Palestinian and Israeli nominated for Nobel Peace Prize 2006

[Tom Joad]

http://www.imemc.org/content/view/16579/146/

Comment: There is this incredible myth circulating that there are no Palestinians who choose nonviolence as a means to justice. This myth is either born of gross ignorance of the facts, or more often a deliberate attempt to demonize Palestinians. Like all people whose rights are being violated, and are under military attack, they have a right under international law to defend themselves within the bounds of law, including armed resistance. Many though have chosen the path of nonviolence. Ghassan Andoni represents part of that movement, and there are many more. As can be witnessed by the weekly demonstrations in Bil'lin, a village whose very existence is threatened by Israeli Wall.

Remember, even basic daily life under occupation is a statement of resistance. Palestinians dare to live, work, play, raise families, under the constant threat of a regime that is determined to dispossess them of their land and homes, is an expression of incredible courage and resilience.

So the nomination of Ghasson Andoni by the American Friends Service Committee and Jeff Halper, an Israeli also of great courage, is a very welcome sign of hope amidst the violence of military occupation.
_________________________________________________________________________________


Palestinian and Israeli nominated for Nobel Peace Prize 2006
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker peace and social justice organization, has nominated two candidates for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize: Ghassan Andoni, ex-director and co-founder of the Palestinian Center for Reapprochement between People, (PCR) from Palestine and Jeff Halper, director and founder of the Israeli Committee against home Demolition (ICAHD) from Israel, for the work they do for peace.

<snip>

"In a region torn apart by conflict, these grassroots peace activists have been committed to nonviolence as the path to justice, peace, and reconciliation. For decades they have worked to liberate both the Palestinian and the Israeli people from the yoke of structural violence ­ symbolized most clearly by the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza," AFSC stated.

<snip>

Rapprochement is a Palestinian NGO that works to serve the local Palestinian community in stead-fasting the hardships of occupation policies, by sharing in developing the community's physical and human resources, and activating the youth, in community service and development. ... also aims to allow those in conflict to acknowledge each other’s humanity and to work together for a world in which they could peacefully coexist.

As the Occupation wore on Ghassan and Rapprochement moved from dialogue to direct nonviolent action intended to end the Occupation. In this connection he co-founded the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a Palestinian-led organization coordinating international volunteers with Palestinians in nonviolent actions that called attention to the oppression created by years of Occupation. ISM requires that all participants commit themselves to nonviolence, both physical and verbal.

<snip>

Jeff Halper co-founded the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD) in 1997, which was among the first Israeli peace groups to work inside the Occupied Palestinian Territories. ICAHD stressed working in coalition and often partnered with other Israeli groups, such as Bat Shalom, Rabbis for Human Rights, Tayyush and Gush Shalom, as well as with Palestinian organizations such as the Land Defense Committee and Rapprochement. "ICAHD resists the demolition of Palestinian homes, actions in which Jeff often displayed immense courage, sitting in front of bulldozers and confronting Israeli soldiers," said the press release.
...
Please read it all here:
http://www.imemc.org/content/view/16579/146 /

[tatertop]

1. Wonderful.

"The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker peace and social justice organization, has nominated two candidates for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize: Ghassan Andoni, ex-director and co-founder of the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between People, (PCR) from Palestine and Jeff Halper, director and founder of the Israeli Committee against home Demolition (ICAHD) from Israel, for the work they do for peace."

[tatertop]

2. Ghasson Andoni is co-founder of the very excellent ISM

The International Solidarity
Movement (ISM)

[Wordie]

3. It certainly would send an important message to the world, if these

non-violent people received a Nobel Prize, wouldn't it? Perhaps more would then emulate them.

[Tom Joad]

5. I think it would be earth-shaking.

It would be like the day Desmond Tutu got the prize. I am sure, that many South African leaders knew at that moment, that the old order was doomed.

That they even got this recognition from this prestigious peace organization is bound to shake things up.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. Very worthy nominees...

:)

[RJnAbbysNana]

6. Both nominees are very excellent choices.

I would be happy to see either one of them receive the award, but I'm a little prejudiced toward the Palestinian because of the fact that so many people believe that no Palestinian is working toward peace.

Regards,

RJnAbbysNana

[Tom Joad]

7. They were nominated together, they can both win it together.

Nobel Prizes have been bestowed on two people many times.
Nelson Mandela & Frederik Willem de Klerk for example.
Or whole organizations. like the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize.
Just as in the whole conflict itself. It doesn't have to be a Israeli win OR a Palestinian win,
it can be a win for both.

[RJnAbbysNana]

8. Chalk that one up to a "senior moment."

It had slipped my mind that two can and have received the award at the same time. My bad! It would be quite wonderful, then, if both received it, and it would say a lot to the world.

Regards,

RJnAbbysNana

[pelsar]

9. what were waiting for....

"fail to understand the transformations taking place on the Palestinian side. "

http://www.bsec.org/news/israelpalestine02.html (a couple of years old, but relevant)

though we applaud non violent methods many of us remember the mixture: non violence mixed with gunfire of intifada II.....we also remember ashrawais call for non violence in a full page add in the arab press, and its retraction a week later on the grounds that it was insulting to the martyrs (a couple of years ago)....

so were waiting..and watching to see if it catches on within the palestenian society. Israel has quite a few "peace now, anti violence movements of various stripes, the palestenains have had a few attempts that come and go, perhaps this one will stick around, perhaps it wont.....most of us wish them good luck, because they've got a lot of work to do on their side of the border, especially now with hamas to convince their people that non violence is the way to go....

and if they can, they will find many allies on the israeli side.

[Tom Joad]

10. The choice of the Israeli government is violence, and only violence

Because you cannot have a "nonviolent" occupation. There is no way to demolish a Palestinian home without violence, because it is in itself a violent act. Even when no bullets fly it is a violent act.

As the nomination mentions... the context is that

"In a region torn apart by conflict, these grassroots peace activists have been committed to nonviolence as the path to justice, peace, and reconciliation. For decades they have worked to liberate both the Palestinian and the Israeli people from the yoke of structural violence ­ symbolized most clearly by the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza," AFSC stated.

The structural violence is the occupation, that nonviolent resistance to the occupation is a good thing.

Yes, there are many Israeli groups that support nonviolent resistance to Israeli policies, such as the destruction of villages, the enlargement of Jewish-only settlements that are land taken by force, Don't accuse me of not recognizing that.

However that is not the choice of the Israeli government. Ending the destruction of Palestinian villages would be a choice for nonviolence, but that is not the choices being made. That has never been a choice for any Israel government, unlike many of its citizens, has never made. not Sharon, not Barak, not Rabin, and so on, because the same policies were persistent in each government. If that choice were made, then Israeli soldiers would not be faced by kids they feel compelled to shoot dead when a stone is thrown at their APC. Villagers in Bil'lin could then spend their Friday afternoons relaxing and drinking tea.

[Colorado Blue]

13. I think what's missing is the rather salient point that the

occupation wouldn't have occurred in the first place, had Israel not been attacked. The West Bank, which was a part of Jordan, would not have been touched, had King Hussein not attacked.

The PLO was formed BEFORE the 6 Day War in 1967. Its goal wasn't to end the occupation of the West Bank, it was to "liberate" Israel, destroy ISRAEL, and to that end innocent Jews all over the map were attacked, Jordan's government was attacked, innocent civilians in Lebanon were brutally attacked, planes were hijacked and destroyed.

Yet, the Oslo Accords gave a Nobel Peace Prize to Yasser Arafat, brought him back from exile in Tunisia and gave PLO the leadership of the Palestinian people.

Of the 22 Arab League states and the PA, only Jordan and Egypt have peace agreements with Israel. Withdrawal from Gaza hasn't brought peace. It has brought continuous rocket attacks, suicide bombings, shootings, knifings - and the toll would have been much worse had several intended assaults not been interdicted by the IDF.

Worst of all, it has brought Hamas into the PA leadership: Hamas, which refuses even to recognize the right of Israel to exist, and which vows its destruction. It has brought violence to Gaza, the destruction of valuable infrastructure, kidnappings, assaults. More Palestinians died last year, in 2005, from internecine Palestinian violence, than from the war with Israel.

Violence against Jewish people in the Mandate began in 1920 and hasn't stopped. Violence against Israel began the day of her birth and hasn't stopped.

And it is said that violence is the choice of ISRAEL?

[Violet_Crumble]

14. And I think you've missed this very important point...

The violence that Tom spoke of was demolishing Palestinian homes. No matter of extremely one-sided trotting out of justifications for violence can justify the destruction of homes, which btw, did not start before the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza...

So, yes. Violence has been the choice of Israel when it comes to the occupation, and no matter of weak or very tangential attempts to justify violence will change that...

Violet...

[pelsar]

19. very simplistic argument..

home destruction taken as a single element or the expansion of the settlements as if they were the ONLY aspects involved. Those are the arguements for those who refuse to dig a bit deeper in to the more complex realities of a 50+ yr old conflict full of massacres, invasions, boycotts, threats, raids etc.

[Coastie for Truth]

20. Goes back a lot further then fifty years

An interesting excursion is "Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide" by Bat Yeor, Miriam Kochan, and David Littman (I know - not credible because the authors are Neocons or PNACers or something equally evil).

Another set of excursions are Engdahl, A Century Of War : Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order and Keay, Sowing the Wind: The Seeds of Conflict in the Middle East - which describe the carving up of the Ottoman Empire to create a region of tribal war lords by moving Arabian Peninsula warlords around the ME to pay off old debts. Also not credible - neocons or PNACers or paleo-Likudniks?

[Violet_Crumble]

23. Nope, but that was a very simplistic excuse...

Usually when folkd try this 'you've got to dig deeper!!' and 'look at the bigger picture!!!" stuff while they're trying to justify violence carried out by one party, what they're really saying is 'please take my one-dimensional view of things where one lot are the good guys with their morally superior society and the others are the bad guys with their evil and violence that can never be explained nor justified by us'...

Violet...

[Colorado Blue]

17. AND FURTHERMORE:

As soon as the Oslo Accords were signed, the Israeli death toll started to skyrocket.

Violence soared, and despite the best efforts of Bill Clinton, Rabin, even the Saudis, our Nobel Prize winner declined to try and establish - or even negotiate for - Palestinian statehood.

Intifada II broke out instead.

Get real.

[Violet_Crumble]

24. This incredibly simplistic version of Oslo is totally incorrect as well...

Seeing as how you've brought Oslo into the discussion, I'm not sure why yr trotting out incorrect information about the Palestinian negotiators, seeing as how I've had this discussion with you several times before and given you information to read that doesn't cling to the fairy-tale nonsense of the *Despite Israel's Best Efforts To Find A Real And Lasting Peace, The Evil Palestinians Turned Their Backs On Peace And Started Killing Jews Again* crap....

Here's something for you to think about, CB. If as you claim, the Palestinians didn't enter into negotiations, who the fuck do you think were there at Camp David??

Violet...

[Violet_Crumble]

37. I think folk forget about Netanyahu's role in the failure...

I shudder to think that any DUer could defend him or try to paint him as someone who pursued peace. When he was elected PM he went against the wishes of the majority of Israelis who did want peace, and worked damn hard to ensure that Oslo would fall into a screaming heap of complete failure....

Violet...

[Tom Joad]

11. Very good article link, Pelsar.

Gotta admit I am pleasantly surprised.

Still, if people do not like the resistance, they need to do all they can to stop the occupation, the settlement expansion (even during the most "peaceful times", that is, no attacks by Palestinian on Israeli military or civilian targets), the settlements expanded during the Oslo accords. That was the continued violence of occupation. Again, with its structural violence, its violence is not only counted with body counts.

Its like saying there was no racial problem in the United States before people starting demanding their rights. Blacks knew where they could and could not sit on the bus, what homes they could and could not buy... they knew "their place". As long as they kept in line, no jail house beatings, no lynchings, no church bombings. For many white folks, that was the "peace" they longed for. African Americans had a very different view.

Yes, these are different struggles.

The point i am trying to make is we must end the violence of the occupation, the underlying cause of the violence. We need peace and justice, not just peace and quiet.

[pelsar]

12. your missing the process....

both sides distrust each other ....and with good reason....nor is there a real reason to assume that it will happen in the short period...our histories are full of extra emotional baggage as are our cultures......nor can we read the future which is full of players who have yet to emerge.

if you start with the narration that your view of the other side is not how they see themselves...and accept that, then perhaps you have starting point...but even in your own narration of the israeli side, you dont seem to be able to do that.

as you have accused all israeli govts and the IDF as being for violence:......some info for you: unlike the US govt and people, for the most part israelis identify with their govt and army. Even when we disagree with its policies both are still a part of our identity. Our neighbors, brothers, sons cousins are in the army, in the govt, in the security services..there is no seperation between govt/IDF/people..and this includes our refusniks. When you accuse all israeli govt of being violent, your accusing all of us of the samething.....(the exception today being the far right which is now distancing itself from the israel)

in a different post you mentioned (about the cartoons) that one must learn to communicate and not insult....well, nows your chance to try....

because we know that the underlying cause of the violence is NOT the occupation. if that was so, there would have been no attacks on israel pre 67. And if you refuse to acknowledge that very simply fact, with its implications your showing your inability to communicate to the israeli side....

[Violet_Crumble]

15. That makes no sense...

as you have accused all israeli govts and the IDF as being for violence:......some info for you: unlike the US govt and people, for the most part israelis identify with their govt and army. Even when we disagree with its policies both are still a part of our identity. Our neighbors, brothers, sons cousins are in the army, in the govt, in the security services..there is no seperation between govt/IDF/people..and this includes our refusniks. When you accuse all israeli govt of being violent, your accusing all of us of the samething.....(the exception today being the far right which is now distancing itself from the israel)

On one hand you say that Israelis can and do disagree with what their military does, and then on the other hand you claim that saying the Israeli govt and military choose violence is saying that all Israelis are violent. And then you say it's insulting for anyone to accuse the Israeli govt of being violent, since you've come up with some illogical claim that the Israeli govt and people can't be separated. If you insist on going with that claim, then you should have no problems with saying that that Israeli society is one of violence. Or are you going to argue that successive Israeli govts haven't been violent at all? Bottom line is that just like the Palestinians, the Israelis don't think as one when it comes to agreeing with what their govt does, so give the people in both populations some credit for a change...

btw, on that particular argument where the actions and attitudes of the govt are thought to be that of the people - don't even try that 'oh, but we're soooo different from any other country!!!' coz it ain't going to work. What you have argued doesn't work for the exact same reason it doesn't work when people try to pretend that criticism of the US govt is actually aimed at the population.

[pelsar]

18. you didnt understand...

like many cultures we are nationalistic..when someone says the israeli govt or IDF is violent...its like saying israel is violent.

most israelis have a strong identity with the govt and IDF...it maybe you dont understand the complexities of if, but perhaps that because the israeli culture is a mix of east and west.

If someone is interesting in communicating with israelis then it makes sense to understand how we view things..and one of them is not to attempt to seperate the govt and IDF from the people.....it doesnt work with us.

[Tom Joad]

21. I believe you, many in Israel are nationalistic. I have noticed this

This is a problem. So they identify with the govt. policy and cannot separate it from what is thought about themselves. If something is said about the govt, then it is said about the people, and many Jewish Israelis (that does leave out 20 or 30% of Israelis), certainly not all, feel that is the same thing as saying it about them personally, or about them as a people. Not only that, but among many Jewish Americans think that Israeli policy is Jewish policy and their policy.

That is not healthy. It happens here, and that is a problem too. George Bush could announce he is going to destroy the earth next week and there will still be 20 or 30% who will say it must be a good idea, because he is the President of a great country, their country, and if he wants to nuke the planet to smithereens, then we know it must be for a good reason, dammit. It is not even hypothetical, He is destroying the planet around us, slowly but surely, killing thousands of Iraqis, putting troops at risk, eating up all our resources for the war, and many still support him just because they cannot separate US policy from their view of themselves, their own identity. Some cannot even imagine that the US went to war for other than honorable reasons.

Just gotta get over it, start thinking abit more independently.

How could i live with myself if i could not separate myself from US policy? Millions dead in Vietnam. Support for genocide in East Timor to Central America, to the Middle East. Knowing what i know, about US pervasive aggression and militarism and racism, at least I am glad I can make that separation.

[pelsar]

30. stop being so ethno centric....

I get the impression that you have a hard time understanding israelis and how we think and act by your posts....i shall try again, because we have a very complex makeup consisting of contrasts and opposites.

we are the local military power, with "fans" all across the globe in various military circles...we are also born out of victims and are potential victims again if we let our guard down. We are a multifaceted society with advanced laws in civil rights and yet deny basic rights to many of those how are our responsability.

but more than that, even though we've been for a mere 50+ years i get the feeling that our politicians and political life is far more mature than that of the states. We understand our politicians are weak and make plenty of mistakes, but it doesnt mean we "toss them out'...nor does it mean that we identify with them 100% (i'm talking mainstream here)

our govt is ours as is the IDF, its not "far away" as in washington DC..its my neighbor who is a general in the south, its the guy across the street who is member of the knesset....they us and we are them, for good and for bad.

You cant go and call the Israeli govt or IDF violent and then pretend your not calling israelis violent....that govt represents me, whether I agree with it or not...that IDF contains me, it will contain my kids in a few years....calling the IDF violent is calling me violent. I may or may not agree with a lot of its actions, but i certainly am a part of it and that contains certain responsability as well, which we accept.

some further detail:
our refusniks, are still part of the IDF, they dont burn their uniforms, they dont throw away their medals, and they still teach their kids to grow up and join a combat unit...and they teach them to keep to their principles and pay the price if necessary. You WONT see that in the states. A commando, who will go to an anti war protest, and a few days later pack up and join his reserve unit that was called up.

call the israeli govt violent...your calling all of us violent, discuss individual policies and you'll get all kinds of arguments pro and con....

[Violet_Crumble]

25. Oh yes, I understood, alright...

Then it's okay for me to say that Israelis are a violent and militaristic society and they need to change? Okay!

Violet...

[pelsar]

29. yes we are...

a militaristic society...and i would love to see a change...thats why we have so many "generals" in politics, running things in govt and business... etc.

its also a result of our military being successful with its missions in general..when that need stops so too will our militaristic aspect....but feel free to call us that, because that is part of the nature of the israeli society.

(for instance...when looking for a job, the interviewer will always want to know, where were you in the army...and from that many conclusions will be drawn)

[Colorado Blue]

16. I don't think the Israeli side actually counts in this scenario,

because it doesn't seem that people see Israel as consisting of people, of human beings, and that this sort of stereotyping is evil.

If people can become hysterical over the publication of a few cartoons, how is this different?

[Tom Joad]

22. This thread is about honoring an Israeli. And a Palestinian.

So i am not sure what you are responding to.

[Violet_Crumble]

26. I think the problem may have been...

..that in some circles there's a perception that someone can't really be a true Israeli unless they're supporting the Occupation or blindly defending EVERYTHING the Israeli govt does in regard to the Palestinians.

And Israelis who do get out there and actually do something to help the Palestinian people are in some way not seeing their fellow Israelis as human beings, because every time someone describes 'urban relocations' as the destruction of Palestinian homes, another poor Israeli walking down the street fades just that little bit more, until one day they'll be totally invisible to the naked eye ;)

Violet...

[Colorado Blue]

27. I am responding to your assertion that all "Israel" wants is

violence.

I think that's absurd, it's a very biased comment, as Pelsar has attempted to explain.

[Tom Joad]

28. I said that has been the policy of Israeli govts.

Not all Israeli citizens. We saw Rabin expand settlements. Barak. Sharon. Bibi. Olmert may go beyond all the rest.
These political figures are not "all Israel". They do have the backing of some of the population, but this is not all the population. Some of that backing may be limited.
If I mention some violent, criminal policy put forth by Sharon... you interpret that as my saying the entire Jewish population of the earth did that criminal act. That is not what I mean.

Sharon and the others... are not the same as saying all Israelis or all Jewish people.
No more than Bush's policies are my policies. No more than LBJ's policies of war in Vietnam were my policies. Please make that distinction.

[pelsar]

31. see above...

violent criminal activity by sharon, is not done by sharon, but by israelis in the army and govt...so if your calling sharon a violent criminal for his policys....continue it and call those who actually carried out the policies as wel, those israelis in the security forces, govt officials, clerks etc: violent criminals.

[Tom Joad]

32. That's your interpretation.

It is certainly true that those who followed orders of Johnson and Nixon are not blameless in the crimes the US committed against the people of Vietnam. Most of those folks were mostly decent people. I have a cousin who took part in the war, wonderful person. However, i cannot change the fact that crimes were committed against the people of Vietnam, to take just one example.

I think it would be ludicrous to say that a lowly clerk in some government office has the same responsibility as the Prime Minister.

It is not just me that is accusing Sharon of crimes, also human rights organizations have done the same. I said the establishment and expansion of settlements in land taken by force was a crime against a people, and that is nearly universally agreed upon by the international community. Except for the Israeli govt. Can't change that for you.

[pelsar]

33. blame us..the israeli people...

dont go "hiding" behind some lame "sharons govt" the israeli govt"...put the blame where it belongs...on israel and the israelis who put those governments in their place. Is the IDF guilty of war crimes....so be it...so then are the israelis in the IDF, which is most of us...our combat units are all volunteer, our reserves are all volunteers, no one is there if he doesnt want to be there...let there be no illusions.

so blame us, not so "entity"....we're apart of it, we volunteer to stay in it, we teach our kids to join....blame us, the israeli people.

we accept our responsabilities

[Tom Joad]

34. Back to the thread topic.

People like Jeff Halper and Tanya Reinhart and Amira Hass and so many more may have different views.

This thread is still about an Israeli, Jeff Halper, and a Palestinian, Ghassan Andoni, who were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

[pelsar]

36. avoidence?

we can go back to the topic at hand....and you can write a single sentence commenting if you understand who we dont shirk our responsabilities as the people who voted in rabin, sharon, ben gurion etc..

btw if you read how Jeff Halper writes you will find that he doesnt disassociate himself from the israeli govt nor his society, he critizes but doesnt write that they are not his representatives

back to you...
just one single sentence.....how are you going to seperate the israeli people from the govts and IDF when we have voted them in continually and we also serve in the IDF?....(those that dont want to...dont, hence we are all in essence volunteers...and i might add that all combat units and reserve units are filled....no lack of volunteers..with many from the left in those very units)

[Violet_Crumble]

38. No, pelsar. The Israeli people are NOT the IDF...

And if you refuse to separate them, then what would be yr argument against attacks on Israeli civilians? If you can't separate them, then why do you demand that Palestinians do?

Violet...

[Rhiannon12866]

35. Excellent news and an important story!

We need more news like this, especially now. Thanks for this great and hopeful post! I just wish that it wasn't too late to recommend it for The Greatest Page...