June 2009
Civilians Building the
Community
Working on developing critical education among
youth, Sadaka is one of the leading civil society
NGOs within Israel expertly trained in the practice
and facilitation of conflict resolution. Still, whilst we
believe in our capacity to lead and train others to
induce positive social change, it is always reward-
ing when other organizations put their trust in our
abilities. More often than not this comes in the
form of vocal support for our work, but this April,
we were asked to do our first spot of management
consultancy…
The ‘Building the Community’ organization is a
successful NGO based in the mixed-city of Lod,
where they run five youth clubs for hundreds of
youth located in the area. Working on community
development in separate Arab and Jewish youth
centers, they are primarily concerned with educa-
tion and empowerment projects. Whilst their staff
is made up of both Palestinian and Jewish edu-
cators, there had never been any real dialogue
between them beyond conversational, informal
staff interaction. On both a personal and profes-
sional level, the two sets of educators respect-
ed each other but had never attempted to work
through conflict-based issues.
With the onset of the Gaza war, the staff as a
whole took the brave decision to address this
problem. There was a widespread appreciation, in
the wake of the heightened hostility between Jew-
ish and Palestinian communities in Lod, that “we
needed to talk”. On invitation, our two educational
directors, Adi and Hana, led a four day workshop
with the organization’s staff which not only orien-
tated and processed the group’s personal narra-
tives and encounters with the conflict, but also
addressed their organization’s mission and vision.
Really talking through issues prevalent in their
lives and realities for the people of Lod, numerous
surprises came up out of these sessions – both for
the participants and the educators.
Indeed, the feedback from Sadaka’s first experi-
ence of ‘conflict consultancy’ was extremely posi-
tive, equally comforting for both Adi and Hana was
the reconfirmation that with every group we work
with, different issues will surface. With this appre-
ciation comes the acknowledgement that whilst
we have years of experience in conflict resolution,
we should never be dogmatic in our educational
approach, however familiar or unfamiliar the tar-
get group. For whilst there is plenty we can teach,
there will always be new experiences to learn
from. This was one of them.
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From Canada to Sadaka
A few months ago we received a telephone call from a group of Jewish-Israeli seventeen year olds,
fresh from a camp run by a peace-building organisation based in Canada. Through the medium of film
and multimedia, they spent three weeks exploring issues of identity and empowerment surrounding the
conflict. They returned inspired, but confused and disillusioned over what role they were supposed to play
hereon in. They saw Sadaka-Reut as a potential framework for a deeper understanding of these topics
and as a platform where they, as Israeli youth, could be politically active – a platform they believed was
otherwise unavailable to them. Throwing themselves into our third seminar of the year, they immediately
attached themselves with our Kfar Saba group. Originally they were shocked with Sadaka’s educational
processes. The Canadian seminar had only lightly touched the issues, but here they found themselves
tackling complicated and often emotionally demanding questions. They went from a very neutral, non-
political space to a movement that acknowledges that peace-building is innately political. At Sadaka, they
were encouraged to draw on their earlier experiences with the Canadian group and delve further, to think
critically and to stand up politically for what they believe in.

Remembering the Nakba

Despite the sense of urgency attached to this bill,
In July 2000, prior to his departure for the Camp the very word Nakba remains largely exempt from
David summit, then PM Ehud Barak outlined to Israeli consciousness. It is something that has
his cabinet one of the four 'red lines' he would not never been taught in Israeli schools and is large-
cross with Pales- ly ignored by the Israeli media. Its erasure from
tinian negotiators: the nation's collective memory and the hostility it
"No Israeli recog- evokes today amongst Zionists on both the politi-
nition of legal or cal right and left, essentially stems from a place
moral responsibil- of fear and unease. On the one hand it is consis-
ity for the refugee tent with a long-standing anxiety that any public
problem." In May recognition of its occurrence would expose the
2009, he stood State to property, right of return, and compensa-
behind Foreign tion claims. Yet deeper still comes the supposition
Minister Avigdor that 'acknowledgement' itself endangers the basic
Lieberman and his character of the State, undermining its very prem-
party Israel Beitenu as they proposed to legally ises and fundamentals. This is because recogni-
ban commemoration of the Nakba – the tragedy tion of any dual connection to the land, for both
which befell the Palestinian people in 1948. The Israelis and Palestinian, creates a sense of threat,
Nakba, which saw Israeli forces demolish up to that acknowledgement of one has the potential
500 Palestinian localities, systematically destroy to negate the other, and on this basis there is no
Palestinian urban culture and expel inhabitants, is room to even touch the Nakba and Israel’s role in
the event which led to the 'refugee problem' Barak it.
refers to.
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However, memory is a difficult thing to govern lead to coexistence. This, as Yisrael notes, is not
and despite the outline of Israel Beitenu’s sug- given enough weight, for, "Not only do the major-
gested bill, it is not something that can be easily ity of people not know about the Nakba at all but
shackled and carted off to Ramle prison. Not only even amongst those that do, many don't see the
will there always be individual recollections of the connection between then and now…when really
Nakba, but over the last few years there has been the two are completely linked."
a notable rise in historians and Israeli NGOs, like
In fact, it would be an error to look at the Nakba
Sadaka-Reut, that have been part of a movement
of 1948 as an isolated act of injustice, which
looking to bring the Nakba back into Israel's own
occurred at a certain time, and which can now be
collective memory. Given the darkness of such an
relegated to the past. Recognizing it as a historical
episode, seeking out such truths (let alone display-
event and as part of today's reality is an important
ing them to an often unreceptive public) demands
link: it is actually a case of continuous, evolving
both courage and maturity.
wrong. The injustice persists, not only because the
"For me, living in silence is not the path land expropriated has not been returned or moral
to peace. The solution is also to deal with responsibility taken, but because it has actually
the difficult stuff, the ugly stuff. The stuff been built on, to the extent that today an aiding
that hurts when you think about it." Israeli legal system actually perpetuates an ongo-
ing Nakba for those Palestinians living both within
For Yisrael, a member of this year's commune
Israel and the Occupied Territories. Just like the
program who helped organize a Nakba commem-
generation of 1948, today's Palestinians are also
oration on Jaffa's main road in May, this was and is
privy to discrimination, displacement, restrictions
a necessary process. Moving between the photo-
on movement and the denied freedom of associa-
graphs of Palestinian refugees, hung around testi-
tion, albeit in different ways.
monies and poetry on their displacement, Yisrael
explains how important this recognition is: "For
me, living in silence is not the path to peace. High
politics, arguing over percentages in Jerusalem,
annexing off a piece and saying, ‘you take this and
build your country'…will only go so far. The solu-
tion is also to deal with the difficult stuff, the ugly
stuff. The stuff that hurts when you think about it."

And in this context, it is clear that the Nakba

does not only ‘belong' to the Palestinian people
but is also a central part of Israeli identity. The har-
rowing reality is that while it is a difficult event to
deal with for both, its recognition lies at the cor-
nerstone of any reconciliation process that might
4
"This demands people bold enough not
to be afraid of what they might see. This
is the only way and it has to start with
1948."
Sadaka-Reut believes that the open interaction
with the Nakba, as past and continuing, is nec-
essary for the Israeli public to move towards just
peace. Any solution can only come from a place
where no one can dismiss the other and where
Israel takes responsibility on the consequences of
the establishment of the state. The relative support
for Israel Beitenu’s proposed bill is based on the
public discourse which sees this place as belong-
ing to the Jews only, while ignoring the fact that
it exists at the extent of the Palestinians. The bill
forcibly oppresses the critical voices of Palestin-
ians and Jews within Israel who think differently, of
people like Yisrael, who are not only brave enough
to tackle such difficult truths, but see the worth in
doing so. For as Yisrael concludes, "This [explor-
ing the Nakba] demands people bold enough to
take responsibility, to look into these stories from
a clean place and to not be afraid of what they
might see. This is the only way and it has to start
with 1948."
Dealing with Gaza
Ask any of our participants or educators during
which period over the last year they were most
aware of the fact that they were part of a Jew-
ish-Arab Youth Partnership, and the overwhelm-
ing majority will point you to the war on Gaza. At
once, their membership became a part of their
identity whether they like it or not. Whilst there
was hardly mass support for such projects before
the attacks, the reality during and post-Gaza was
that the very title ‘Jewish-Arab Youth Partner-
ship’ evoked ferocious reactions. Anything that
involved or alluded to Jewish-Arab collaboration
was defined as subversive, probably the actions
of a sect of left-wing fanatics. That we worked with
youth only appeared to heighten this vitriol. Not
least amongst some of our participants’ parents,
who had, up until this point, supported or tolerated
their children’s involvement.
Prior to the war our Ramat Hasharon group
totaled fifteen Jewish-Israelis. During the attacks,
we sent out an invitation to members of this group
informing them that our weekly session would be
dedicated to ‘providing a space to talk’ about the
situation. This was met with a series of telephone
calls from disgruntled parents demanding to know
what Sadaka’s stance on the war was, shocked
that we should be questioning it’s motives at all
and appalled that such issues would be opened
for debate with youth of this age. Communication
between the parents meant only three participants
were present at the next session.
For more information on the impact of the
war on our activities – please contact us.

Omri and Elias Tour France
Between the 9-31st March, Elias Wakeem and
Omri Gershon, two members of this year's “Com-
munity in Action” program, represented Sadaka-
Reut across France in collaboration with CCFD,
one our chief and most consistent donors. Theirs
was an initiative which looked to inform members,
sponsors and interested parties of the type of work
they do with their respective partners around the
world. With representatives from these associate
5
tion that such organizations, and such individuals,
existed at all, even though they are not usually
heard of in the context the conflict. For Omri and
Elias, it was equally intriguing to see the external
interpretation of the ongoing happenings inside
Israel and the Occupied Territories.
“I came from a Zionist background...To
get from this place to where I am now has
been both a complicated and emotionally
difficult ride.”

Audiences tended to see the conflict either as a

religious war or one dominated by land percentag-
es and strategic locations. As Omri notes, “there
were lots of specific questions about land…our
opinions on the Golan Heights, on Jerusalem as a
‘united’ city, and on balancing the demographics.”
It seems the groups Sadaka spoke to were not
used to discussing the basics underlying the con-
flict and the thematic issues involved. “They found
it very hard that we didn’t provide practical solu-
organizations coming from as far a field as Nica-
tions…that we didn’t really go into the high politics.
ragua, India and Sudan, Elias and Omri offered
Because, for us, whilst that is obviously a part of
a politically pointed presentation of the reality in
the struggle and debate, what we are advocating
Israel-Palestine. Speaking across Paris, Britanny
is actually very simple: a country that respects all
and the Maine-et-Loire, they explained Sadaka’s
its inhabitants and takes responsibility over the
position and organizational objectives. They drew
past.”
on their own experiences as Palestinian and Jew-
ish teenagers to give an indication of what the real-
ity is like for those active in the struggle against
Occupation and discrimination within Israel.

"Because, for us, whilst that is obviously

a part of the struggle and debate, what we
are advocating is actually very simple: a
country that respects all its inhabitants
and takes responsibility over the past.”

The response of those who heard them speak

was positive, and reactions expressed apprecia-
6
Omri personally acknowledges that whilst this is For Omri, the most important thing was that
a very clear position to hold now, it has not neces- these audiences not only appreciated the exis-
sarily been an easy journey getting here. “I came tence of such alternative opinions and groups, but
from a Zionist background,” he goes on, “born on also appreciated their serious potential to induce
a kibbutz in which change should they be sup-
I was told that the ported externally: “Just as
country belongs we only get one stance in
to us (the Jews) our mainstream media, so
and that we need the rest of the world devel-
to preserve the ops their own outside opin-
land, all the land, ion of the situation here. It
for our people’s is important they know that
future, these there are organizations like
kinds of things. Sadaka, and many others
To get from this place to where I am now has been like B’tselem and Zochrot, that are fighting for
both a complicated and emotionally difficult ride. equality here. Just as bodies in Europe and the
Being exposed, through Sadaka, to the reality: USA have great influence in funding settlement
that another people lives on this land, has always construction and providing arms to the IDF, so can
lived on this land and that efforts to remove it are and so should others support those challenging
constantly being made… All these aspects have the system here. In all this, in everything that is
meant I am in a different place now.” going on here, there is still room for optimism.”

Taybeh youth respond to war on Gaza

Other groups were also forced to re-examine what it meant to work under the banner of a Jewish-Arab
Youth Partnership. Our Taybeh group, made up of eighteen Palestinian 14-15 year olds from very mixed
backgrounds, was already going through a difficult process exploring the multiple elements that made
up their collective identity when the war started. With the attacks, altogether different basic questions
emerged as participants discussed intensely whether they could legitimately be part of Sadaka (meaning
friendship in Arabic) anymore, asking, as one participant put it – “How can I be friends with someone that
is killing a part of me?” The initial feeling in the group was one of hopelessness and redundancy. This
was, however, soon replaced with an appetite for action, brought on by a feeling that sitting idle would not
benefit anyone. A collection fund was swiftly organised for Gazan victims and their families, whilst others
set up a rota to go and visit those injured and under treatment in Israeli hospitals. Through such activism
feelings of hopelessness dissipated; the community engaged with their activities and in turn, the group
felt less alienated from both Israeli society and the Gazan society they were representing.

The group raised 13,000 shekels for aid to be sent to Gaza and dozens of Gazan patients were kept
company in Israeli hospitals as they lay alone away from friends and family.