Commemoration-Celebration

Riding the bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, shallow breathing and determined nail-biting, I found myself in a bit of a panic. I wasn't feeling quite ready to internalize the world in which I was going to once again immerse myself. A world in which the integrity of my identity as a Jew, a woman and an American are called into question based on whether or not I can speak or work out against the occupation of a suffering people.

I started to think about the newspaper headlines in the past few weeks: Hamas rockets barraging Sderot, Fatah and Hamas rendering Gaza a virtual war zone, x number of Palestinians murdered in an I.D.F. raid-- Jericho, Ramallah, Hebron...

Unfortunately since my last stay here I have become at best skeptical and at worst cynical that any real shift toward peace will occur in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Reading the newspapers the same names come up again and again-- Haniyeh, Abbas, Erakat, Olmert, Livni...I see them doing the same dance to nearly the same tune over and over. Either side using any signs of escalation as a rallying cry against an eternal enemy. If one is not fighting the occupation, then one is accepting the occupation. Both Israelis and Palestininans in that camp are trying as best as they can to live their lives around the elephant in the living room.

Which got me thinking...

I'm not comfortable being here and ignoring the fact that there are a few million people whose lives are classified as occupied, by the international community. Neither am I comfortable in a crowd in which each Israeli is demonized and assumed guilty of crimes against humanity simply for being Israeli. Basically I'm just not comfortable with the argument being either black or white.

What I understand at this point is that the public discourse on the Israel/Palestine conflict is primarily black and white in its coverage in the media. Instead of informing the public it polarizes the public and it alienates the public-- depending on which public it portrays as villainous or heroic. In my mind, this is problematic and moreover completely useless to the peace movement that believe it or not, DOES exist.

This is not an original thought or revelation but the fact of the matter is the media plays such a huge role in manipulating public opinion. The media in many ways chooses the reality in which we live.

This led me to another thought.

With respect to this blog and whatever perceptions or opinions are formed as a result of reading this stuff, as long as I seek out individuals who recount the stories of hate and separation, inequality and vengeful justice, I am not contributing anything different to that which is written on the conflict in the Middle East. However, if I seek out and write about those whose vision for peace is as strong and persistent as those who enjoy carrying out the endless violence, then I ask the readers to learn and share about the complexities of peace making and not the domino effect of violence making, which we all know so well. Would reading about peacemaking be more gentle on the eyes? Would it encourage more to read about the events here if suddenly the coverage was no longer predictable?

Would the rockets be as effective if they weren't on the front page of the newspapers of the world? What if instead, coverage of reconciliation circles between former Israeli I.D.F. soldiers and former Palestinian militants held the page-turning column on the front page of the New York Times on Sunday morning? What if Arab and Israeli musical collaborations in clubs showed up in the international section instead of bombed out discos? Is it possible that the "bad guys", the terrorists--- would reconsider their modus operandi? If they stopped getting so much attention for their bad behavior, would that behavior change for the better?

How many people here are working to create a reality of peaceful coexistence? Many. How many people are working to perpetuate a reality of violence and revenge? Also, many. But who gets the spotlight? Who decides?

We have the power to create our own reality.

It becomes a battle of truths. That the conflict will never end, that these people are incapable of living amongst one another. That is so, and that is not so. Why is one point of view more prevalent than the other? It is because of what we choose to read and then choose to believe and then choose to focus upon. As the center of our own universe, we design our universe on a day-to-day basis. We create the stories to our liking, to our moods, to our purpose. What would it take to try on a different reality?

Racism, classism, bigotry, anti-Semitism, anti-Islam. These are very real epidemics in these dueling societies. These human imperfections I identify as challenges to those who work to create a reality in which peace is possible. But these issues rest on one face of the peace and conflict coin. On the other side is tolerance, acceptance, reconciliation, healing, diversity, multiculturalism.

Last night I walked from the hotel in East Jerusalem to West Jerusalem. Leaving the hotel I spoke with my friends here, the family members who run and own the place: Jacob, Ro’ina and James were so happy to have me back. Jacob asked how I have been. James told me, “you look good.” Ro’ina said, “Habibti! Welcome back.” I adore these people, I felt home, as though I’d never left. I felt awful inside for the time I’ve spent away from here able to put these every day people, just like me-- an every day person, out of my heart, because of what I’ve been reading in the newspapers these past two months instead of living myself.

East Jerusalem in the summer time stays awake longer than in the winter, following the lead of the sun. Men and women are out and about. Little boys and girls run around in adorable outfits and sandals. Little girls' hair festooned with barrettes wearing big smiles. Little boys kicking soccer balls around, dripping popsicles down their shirts, artificial pinks and reds staining the perimeter of their mouths. In that moment life is beautiful for them. These little children aren't aware yet that today, June 5, is the anniversary of catastrophe in their people's history. The bitter has not yet found its way into their sweet, young lives. And I think, how can I help to prolong those moments for these precious babies? How can I keep the tanks and guns away from their eyes? How can I help to make those tanks and guns unnecessary?

In West Jerusalem the streets are decorated with hanging blue and white lights across the streets held up by buildings on either side. The city is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its unification. There are concerts, lively music followed by enthusiastic applause spills out from venues onto Jaffa Street. And I think, what will it take for the men, women and children on this side of the highway to feel safe enough to have a little more compassion for their counterparts on the other side? How can I inspire the Israelis and Jews to make some room in their hearts for all of those Palestinians who also want to sing and dance in celebration of their identity as well?

Can a reality be created in which both sides see that the other side wants to heal -- to no longer hurt, and is willing to work to make it happen?