courage by Iranian citizens. They go into the streets, they face bullets and, I tell you, as somebody who believes deeply in democracy, that you see the lack of Iranian democracy at work, and I think this better explains and best explains to the entire world what this regime is truely about"

He continues by juxtaposing how Iran is dealing with its demonstrators (violently, aparently) to how Israel deals with demonstrations against it's policies: "Well, democracies act differently. They don't send armed agents of the regime to brutally mow down the demonstrators."

REALLY!?! Mr. Netanyahu, this is EXACTLY what the Israeli government, the Israeli army, do every single week...nah, virtually every single day!

Every single week Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists come out to demonstrate for their freedoms, their democratic and universal human rights, their right to livelihood, their right to movement, their right to freedom of speech and assembly. All the things that everyone is so excited about in Iran. How does Israel respond? With batons, late night invasions of university dorms (and homes, for that matter), kidnappings, tear gas (often shot directly at people, sometimes killing/severely injuring them), and sound bombs, various forms of "less-lethal" (though still often lethal) ammunition, and with live ammunition. Israel has killed at least 19 people in anti-wall demonstrations since 2004 and injured thousands. In fact, Israel has used force against Americans, yet you have never once heard for the President (or any other leader, for that matter) call for an end to Israeli violence against demonstrators. As I write this, an American man lies in a Tel Aviv hospital. He has been there for more than three months and will likely be there quite awhile longer. What happened? He was shot by an Israeli soldier in the head with a tear gas canister while demonstrating for Palestinian rights.

Beyond this, let's look at what happens when Palestinians decide to use democracy. In 2006 they held parliamentary elections in the West Bank (including Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. Hamas won the most seats (and, therefore, the privilege to form the government) in areas throughout Palestine (not just Gaza!). Within days, the international community (bullied by the US and Israel) took the results into thier own hands (contrast this to Iranians taking their own vote into their hands). There was an international boycott of the new government and a probable US-backed Fatah coup in Ramallah. The story you hear of Hamas "hi-jacking" or "taking over" or "kidnapping" Gaza is not true. Yes, there were a few people associated with Hamas who made stupid videos in those few days, but the reality is that they were elected. Democratically. In a free and fair election. Arguably one of the most open and honest elections the Middle East has ever seen. There was no international outcry for Palestinian's voices to be heard. There was no questioning, "where is their vote?". It was obvious where their vote was and it was international powers who stole their election.

Now, I don't know what will happen in Iran. I honestly don't think Mousavi is all that much different from Ahmedinejad. We forget quickly that Mousavi played a key role in starting Iran's nuclear program. Granted, I think Iran has a right to nuclear power, but that's beside the point. Also, Mousavi is a still a product (and supporter) of the Islamic revolution, so that's not going to change, either. Again, I tend to believe most Iranians are happy under their basic system of government...it's foreign media and activists who are calling for the end of Islamic rule in Iran and for "booze and boobs", if you will, to flow freely. Iranians don't want what so many of their "supporters" assume they want. This is fine. Iranians should protest for whatever they actually do want...but this right should be universal.

People in the west (and Israel) who are unquestioningly in support of the Iranian demonstrators should take a cold, hard, self-critical glance in the direction of Palestine and see the similarities and, indeed, their own hypocracy.