Message to our Friends and Supporters (1)
Jonatan Peled – Friendship Village
1. Sepember 2006
Following the extreme violence that broke out last June when the Israeli army attacked the Gaza strip, as a result of the capturing of a soldier by Palestinian militants and later on the violent attack on Lebanon, as a response to the kidnapping of two more and killing 8 Israeli soldiers by the Hizbullah, the possibility of a progress toward peace seems farther than ever. Moreover, many people got the impression, that Israeli – Arab relationships are deteriorating to a never known depth of hostility, despair and hatred. When you live here, in this impossible area and recognize underground streams in Israeli and Palestinian societies, you have to disagree with this simplified view, nourished by mass media.
What is really happening, is a continuous process of polarization in both societies: On the one hand extreme nationalism and fanatic religious groups are growing and strengthening – on the other hand more and more people on both sides wish to strengthen connections and cooperation. Like everywhere all over the world, ethnocentrism, violence, unlimited trust in power and unwillingness to understand other peoples' needs and interests or just to talk to them, encourage extremism on the opposite side. This miserable process obtains feedback from the opponent, so that extremists strengthen each other. The same proess is taking place among the so called "moderates", or people who reject violence, who try to talk, wish to cooperate. We can call them – Peace People. Actually this is more than just longing for peace. This is the readiness to understand the other side, to respect him, to accept basic values of equality, solidarity and justice – and to compromise.
Like all over the world, these forces are in a state of growing struggle over the soul of their societies. In Israel and Palestine – maybe more than anywhere in the world - a real danger may arise if the moderate parts of our societies, the people of peace and solidarity, will withdraw, and the ethnocentrist, fanatic forces will win: if this happens, the whole area may blow up – and this can endanger others as well, especially the Arab world and Europe. Our struggle is not beyond national lines, but rather beyond barriers of ideology and values: moderates against nationalist and religious extremists, on both side.
The struggle for a better, peaceful and just society in Israel is a key issue regarding the future of the Middle – East. We, in "Friendship Village" act with determination to implant ideas of solidarity, mutual respect, openness toward needs and interests of the other, into prospective agents for change: in our projects we focus on students for education, teachers, young politicians, youth organizations activists.
NGOs like us can not and do not pretend "to bring peace" to our area.
We are strengthening the tendency of moderation, of openness and of respect toward the other.
We prepare activists who will spread these values all over the society.
We believe in deep going educational work, rather than in demonstrative acts that focus on public relations and mostly attract the attention of the media. We believe that lasting change can be achieved only in this way.
By supporting our projects, you help strengthening anti-racist attitude, solidarity and the peace promoting forces in the societies of the Middle East.
