Moving Through the Impasse: MEPCF Newsletter #2

19 April 2024

Critical Issues that Must be Discussed

Last month, the Middle East Peace Civic Forum hosted our first “Critical Conversation,” featuring Israeli Rabbi Yehuda HaKohen and Palestinian Walid Siam. The discussion offered a taste of what is possible when Palestinians and Israelis have a chance to communicate authentically. 

The intention was to create a space where Yehuda and Walid could speak their minds and advocate powerfully for their people, while also bringing genuine curiosity and deep listening to the conversation. 

Bill Phillips, an experienced and studiously neutral conflict resolution practitioner, facilitated the discussion. In the conversation, Yehuda and Walid each articulated a range of thought-provoking points. 

Walid, who has lived in both Gaza and Ramallah, pointed to the role of propaganda in stirring up anger and hate. He pointed to an establishment on both sides that purposely and deliberately tries to discredit the another, as if one is alien and one is human. 

Says Walid, “I started to look for a way that can help amend both narratives for them to evolve enough to accept the other. It’s not an easy task. It requires patience and being completely impartial and objective, by being fair. Both sides exaggerate. Both sides are flawed...We have to change by asking ourselves and asking our people to look at the mirror and to see the reflection of our thinking and our actions, that it’s not going to lead ourselves anywhere.” 

Yehuda, a rabbi in the community of Beit El, pointed to the way in which narratives shape our understanding of events. 

Yehuda asserted, “When we are not all living in the same political echo chamber and we’re coming from different parts of the world and different political backgrounds, it’s often the case that words mean different things. I think the word “narrative,” for me, the way I would define it, is a collection of facts that are selectively chosen, organized to tell a story and contextualized within an ideological worldview. ln the last 104 years there are millions of facts, and both of us, I think Israelis and Palestinians, tend to really like the facts that help tell the stories we want to tell, and we both tend to ignore or dismiss or try to disprove the facts that complicate those stories. I think we’re both doing that, and I noticed that even when we talk about the same events we often center very different facts.” 

 Yehuda also reflected on a possible clue hidden within Jewish tradition that could offer a way forward, “the ability for seemingly contradictory things to be simultaneously true.” 

Creating Communication 

The Middle East Peace Civic Forum’s first “Critical Conversation” highlighted our commitment to facilitating thoughtful and purposeful dialogues that impact the Israeli-Palestinian relationship. 

Too often, we resist those views we disagree with. We cherish our views; we often have them intertwined with our own sense of goodness. Individually and communally, we justify our actions and defend our values. 

Each of us has a truly unique perspective, shaped by our one-of-a-kind life experiences and influences, and our innate nature. Our uniqueness forms a part of a communal tapestry, our collective stories and histories. Our personal experience interweaves into family, tribal, religious and national narratives. All of it is constantly evolving. 

As human beings we have the capacity to act consciously and with intention. Using language, we have agency to create in language a vision of the future. We get to take action to implement that vision. We have the ability to shape our relationships and our world, and we can choose to evolve and create structures around us that reflect our shared values.  

The vitriol, violence and ideological rigidity on display in the Middle East have made it difficult to find common ground.  W assert that there are critical issues that must be discussed and worked through. Without impactful dialogue, we can expect to continue down the path to a dystopian future.

We acknowledge the courage it takes to show up with an open mind and to truly listen. 

For too long, we have succumbed to the fear that hearing opposing views implies agreement, or even poses a danger. Our answer to this concern is to highlight the importance of a safe space where all parties can speak honestly without fear. This comes with the responsibility to also listen deeply and with an open mind. 

Our intention is not necessarily to produce agreement; certainly not immediately. Nor do we need to feel the obligation to convince each other. We are free to hold onto our opinions. But perhaps the simple acts of listening and speaking honestly can begin to melt the ice, and lay the foundation for constructive dialogue and even lead to a breakthrough. 

The willingness to listen authentically gives us credibility to share our own perspective effectively.

Through mutual understanding, we can begin to awaken a sense of being cousins reunited in this piece of land that Israelis and Palestinians call home. 

Critical Conversations often reveal deeply entrenched, seemingly oppositional narratives. The troublesome reality on the ground is a reflection of our oppositional narratives. For so many people, this has been a cruel and deeply painful conflict. 

While we do not expect a single conversation to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we are confident that each discussion brings us closer to reconciliation and peace. 

Critical Conversations Series

We invite you to join us for the next “Critical Conversation” on Thursday, April 25th. If you are unable to attend, we encourage you to watch the recording on our YouTube channel and share share with others who may be interested.
Please visit the link to our first “Critical Conversation,” which took place on March 29th, 2024: https://youtu.be/vz3QI1ksqPE?si=elzCyhyC0oKim4Vv

Contribute

We are grateful for every contribution, large and small. We invite you to be our partner and to support our mission. Through programs such as the Critical Conversations Series, our podcast, and our movement-building work, we are out to create a world that works for all Israelis and Palestinians.