ר"ע תיתד תונויצל ינויערה גוחה ,םולשו זוע

Oz Veshalom - Netivot Shalom
Annual Report 1999

Netivot Shalom/OzVeShalom’s activities for 1999 can be divided into 2 general categories: programs for Israelis, and programs for Israelis and Palestinians.

Programs with Israelis

1. Shabbat Shalom

Over 10,000 copies of this 4 page flyer containing a peace oriented commentary on the weekly Torah portion is being distributed to over 400 synagogues in Israel. There are many such pamphlets available in synagogues - this is the only one with a moderate, tolerant, peace oriented message.

2. Shabbat seminars

56 University students attended a Shabbat seminar at the Haim Tzippori Center in Jerusalem. The purpose of the seminar was to form a cohesive working group of student members to carry out the year’s activities. Speakers included Hania Bitar, Gideon Admanit and Bilhah Admanit. Topics included Palestinian perceptions of Israelis, and the place of the Palestinian woman in the peace process, changing attitudes from war to peace, the ethical dilemma of continued hatred and a discussion of current events and what the students would like to be involved in this year.

36 adult members of Netivot Shalom and right wing settlers spent a Shabbat weekend together at Kibbutz Ein Tzurim. Speakers were Yoske Achituv, Tzvia Grunfeld and Michael Nehorai on topics such as the relationship between Jews and non-Jews, democracy and the Supreme Court, and Jewish identity.

47 adults of different religious backgrounds and politcal attitudes shared the 2 day holiday weekend at Galei Sanz Hotel in Netanya. Speakers for the weekend were Michael Nehorai, Uri Erlich, Shmuel Herr, Israel Ziderman and Daniel Goldfarb. Topics included tolerance and intolerance towards Jews and non-Jews, evil, freedom, equality, science and halacha, and revelation as learned from Jewish texts and a round table discussion of current events.

3. Lectures and gatherings

Netivot Shalom/OzVeShalom joined thousands of participants in a demonstration showing support for the Supreme Court and democracy in Israel while across town the ultra-orthodox demonstrated against the Supreme Court.

Netivot Shalom/OzVeShalom protested against the participation of the Chief Rabbis in the ultra-orthodox demonstration against the Supreme Court that took place a week earlier. Dr. Devorah Weissman spoke in favor of democracy and expressed the wish that the Chief Rabbis would represent the entire Israeli public and support the State of Israel, not just the ultra-orthodox population and Jewish law.

Netivot Shalom/OzVeShalom students and students of the Progressive movement learned about prayer together

Netivot Shalom/OzVeShalom students and students of the Progressive movement learned about conversion together. The lecturers were Yehoram Mazur from the Reform Movement and Beni Baron, a lecturer in Jewish Philosophy.

70 people attended a lecture held at Beit Shmuel in Jerusalem entitled “If we and the world with us were destroyed by senseless hatred, then we will return to rebuild and the world will be rebuilt with us, by unlimited love” (Orot HaKodesh, Rav Avraham Isaac Kook). The lecture was given by the poet Dr. Admiel Kosman and the writer Haim Beer.

On the day that marks the destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples and commonly understood to be the saddest day on the Jewish calender, Netivot Shalom/OzVeShalom gathered at the grave of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin ז"ל for evening prayers and the recitation of Lamentations.

On the day that marks the murder of Gedaliah, Governor of Yehuda, by another Jew, Yishmael ben Netanya, Netivot Shalom/OzVeShalom held morning prayers and a lecture by Prof. Tzvi Mazeh (Tel Aviv Univ).

Chanuka candle lighting in front of the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem in support of the peace process. Yehuda Wachsman lit the candles, Prof. Uriel Simon (Bar Ilan Univ.) spoke.

Joint Palestinian-Israeli tree planting along the green line ( at the Khuduri Agricultural School) calling for a just and equal solution between the two nations and protesting the confiscation of Palestinian land by Israeli authorities.

Lawyer Dani Zeidman guided an educational visit of about 70 Israelis through different areas of Jerusalem and expalined the history and present conditions of Palestinians under Israeli rule through the views and areas visited. Afterwards the group went to Jabal Mukaber where they met Palestinian families whose homes had been demolished by Israeli authorities.

This was a repeat of the Yom Yerushalayim tour.

Netivot Shalom members met with Anata residents in Anata for a day of “building bridges” - getting to know one another better, small group discussions and learning about settlements, the Geneva conventions and discussing ways to continue to work together. The first practical result was an evening session expanded to include a larger group of people to learn more about the Geneva conventions.

On August 2 and 9, 1999, videos produced by Palestinians in East Jerusalem were screened for an audience of West Jerusalem, Jewish Israelis, informing them about the problems faced by the Palestinians of East Jerusalem because of official discrimination against them.

The first video concerned the problems of the citizens of Issawiya because there is as yet no master plan permitting them to build housing for themselves. Although almost all of the land in the neighborhood is privately owned by its residents, it is not zoned for housing.

The second video concerned the neglect of two Palestinian neighborhoods in southern Jerusalem, Um Tuba and Tzur Baher. Although the residents of these two neighborhoods pay municipal taxes, they receive a much lower level of municipal services than residents of Jewish neighborhoods. The video focussed on the specific problem of sewage.

The experience of seeing and meeting with the Palestinians involved in the problem brings the issues home and makes them hard to ignore.

20 Israelis were hosted by 16 Palestinians for a day in Nablus. Activities included a meeting with the Palestinian District Governor of Nablus, a walking tour of the Old City, a bus tour of the settlements on the hills around Nablus, lunch at the homes of the Palestinian hosts and a round table discussion on settlements, the upcoming prisoner exchange and the peace process.

This was a full day meeting between residents of Walaje and Jewish Jerusalemites. The first part was a tour of the village in which residents described their lives as Arabs in Jerusalem. After lunch there was a workshop together which addressed different concrete ways of improving the conditions in Walaje.

This film, the third in a series, described the living conditions of Palestinian families living in the Old City. Overcrowded housing with no plumbing, leaks, mold, and no heat, and a high drop out rate from schools were the two main issues. Since responsibility for services in the Old City is a very hot political issue, no one is clearly responsible for improving the situation.

Lawyer Dani Zeidman presented background information on Israeli - Palestinian demographics and land distribution and Israeli government policy regarding East Jerusalem. He then presented three court cases, each of which represented a major difficulty facing East Jerusalem Palestinians and pointed out the consistent discrimination of the court decisions against the Palestinians.

21 Israelis were hosted by a group of Palestinians for a tour, discussion of problems, visit with families and joint lunch in Walaje.

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OZ veSHALOM - NETIVOT SHALOM
P.O. Box 4433, Jerusalem, 91043 Israel
Tel: 02-5664218, for Shabbat Shalom only call 053-920206
ozshalom@netvision.net.il
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