Page 29 - DIVA_3_2009

In Ran'iallah, the streets were
very crowded, even though
most of tlie stores were closed
owiiig to tlie lioliday. A lot of
the people were yoru'ig. Jatnal
Zakout, an elegat'itly dressed
and distinguislied-looking
middle-aged man holding a
BlackBei'i'y in l'ffls hand, took

me to an upscale coYf.ee house.
Tliere, lie gave me an ovet'vtew
of tlie liardsliips that the

Palestinian people had to endu-
re owiitg to tlie occupation atxd
the blockade iii Gaza. He then
made a plione call to Saman
Kboru'y, tlie head of the Peace
NGO tl'iat lias an office in East
Jei'usalem.

I met witli Samau twice, once
in the lobby of the Aa'nencan
Colony Hotel, the second time
at his office, wliere he gave me
Haifa, becarise of the peaceful Chairman of the Palestunan Meanwhile,
tl'ie dozen or so names of we, in the
co-existence of Jewisb attd Liberation Organisation Beyaliad-Ma'an
Palestinian iiitellectuals who, ui (PLO) (Together)
Arab Israelis, possibly an even aid the President
pruiciple, liad agreed to patttct- of the Getieva Grotp, will continue
better one. Tentatively, Palestinian National Authorrty
pate in the meetu'rg. we our modest work to contribute
agreed to hold the tneeting ux (PNA) gives me hope. our two cents' worth as facili-
Haifa, on the 19th, 20th and
hi Tel Aviv, I had an interesting tators of this great goal:
21st Api'il 2009. In Israel,
and ii'istnictive intea'view with tlie election will Israelis and the Palestinians
ahnost cei'tainly produce a joining liands to build toge-
Adam Keller, one of the leaders
I spent my last week-end in coalition gOVel'nment, led either
of tlie Block of Peace (Gush tlier a better and viable future
Israel reading Sami's novel by Tzipi Livni's Kadima or
Slialom) wl'ffch is the hard core for tlieir two natrons.
Pigeons on Trafalgar Square. Biiiyainiit Netanyahu's
of the Peace Now (Shalom Likoud
As I closed tlie book, I was tliat will joiii forces with Ehud (*) Writer, scholar and social
Achsliav) movement.
Adam
gave me a copy of the iinpressed with Satni's ability to Barak's Labour-or, in the actiyist, Zeki Ergas is
penetrate the Palestinian soul
case of the Likoud, with reli- Secretary General of P.E.N.
September isste of The Other
and iniiid. The novel ends with gious and right-wing Intei'national's
Israel, the 'Newsletter patttes. Swiss Romand
of the a Palestiian

lTla){
Sti'uggle for Israeli-Palestinian man getting killed A Likorid govet'nntent Centre and a inember of
by a mob, hyiiig to save his OppOSe ITI(Xe resistance to a P.E.N. Intei'national's
Peace' wl'ffcli contains a sun- Wt'iters
Israeli relative's life. negotiated peace agreement.
mai'y of tlie history of the for Peace Coiiunittee. He catx
Jewish-Israeli But it is time now to heed the be reached at ergas@web-
and Arab-
Afker my retui'n to Geneva, l admonition tliat tlte biblical creatif.ch
Palestinian conflict in tlye last
prepared a project proposal aitd Prophet Isaiah made some
centiuy or so-as seen by the
sent it to P.E.N. h'itemational in three thousand years ago and, Beyaliad-Ma'an
Peace movement-atxd (Together)
a boo-
London. It will was subtnitted together witli the Palestinians, Geneva Group rieeds your
klet entitled Tiauth against Truth
to P.E.N.'s Board, 011 Februm'y tiu'n swords into ploughsha-
that, according to Uri Avnet'y, heip. You can join the Group
4, 2009. res.
one of tlie foxmders of the and/or send your donations
In Palestine, any real progress to.' MillOnium
Israeli peace movement, 'denno- SolidaritO
I presented tlie same, on March requires reconciliation
lisli (es) the myths, convenho- bet- Gmupe de Geyinve, CCP 1 7-
28, at the annual conference of ween 268167-9. T)ianlcyou.
nal lies and histot'ical false- the Palestinian
tlie Writers for Authority (Fatali) and Hamas.
lioods (of the) Israeli and Peace
Cominittee of That will happen, I believe,
Palestiiiian propaganda.' P.E.N.
Intemational,
iiiBled, Slovetua. pai'tly because this fratricidal
war is desti'uctive and Calm-
Back iit Haifa, I went to see
As I write tliese liiies, the war ts ter-productiye, and, perhaps
Sarni and Racliel again. They
oyer in Gaza. As for future iTlore importai'itly,
too liad a list of a dozen or so because
developments,
Israeli iiitellechials tliey will, in botl'i pai'ties realize that there
that had
large part, depend on Barack will be, in tlie tnonths to
agreed to participate in the
Obai'iia's agenda. The fact that COITle, a great opportunity not
meetiiig. Saini said that we nee-
lffs first telepl'ione call to a to be missed. I thit'ik Hatnas
ded a venue and a date for the
foreign political leader was to will agree to recognize the
meeting. East Jer'usalem was a
Mal'unoud
good option, of course, but Abbas, the State of Israel and gtve up
yiolence.
3 2009 Dive 27
wwwdivainternationalch