Jeff Skoll and I went for a walk to the Old City of Jerusalem through the Damascus Gate. There we had coffee in a Palestinian café. Over a discussion with the Palestinian owner they expressed their scepticism on the future. "Israel will never allow the Palestinians to have their own state. As a result they will ultimately destroy themselves". Hopefully for both the Palestinians and the Israelis and for all our sakes they will prove to be wrong.
Jeff is Jewish and lost many relatives in the Holocaust. He, like me, is a supporter of The Elders a group of wonderful men and women set up by Nelson Mandela in an attempt to use their morale authority to tackle conflicts. The Elders had kindly invited the two of us to Israel/Palestine to support them in their fact finding mission to help to work towards a lasting peaceful solution.
Jeff was one of the founders of EBay, and now runs a successful film company that puts out films that make a difference. "An Inconvenient Truth" was one such film.
On the trip The Elders spoke with Israeli and Palestinian youth, met with Israeli and Palestinian businessmen, representatives from civil society, people who have been directly affected by both sides of the conflict and politicians and leaders of both sides. I will give you a taste of the actual words spoken and the key issues brought up as we went on our travels.
We first got feedback from independent "experts" in the region who gave us an overview of the current key issues and who made it very clear that there was a pressing need for ongoing neutral arbiters and for the hard Israeli Government line to soften:
"The Negotiators are divorced from the realities of what's happening on the ground. If things on the ground are getting worse then things won't succeed".
"Left to their own intervention these two sides won't come to peace - need third party intervention"
"They are like a married couple who caught each other cheating"
"The Elders must give people hope. Peace is possible"
"Unless the people of Gaza hear from reasonable people all they will hear from are unreasonable people. So people must go into Gaza"
"Current Israeli policies just not working - entrenching Hamas - hurting the business community in Gaza"
"Prisoner releases are very important"
"Palestine's planning for new state in 18 months. Core institutions in Palestine much more ready than other countries"
"Elders need to help in getting other Arabs and Jews to visit Palestine"
"Refugees living miserably. The whole refugee issues has been neglected. The right of return"
"This is a conflict of right versus right. Both sides have right to be here"
"Closure of Gaza. Political, economic, social consequences. Trapped in very small strip of land. Not being able to go in and out freely. Here in East Jerusalem a wave of demolition and eviction orders. Can't separate East Jerusalem from rest of conflict".
"1991 Gaza was a period of hope and dreams. 16 years later no hope, no dreams. Deep feeling of despair"
"West bank. Beside check points and harassments. People's land is grabbed for settlements"
"Bethlehem. 86% now under control of Israelis"
"East Jerusalem - most likely if you are a Palestinian your home is at risk of demolition. 100000 people at risk of displacement. A) need to stop building barriers. B) Freeze all demolition in East Jerusalem. Day after day dignity denied. Sooner or later a wave of violence will break out.
"Israel journalists themselves cannot go and see what's going on in Gaza. They'd get arrested when they came back"
"Physiological problem here. Trying to get Gaza students to study in West Bank University. Israelis worried Gaza students will radicalize West Bank. Stripped of dignity the right of a Palestinians to study in there own country. This psychological approach difficulty to explain or understand. It's Judaism without ethics. Need Jews questioning more in U.S need to get story out so people will demand change".
"There's a new more caring Jewish lobby group set up in America called J Street that wants dignity for both Israelis and Palestine's".
Archbishop Tutu commented on his concerns on the impact on the Isreali people and said: "Oppression dehumanizes the oppressed but dehumanizes the oppressor even more! When Steve Biko died (in South African Prison) and the prosecutor was told he said "it left him cold"
The Elders then met with young Israelis on the trip and we were all struck by the questioning, critical and open attitude of the young. They want an end to the current conflict and unsustainable status quo and called for the Government to negotiate a lasting peace. Many claimed that their voices were not being heard and that the majority of the population were against the current position:
"Need to put conflict aside for greater good"
"We used to live together - need to bring the world to a better place. Be more understanding of other people"
"Am always an optimist. But sadly extremists on both sides have power not those who care about humanity"
"Germany invited 30 of us Jews and 30 Palestinians to Germany together. I'm still in contact with the Palestinians. They have no hope. We must make sure we all live together in harmony"
"Must educate ourselves to care about each other, be friendly to each other, to look into each other eyes"
"Mustn't allow the silent majority to be silent. Must rise up against our fascist regime"
"Must ask difficult questions and deal with this complicity"
"The silent majority in Israel are opposed to the settlements. But a majority relinquished their responsibilities afraid of the consequences"
"The society I'm looking forward to is not on the table right now"
"Our politicians are regurgitating the same ideas. There's a lack of vision. Needs outside ideas and help"
"Youth is the eternal chance of humanity but history keeps missing it"
"Young people in Israel do have the creative ideas - the will to change things"
"Problem. The Leaders. They say you're too young to decide. When you get older you will understand."
"We - the young - need to work out what society we want to build. It is in us. It is for us."
"The reality is we've very segregated from the Palestinians. Most of us don't know one"
"Need to recognise the borders agreed in 1967"
We were struck by the courage and strength of one young Israeli who highlighted the intolerance of society towards disabled people and questioned the ability for Israel to be humane towards the Palestinians.
"Israeli society is numb. I am 16 years old and have cerebral palsy. Government do not take care about me or other disabled people. A society who doesn't know how to respect the disabled or the old can't start to respect different people like the Palestinians. Far too much intolerance. I want to see people open up to each other."
Archbishop Tutu "Difference it seems is not recognised in your country. It is that very difference that enriches. How boring for all of us to be the same. It is the fact that we are all different, where we are all surprised by each other that makes life special. People should not be threatened by different people or people with disability.
We were all in The White House with Stephen Hawkings last week. He was dribbling. Here was one of the cleverest people in the world and he was dribbling. He couldn't pick up a napkin to wipe himself. Says a great deal of what it means to be human. Think of the richness of your society if all were recognized"
The Elders also met with a Palestinian Youth Meeting that called for an end to the hostility and made clear the need for security and prosperity for Gaza and the West Bank. The Palestinians were concerned that the International community were not listening and hoped that the Elders' visit would highlight their plight and build awareness around the major issues:
"Make our society safe from inside and outside"
"Everyone in Palestine feels insecure"
"Major problems we face are that politicians forget about the youth in Palestine. Start to think of the day to day life as normal. It's abnormal. Israelis want us to get used to it. To live with it"
"Whole generation - unsafe. Discriminated against"
"Need the world to recognize the Palestinian State and the 1967 borders thus making settlements illegal. Can't the international community enforce the law?"
"You give us hope in coming here. I suffer from check points every time I go home by car. One Israeli soldier - who fancied me - kept me there for four hours making me miss my exam. I was terrified".
"So happy to meet people who care about human rights."
"Hamas are violating human rights themselves especially when it comes to women."
"Breaking the siege is the most important thing."
"We the Palestinians are always hopeful because hope is all we have left to us. But by talking to you The Elders hopefully my message will get across. Israel is a country of occupation and claims its trying to make peace. How completely contradictory."
We met a number of very spirited and outspoken Israelis who had been directly and personally affected by the conflict. They told us of their sense of loss, their embarrassment and their hope that President Obama would devote real energy and time to the issue:
"Both sides are tired and want peace. No difference between one tear and another, one child or another, it is the same for any mother who has to bury her children"
"We are the only democracy in the Middle East. Occupying other peoples land is therefore wrong"
"People in Israel cared about the Iranian demonstrators but not the 500 children killed in Gaza"
"We have dehumanized Palestinians and ourselves"
"I lost my son in the Israeli army. When I was told he'd been shot dead aged 27 my first words were "you may not kill anybody in my name" I learnt about reconciliation when I lived in South Africa from you Archbishop Tutu. You influenced my life. Thank you.
"Grist in the mill of Al Queada what's happening today. If settlement activities continue then a two state solution will be lost. For the sake of your grandchildren Mr Obama don't blink. If you blink on Jerusalem if you blink on settlement freezes Jerusalem will seek you down and unravel what you are trying to accomplish in Afghanistan/Pakistan/Iraq. If settlement expansion continues Mr Obama than two states solution will be lost. Our Israeli State's future existence depends on two state solution. The day a politician puts a hard boundary in Jerusalem all will fail. If you're a friend Mr Obama engage us - because friends do not allow friends to drive drunk!.
Across the board we met people who saw the arrival of the Elders as a sign of hope and optimism. One Ramalan Citizen told us that:
"In this month of fasting we are praying the Elders will bring us safely to shore. In front of god in front of our children we don't want the tragedy of '48 for our children. Before 1948 Jews, Christians, Muslims we were all one family living n peace together. Then we suffered from the Jewish terror when they attacked the British in King David Hotel. I owned a coffee house on the street. They came in and shot dead seven children. We are not terrorists we are yearning for peace. We are divided. Brothers from brothers. Sisters from Sisters. Get us out of this mess so new generation can live in peace"
Archbishop Tutu responsed: "It can't be easy telling your story - the wound must open every time you tell it. I came from a country where we were treated like rubbish and it felt like it would go on forever. You will be free like we were one day. Continue in hope. We thank God for your resilience. Want to come back to celebrate with you when there is peace and there is no war"
Another said that: "We hope that future generations will not face what we've been facing. The Israeli occupation has been founded on damage. We have the right to live in peace like anyone else on the globe"
"Whilst the Berlin Wall was knocked down this wall has been erected. We are in prison camps. Deprived of our family visits. All people should have access to Jerusalem. They are transforming it in to a modern Israeli state"
There was a real sense of frustration amongst many of the people we met from Ramala that the Palestinian people were being impacted by the restrictions on movement, the lack of engagement by the international community and the slow speed of change. They continually called on more activity from the international community and welcomed the passion and attention of the Elders:
"We hold the US responsible for giving weapons to Israel"
"No Palestinian state would be possible without its capital East Jerusalem".
"Main problem academic freedom. Used to have students from all over Palestine. Now can no longer come from Gaza."
"Need end to occupation. International community should be more engaged. No sign by Israel of complete succession of settlements so don't believe Israeli really wants peace".
"Been dispossessed as people - it's not a conflict - we are dispossessed".
"For goodness sake stop wasting time. The international community knows what it must do. Prolonging a process that needn't be prolonged".
"The status quo great danger to Israel. Israelis have power and can wield fear. Their adversaries have no military power but great determination"
"Young people deserve better from international community"
"Our people are fed up. People are quiet - won't be for too long. Seizure in Gaza is unfair. Should be lifted yesterday. Responsibility of The Elders. They can do more. They must do more"
"We are still under occupation so have right to RESIST in every way".
"It's international communities' responsibility. The way they deal with the conflict. They should make us equal. Internationally Israel is above the law. If war crimes bought in Gaza then Israel will come to its sense and save itself from vanishing. Why signatories of Geneva not holding them responsible"
"Zionism has to go to the garbage of history"
"Judaism without a certain degree of ethics is not Judaism"
"If someone puts my children on the streets I will blow myself up
We talked to a Palestinian Priest from the Holy Land who called for a peaceful process to end the conflict.
"No violence should be the way of Palestinians. Jerusalem should be open to everyone"
"Non violent approach. Much stronger using olive branches than stones"
One Palestinian wife of a political prisoner summed up the situation, arguing there was an opportunity to change the status quo and create a two state nation:
"There's a window of opportunity for the distress to be diffused. Our issue is a humanitarian one. Women children are those that are affected. All political detainees are clear - they accept a state along the border of 1967. No matter what factions they are from. They all agreed. It's a clear cut endorsement. Eight years have passed since he was incarcerated. These people are not terrorists. He's fluent in Hebrew, French and English. This generation suffered most because ironically this generation wants to find a way out. 98% of Palestinians want to put an end to this. So leadership must obey the will of the people. The key is to hold elections in Palestine that are not then over turned by the U.S and Israel".
"Blessed you The Elders are here the conscience of the World. There's real need for national elections. Sadly the last time we had elections the West and Israel didn't like the results and boycotted the party who had been elected and threw all the elected officials into prison and then boycotted the whole of Palestine".
"Hamas is close to agreeing a two state solution"
There was a sense of hope that the Elders could help the peace process maintain momentum and keep the pressure up. In discussions with people in Gaza we were told that:
"We look forward to you coming to a free Gaza not one under occupation"
"First we thank you for your time to know more about the unreasonable measures taken against the 1 ½ billion residents of the Gaza Strip. New polices by President Obama give us great hope".
"We need dignity. Believe The Elders can make this happen.
They talked of the need for economic regeneration and the desperate need for basic materials and food stuffs. The need to be able to trade and to rebuild a community.
"Poor Garzans need materials to build Schools, Houses and Hospitals. We need Pesticides, Seeds and Food. We need Computers and we need to be allowed to import and export. 9000 items used to be allowed into Gaza then the Israeli's reduced that to 32 items!
That is why Gaza is suffering. Most of what we get is through tunnels and it costs twice as much."
"The Elders must let the World know we have been suffering for 61 years. Want you as representatives of the civilised world to tell people that their security has become the rope to hang the Gaza people with. We are looking to you. We need your help to allow the Palestine State. You will then see how much our people love Peace.
Our homes are destroyed. Factories destroyed. Agriculture stopped (no seeds) You the international community made us give up 78% of our Palestine. Leave us with 22% of Palestine. Make Israelis withdraw from that 22%".
The people we met listed the issues around health, the hospitals, agriculture and gave us a overall wish list for the region:
1. Public Health Structure
Sever shortage of water
Water getting very salty
More than 70000 cubic metre sewage pours into the Mediterranean
Don't have construction materials to improve
Shortage of electricity/industrial oil
Crippling hospitals/offices
Soled waste extreme problem - flies/insects.
Suffering post- stress
2. Hospitals
Quality medicines - none
Laboratories - X-ray etc, don't have spare parts
No training of doctors
Need free movement of people
Allow water/cement
Free transport medical equipment
3. Agriculture
Farmers - 20% of land our farmers not allowed to go to . The best land along the border.
Strawberries/vegetables for exportation. Stopped being exported for three years. Thousands farmers loose their jobs.
4. General wishes
1967 Borders
Commitment to democracy
Pluralism/Human rights
Compliance of international law
No targeting of civilians
Settlement must stop/against international law has to stop
Can't go ahead to end occupation if someone is consolidating the occupation.
Say to Israel. Be Serious. Commit to the roadmap. If committed to two state solutions why continue
What kind of impact is this having on our children. Human rights not respected in this part of the world. Need human rights - need your help. Peace very important to the Israelis themselves. Need to see real steps.
The people of Gaza were very clear on the need for the US to make a concerted effort:
"Israel and America destroyed the moderates by not accepting Hamas when they won the election. So one party Fatah tried peace the other party Hamas tried war. Both parties want a Palestinian state. Need them to come together. If peace is destroyed only racialism wins".
"Obama is facing, in the U.S a formidable force of extreme Zionist Jews. Precursor of new war and cycle of violence unless Palestinian state created".
"We are against collective punishment. Not right that people are deprived basic needs of their lives. Stressed. Traumatised. Not easy to do work. It's unjust. It's insane"
"Always believe in solving problems from its roots. Leaders on both sides not giving what their people want. We the people are in the middle being punished. Don't look at us with the eye of sympathy. We can handle this. We have dreams. We have goals. We are not cripples. We have brains on our shoulders. Personalities. Need you to talk to us. We can do something. We can change something. We need it so bad.
No violence coming out of Gaza now. But Israel is perpetuating violence against us".
We heard of ongoing tragedies from a tunnel Digger in Gaza:
"To survive we have to dig tunnels to Egypt from Gaza. 24 hours a day, day and night. 140 of us have died so far when the tunnels have collapsed. Our "investors" often use children to dig and often the parents are not aware. When the children die the parents believe they've just gone missing".
One Young Palestinian Woman from Gaza captured our attention with her story:
"Wasn't treated right because I'm a girl, I'm a she. There wasn't ever female photo journalist. I wanted to have it as a career. I was stopped over and over and over. What are you doing. A kind of a shame. Gaza so closed. So isolated, cant expect them to have open minds"
"No room for women to take the lead in anything. More oppression for women in general. Really difficult because I was not wearing (head gear) coming from aboard. One of the drivers spat at me.
Most of my liberal friends have to wear it".
The Elders were deeply moved and here are some of the comments I picked up from our trip:
Archbishop Tutu
"We are struck by your resilience. Amazed you can laugh - be as normal as you can be. We salute you!"
"Running out of vocabulary. I'm a grandfather and I'm so proud of you. In English we say you are the cat's whiskers. The world is a little better because of people like you. Deeply committed to ending the blockage - you should have the freedom - you are special - you inspire us to want to go on.
You are walking through a dark tunnel - even at the end of the tunnel - it doesn't look like their will be an end - but there will be an end - a day to celebrate - and you will have made a tremendous contribution."
Mary Robinson
"The situation is clearly so much worse. My heart goes out to you.. Not just coming here as one visit as Elders. We profoundly understand how you have this collective punishment"
President Carter
"All of us are stricken by what we've seen. Israel has perpetrated this crime against 1.6 million people with impunity. Only way for Israel to have security is to obey human rights".
Towards the end of our trip we visited Bil'in and one young Israeli Lawyer shared her views with us:
"Could have taken you to other places. Bil'in is the symbol on non-violence. Every Friday for 4 ½ years there has been a demonstration. Palastinians chaining themselves to their olive trees to prevent them being cut down whilst reading poetry."
"Land physically cut off with wall being built. Now lost all access to olive trees"
"To find ways to stall wall - called Israel friends. International friends. Village paying price for demonstrations"
"Night time raids by Israeli military to arrest youngsters and leaders charging them as criminals"
"One child aged 10 killed at funeral of another child killed by Israeli soldiers"
"What I felt about the Holocaust was never again for anyone. Not just never again for Jews. Having the Holocaust in my family's history informed my identity from a very young age, and it has made me acutely aware of suffering and oppression of others. I believe those who know persecution should be especially wary of persecuting others. Heightened my awareness when it happened to others".
Archbishop Tutu said "Just as a simple man named Gandhi led the successful non-violent struggle in India and simple people such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King led the struggle for civil rights in the United States, simple people here in Bil'in are leading a non-violent struggle that will bring them their freedom"
The feelings of the Elders and the importance of what we saw was best summed up by Archbishop Tutu in his closing remarks to his fellow Elders
"We as Elders must have the eloquence to say 'for the sake of Palestine for the sake of the Israelis and for our sake we can give up on everything else if we don't resolve this'. On behalf of The Elders we commit ourselves to do all we can."
* * * * *
I've tried to give you a flavour of what people on the ground believe in Israel and Palestine. I've left out conversations with President Peres and the other Israeli and Palestinian politicians that the Elders met, since they were either confidential or only attended by the Elders themsleves.
On my return I rang my 92 year old father and told him of our trip. "It's strange" he said "that the Israel politicians seem to like keeping a wound open and festering year after year"
Lets hope 2009 will be the year that wound is healed.
Sir Richard Branson
September 2009
