DocPalStatement

An urgent Statement to the Israeli Public

November 2000

In February of this year, we, a group of Palestinian academics and activists, addressed an urgent call to the Israeli public. We expressed in it our fear that the Oslo peace process, as it had evolved over the past seven years, was inevitably leading to further conflict -perhaps even war-rather than to our hoped-for goal: a final historic reconciliation that would enable our two peoples to live in peace, human dignity and neighborly relations.

We expressed our concern that the Oslo accords have been used by Israel, despite claims to the contrary, to create unprecedented expansion of settlements, almost double the settler population, and continue the expropriation of Palestinian land. Freedom of movement for Palestinians has been severely curtailed while settler violence against our communities continues without restraint. Against this background, the Palestinian population has had no physical, legal or political means of protection.

While military occupation is a palpable reality that affects us every day, it has been disguised under Oslo in ways that negate international law and the protection it might afford. We now live in a series of small disconnected areas which are being posited as the emerging Palestinian state. The only way to expand these Bantustans according to the distorted logic which has dominated negotiations, is for the Palestinian leadership to make concessions which would legitimize a number of Israeli demands in contravention to international law: to concede our national rights to East Jerusalem, allow settlements to remain in occupied territory and renounce the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

The Israeli leadership (be it Likud or Labor) has continued to imagine that, given the massive military balance of force in its favor, it would be able to impose on the Palestinian Authority its unjust vision of a final settlement, and pretend that the conflict is resolved in the eyes of the world. This delusion that a deeply unjust agreement can be made by Israel with President Yasser Arafat alone, who is then expected to force his people into accepting it, is profoundly shortsighted and has inevitably led to the critical situation that confronts us now.

Many of us were in the streets over these recent weeks, holding neither guns nor stones. We were holding candles to commemorate the deaths of our students, neighbors and relatives who tried to make the world hear with their lives what we were unable to with our words. The naïve and dangerous notion that Palestinians took to the streets following Yasser Arafat's orders is not only an insult to our intelligence but also a clear sign of the lack of understanding of the reality in which we live.

We are deeply concerned that the conflict has, at times, dangerously spiraled, into an ethnic/religious one, as the pogroms against Arab citizens of Nazareth, the lynching of the two Israeli soldiers in Ramallah and the numerous mob attacks on synagogues and mosques have shown. The profoundly irresponsible and self-serving act of the Barak government in allowing Ariel Sharon onto the Haram al Sharif shows not just an alarming lack of judgement, but also a total disregard for Palestinian, Arab and Muslim sensibilities. The use of live ammunition against unarmed Palestinian civilians at demonstrations there the next day and at protests ever since, shows total contempt for Palestinian life.

The stubborn and escalating use of Israel's overwhelming military power in order to crush the current uprising and terrify the Palestinian population into submission shows a dangerous, will-full refusal to address its underlying causes. Military might may be able to subdue the current wave of protest - at the immediate cost of many lives. But in the long run, it cannot stem the will of a people seeking their just and rightful place in the world. It will also condemn us to re-visit the current crisis again and again.

All of us are firm believers in an equitable and just negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians that recognizes the right to self-determination. However we, like our communities, have lost hope in the possibility of resolving the current inequities in the framework of the Oslo agreements and the exclusive American 'brokerage' of the process. We believe that we must find an equitable basis for peace which must necessarily take the following broad principles as a point of departure:

1. Negotiations must be based on the principles that all the lands occupied by Israel in 1967 are, in fact, occupied territories and that peace will be only be achieved by ending the occupation of these territories and thus enabling Palestinians to exercise their right to self-determination and sovereignty.

2. East Jerusalem is part of these Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967. Consequently, a final settlement must include Palestinian sovereignty over East Jerusalem and the commitment to Jerusalem as the recognized capital of two states.

3. Israel's recognition of its responsibility in the creation of the Palestinian refugees in 1948 is a pre-requisite to finding a just and lasting resolution of the refugee problem in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions.

4. Both sides must recognize the spiritual and historical affinities of each other to sites and locations within their own borders and they must affirm and guarantee the access and protection of the other people to these places within their own borders. But in neither case should the existence of such sites be used to advance extra-territorial claims to locations within each other's borders.

We believe that the implementation of these principles will provide for a just and therefore, genuine and lasting peace. The hoped-for co-existence between our two peoples can only become possible if a reconstructed peace settlement is equitable. This requires moral recognition of the historic injustice visited upon Palestinians. Peace and co-existence will not be accomplished by imposing an unjust settlement that goes against the will of the people. This land is destined to be the home of our two peoples. The need for a solution based on mutual respect and accommodation is dictated not only by the search for security and stability, but also by the quest for freedom and prosperity of future generations. It is our hope that, out of the tragedies of recent weeks, a new and fair vision of peace can emerge between the two peoples.

NamePosition/Profession Top

1. Dr. Haidar Abdel-ShafiHead of Red Crescent Society, Gaza

2. Dr. Hanan AshrawiPLC Member

3. Dr. Saleh Abdel JawadBirzeit University

4. Dr. Kamal Abdul FattahBirzeit University

5. Dr. Abdul Rahman Abdul GhaniBirzeit University

6. Ezzat Abdul HadiBisan Development Center

7. Dr. Rabab Abdul HadiAmerican University, Cairo

8. Ghassan AbdullahBirzeit University

9. Prof. Ibrahim Abu LughodBirzeit University

10. Dr. Lamis Abu NahlehBirzeit University

11. Dr. Ragheb Abu SarrisBirzeit University

12. Nadia Abu ZahraResearcher

13. Dr. Mohammad Abu ZaidMD and writer

14. Dr. Ilham Abu-GhazalehBirzeit University

15. Dr. Latif AbuhijlehBirzeit University

16. Prof. Eisa Abu-ShamsiehBirzeit University

17. Khader AbuswayJournalist

18. Dr. Mamdouh AkerSurgeon

19. Mohammad AlaghaJournalist, London

20. Dr. Suad Al-AamiryRiwaq

21. Dr. Nazmi Al-Ju'behRiwaq and Birzeit University

22. Ghassan Al-KhatibJerusalem Media and Communication Center

23. Rana Al-KhatibBirzeit University

24. Mustafa Al-KurdComposer and musician

25. Dr. Helga Al-Kurd/ BaumgartenBirzeit University

26. Dr. Majdi Al-MalkiBirzeit University

27. Dr. Sherif Al-MousaAmerican University, Cairo

28. Hussein Al-RimmawiBirzeit University

29. Dr. Simon ArajBirzeit University

30. Tayseer ArouriBirzeit University

31. Naim AshhabJournalist

32. Prof. Naseer AruriEmeritus, University of Massachusetts

33. Naela AyeshWomen's Affairs Center, Gaza

34. Suheir AzzouniWomen's Affairs Technical Committee

35. Dr. Raja BahlulBirzeit University

36. Dr. Mustafa BarghouthiMD and Head of Palestinian Union of Medical Relief Committees

37. Siham BarghoutyPalestinian Federation of Women's Action

38. Kamal BoullataVisual artist, France

39. Ibrahim DakkakInstitute of Palestine Studies

40. Rabeiha DiabMinistry of Youth and Sports

41. Dr. Beshara DoumaniBerkley, USA

42. Ali El-TaherBirzeit University

43. Dr. Tamer EssawiBirzeit University

44. Prof. Ghassan FaramandBirzeit University

45. Anita G.-AbdullahBirzeit University

46. Dr. Rita GiacamanBirzeit University

47. Dr. Rema HammamiBirzeit University

48. Rudaina HammouriUK

49. Dr. Sari HanafiCEDEJ, Cairo

50. Dr. Ahmad HarbBirzeit University

51. Dr. Roger HeacockBirzeit University

52. Dr. Jamil HilalWriter, Palestine National Council member

53. Prof. Khalil HindiBrunel University, UK

54. Dr. Suha Hindiyeh-ManiBirzeit University

55. Dr. Samia HuleilehBirzeit University

56. Islah JadBirzeit University

57. Penny JohnsonResearcher, Birzeit University

58. Aysha JomaTerre des Hommes

59. Hassan JoubehPublisher

60. Zahira KamalMinistry of Planning & International Cooperation

61. Prof. Sharif KanaanaBirzeit University

62. Mustafa KarkutiJournalist, London

63. Samira KawarJournalist, London

64. Hassan KhaderWriter

65. Jalal KhaderAdvocate

66. Salima KhalilJournalist

67. Dr. Samir KhalilNeuro-Pediatrician

68. Rashid KhatibOrlando, USA

69. Amal KhreishePalestinian Working Women Society

70. Eileen KuttabBirzeit University

71. Flora LahhamJournalist, London

72. Khalil MaloufTerre des Hommes

73. Prof. Nur MasalhaSOAS, University of London

74. Dr. Nadim MseisBirzeit University

75. Zakaria MuhammedPoet and journalist

76. Prof. Ibrahim MuhawiEdinburgh University

77. Prof. Foad MughrabiUniversity of Tennessee

78. Reem MuslehBirzeit University

79. Dr. Walid MustafaBethlehem University

80. Dr. Issam NassarInstitute of Jerusalem Studies

81. Prof. Jamal NassarIllinois State University

82. Maha NassarPalestinian Women's Union

83. Mamdouh NofalWriter and PCC member

84. Dr. Muna OdehUniversity of Sao Paulo, Brazil

85. Ziad OthmanJournalist and researcher

86. Imad QamhiyehBirzeit University

87. Dr. Mudar QassisBirzeit University

88. Nahla QourahRamallah Municipality

89. Suleiman RabadiBirzeit University

90. Ramzi RihanBirzeit University

91. Adnan SabahLawyer, UK

92. Nahed Sabri- MikkiPediatrician

93. Abdul Jawad SalehPLC Member

94. Hilmi SamaraPetroleum Consultant, UK

95. Dr. Rosemary SayighResearcher and author

96. Prof. May SeikalyHistorian and author

97. Dr. Othman SharkasBirzeit University

98. Raja ShehadehLawyer and writer

99. Samih ShibibLecturer and journalist

100. Dr. Azmi Shu'aibiPLC Member

101. Mahmoud ShukeirNovelist

102. Prof. Salim TamariInstitute of Jerusalem Studies

103. Vera TamariArtist, Birzeit University

104. Dr. Spiro TamasSurgeon

105. Muna TamimiBirzeit University

106. Dr. Liza TarakiBirzeit University

107. Laura WickBirzeit University

108. Prof. Muhsin YusufBirzeit University

109. Jamal ZaqoutPalestinian National Council member

110. Prof. Elia ZureikQueens University, Canada

111. Dr. Wassfi KafriBirzeit University

112. Dr. GamaL SiyamBirzeit University

113. Dr. Muhammed Abd al-HaqBirzeit University

114. Dr. Samih Geda'Birzeit University

115. Dr. Ilias SaqanBirzeit University

116. Dr. Mundir BarakatBirzeit University

117. Dr. Khalid AbazaBirzeit University

118. Dr. Allan TlaibiBirzeit University

119. Dr. Fuad HusniBirzeit University

120. Dr. Mervat BulbulBirzeit University

121. Prof. Mashhour AbudakaBirzeit University

Statement of Israeli PeaceActivists

to the Palestinian People

2 January 2001

We, central activists of the Israeli Peace Camp who struggled for more than 30 years toward a solution of two states for our two nations, call you in this crucial time to end the negotiations in positive spirit and to sign a principle framework for Peace Agreement.

We are aware of the real and urgent necessity to solve the '48 refugees' problem. We are also aware of the part of the State of Israel in creation of this problem. These refugees will have the right to return to their homeland: to Palestine and to rebuild there their life. Yet, has to be clarified, that we never will be able to accept the return of these refugees to the territory of Israel, as the practical meaning of this will be abolishment of the State of Israel.

Personal, humanitarian solution in individual cases of family unification inside Israel will be possible, but mass return of Palestinian refugees to the territory of Israel will be in contradiction with the right of the Jewish People for self-determination. This principle, together with the right of the Palestinian People for self -determination will make the moral basis for every agreement that will be signed between our Peoples.

Let's make an effort for realistic solution that will make the flourishing and peaceful life of our Peoples possible.

A.B.Yehoshua Dan Beitan Yair Yinov Meir Pail

Avshalom (Abu) Vilan Dan Yaakobson Yehudit Korin Meir Shalev

Elazar Granot Victor Shemtov Yosi Kata Magen Broshi

Arieh (Lova) Eliav Zeev Sternhal Yael Dayan Moti Averbuch

Gavri Bar-Gil Haim (Jumes) Oron Yaron Friedman Moti Peri

Galia Golan Hemi Sal Yitzhak Frankental Mosi Raz

David Grossman Yair Tzaban Amos Oz Menahem Brinker

Mishka Litvak Mordehai Bar On Nissim Kalderon Amiram Goldblum

Ran Cohen

Call of the Forum of Israeli Organizations Involved in Peace,

Cooperation and Dialogue Activities

27 November 2000

The Leaders on both sides, and our two Peoples know that

AN END TO THE CONFLICT IS POSSIBLE ONLY THROUGH DIALOGUE AND NEGOTIATION FOR PEACE

In the past few weeks we have witnessed a continuation of the violence and of the crisis in the Peace Process, which has resulted in an erosion of the trust between Israelis and Palestinians. Despite this, it is obvious to us all that the two peoples will continue to live side by side, and that there is no alternative to a genuine peace process based on fairness and equality.

We, Israeli Organizations which are involved in promoting Cooperation, Dialogue and Peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, would like to offer Muslims in the Palestinian population and in the region our sincere wishes on the occasion of the Month of Rammadan which is celebrated this month. In the spirit of Rammadan, and based on the understanding that peace is made first and foremost between two peoples, we call upon our partners on the Palestinian side to resume cooperation and dialogue between the two peoples and the two leaderships.

In the spirit of Rammadan, which emphasizes the family and the community, we call upon the Government of Israel to enable the free movement of Palestinians so that every Palestinian can be with his family at this time.

We call upon the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority to make every effort to bring an immediate end to the violence. Every violent action and every reaction to it, only contribute to the escalation of violence and to the futile, and fruitless, loss of lives.

We call upon the two Peoples and their Leaders to resume dialogue and negotiations towards a Permanent Status Agreement which will bring lasting peace and good neighborly relations between the State of Israel and a Palestinian State.

Signatories include, among others, the following organizations:

Peace Now, Netivot Shalom/Oz VeShalom, The Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development (NISPED), The Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF), The Jewish-Arab Center for Peace Givat Haviva, The International Alliance for Arab-Israeli Peace (Copenhagen Group), the Israeli Director of the Middle East Children Association (MECA), The Friendship Village, the Adam Institute, "People-to-People" Program, The Parents' Circle, PRIME, Ra'ash Students for Peace, Peres Center for Peace, The Israeli-Palestinian Center in Kerem Shalom, Ossim Shalom Social workers for Peace and Social Welfare, Bina The Center for Jewish Identity and Israeli Culture in Seminar Efal, Israeli-Palestinian Media Forum, The Israeli Director of PIES, "Children of Abraham" Israeli-Palestinian Educational Association, the Inter-religious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI), The Jewish-Arab Center for Economic Development.