Struggling for a Just Peace
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5.813” .375” .930” .375” 5.813” POLITICAL SCIENCE/INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS “This analysis of bi-national or uni-national activism for peace and justice in a context H d lw A of acute power asymmetry proves a very welcome addition to the existing literature l on the second intifada and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in general.” —Véronique Dudouet, Berghof Research Center for Constructive Conflict A Management r “Hallward’s emphasis on ‘peace work rather than peace words’ offers outstanding Struggling insights on the small galvanizing groups whose labors often lead the way in major social change.” —Mary E. King, author of A Quiet Revolution Struggling for a Just Peace for a Just Peace Western media coverage of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict frequently focuses on violence and failed attempts at peace. Often unseen and underreported, a surpris- ing number of small, grassroots organizations have been steadily working to promote nonviolent approaches to resolving the tension in this region. Israeli and Palestinian Activism In 2004–2005, Maia Hallward spent most of a year living among, interviewing, and observing seven such groups from both sides of the conflict. She returned three in the Second Intifada years later. Her analysis of the groups’ tactics, activities, and progress in working toward a just and lasting peace makes fascinating reading. These mini–case studies, combined with broader contextual examination, reveal the obstacles faced by both ) Israelis and Palestinians and provide unexpected insights into what really happens on a day-to-day basis within these groups. By raising Western awareness of these groups’ existence, Hallward challenges the MIAC A Arter HAllwArd official diplomatic presumption that peace is about working out lines on a map. In- stead, she relocates the question into social, cultural, political, and geographic con- texts that affect people’s lives. She also argues that it is in the incremental but often lasting successes of these groups that true hope for a solution to the conflict may be found. Maia Carter Hallward is assistant professor of political science and international affairs at Kennesaw State University in Georgia and associate editor of the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development. She taught at the Ramallah Friends Schools in the West Bank from 1998 to 2000. University Press of Florida www.upf.com UPF ISBN 978-0-8130-3652-6 ,!7IA8B3-adgfcg! Struggling for a Just Peace University Press of Florida Florida A&M University, Tallahassee Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers Florida International University, Miami Florida State University, Tallahassee New College of Florida, Sarasota University of Central Florida, Orlando University of Florida, Gainesville University of North Florida, Jacksonville University of South Florida, Tampa University of West Florida, Pensacola Struggling for a Just Peace Israeli and Palestinian Activism in the Second Intifada Maia Carter Hallward University Press of Florida Gainesville / Tallahassee / Tampa / Boca Raton Pensacola / Orlando / Miami / Jacksonville / Ft. Myers / Sarasota Copyright 2011 by Maia Carter Hallward Printed in the United States of America on acid-free, recycled paper All rights reserved 16 15 14 13 12 11 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hallward, Maia Carter, 1976- Struggling for a just peace : Israeli and Palestinian activism in the second Intifada / Maia Carter Hallward. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8130-3652-6 (alk. paper) 1. Al-Aqsa Intifada, 2000- 2. Nonviolence—Palestine. 3. Peace movements—Palestine. 4. Peace-building—Palestine. 5. Nonviolence—Israel. 6. Peace movements—Israel. 7. Peace-building—Israel. 8. Arab-Israeli conflict—1993—Peace. I. Title. DS119.765.H32 2011 956.9405'4—dc22 2011011168 The University Press of Florida is the scholarly publishing agency for the State University System of Florida, comprising Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florida State University, New College of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, and University of West Florida. University Press of Florida 15 Northwest 15th Street Gainesville, FL 32611-2079 http://www.upf.com This book is dedicated to all those who have engaged in civil struggle against the occupation and to those who continue the quest for a just, lasting, and secure peace for all of the region’s inhabitants. Contents List of Maps and Tables viii Preface ix Acknowledgments xiii Introduction: Identity and Conflict 1 1. Examining the Boundaries of “Peace” 15 2. Historical Overview of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 27 3. Interrogating “Peace” and “Nonviolence” in the Israeli-Palestinian Context 48 4. Peacebuilding as Process: Groups Studied and Their Approaches to Change 69 5. Identity in Action: Peacebuilding as Category Formation 107 6. “We’ve Lost This Round”: Fragmentation and the “Piece” Process in 2008 150 7. Mechanisms of Reconfiguration: Challenging Policies of Separation 178 8. Operating with Distinction: Mobilizing Boundaries of Difference 205 9. Conclusion 224 Notes 239 References Cited 259 Index 279 Maps and Tables Map 2.1. United Nations Partition Plan (1947) and Rhodes Armistice Line (1949) 33 Map 2.2. Oslo II agreement (1995) 44 Map 5.1. Major Israeli staffed checkpoints and settlements in the West Bank as of 2002 129 Table 0.1. Groups of study according to category space 12 Table 0.2. Demographics of formal interviews 13 Table 4.1. Illustrative group methods by mechanisms of change 103 Table 5.1. Ta'ayush activities by area type 124 Preface I moved to Washington, D.C., in August 2001 to pursue a doctorate in inter- national relations after three years working in the Middle East and fresh from a summer experience in Ramallah and parts of Israel. In Palestinian areas we fell asleep to the sound of the shelling by Israeli forces, and in Israel we expe- rienced the tangible fear of potential suicide attacks through empty shopping streets and a heightened security presence. As a result of these experiences, I interpreted the events of September 11 (which occurred only three weeks after my return to the United States) very differently than many of those around me. I was alarmed by the reframing of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be in sync with the U.S.-led “war on terror,” and Israel’s March 2002 military inva- sion of Palestinian cities (which had been granted interim self-rule under the Oslo Accords) demonstrated how quickly peace processes could transform into situations of intense armed conflict. Watching and reading news and scholarly coverage of the events unfold- ing in Israel and Palestine from sources based in the United States as well as those emanating from the Middle East, I was disturbed by the ever-widening divergence of views regarding the causes of—and appropriate avenues for ad- dressing—the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Calls for peace rang hollow, espe- cially after witnessing firsthand the problems with the eleven-year-old peace process, and the discussion in my international relations texts of peace as the mere absence of armed conflict did not jibe with my own understanding of the term. The absence of armed conflict alone had not brought peace to Israelis and Palestinians; what would it take to create a real peace? Initially, I resisted this research project, not wanting to write yet another book on the extremely contentious Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, the subject followed me and demanded my attention; I realized that the lack of scholarly texts on Israeli and Palestinian peace activism—particularly dur- x · Preface ing the second intifada—made it all too easy to perpetuate stereotypical por- trayals of Israelis and Palestinians (in Israeli, Palestinian, and international publics). Furthermore, many texts focus exclusively on Israeli or Palestinian perspectives, thereby perpetuating the discourse of separation prevalent in policy circles and the assumption of undying hatred between the peoples. This scholarly separation reflects the increasingly solidified practical separation be- tween Israelis and Palestinians that began in the early 1990s and accelerated after the outbreak of the second intifada in 2000. Most visitors to the region tend to spend time either only in Palestinian areas and therefore see Israelis as soldiers and settlers, or only in Israel proper (within the internationally recognized pre-1967 boundaries) and therefore do not see Palestinians at all or else see Palestinians as day laborers or as terrorists in the news. I wanted to capture the humanity, suffering, and dreams of both Palestinians and Israelis and demonstrate the ways in which their goals for peace are both similar and different, while avoiding the common trap of treating Israelis and Palestinians as homogenous entities and their respective representatives as symmetrical parties to the conflict. To do so, I spent extensive time living in both the Pal- estinian and the Israeli worlds in order to experience their respective fears, goals, frustrations, and challenges. This process made me feel schizophrenic at times, like a traitor at others, and allowed me to deeply appreciate the tremen- dous sacrifices of time, energy, social relations, and money made by Israeli and Palestinian activists (albeit in different ways). I am grateful to the many Israelis and Palestinians who allowed me into their organizations and their personal lives; I also know that although I was welcomed into many of these groups to observe, I was always an outsider of sorts. This proved to be a bless- ing, as it allowed me to cross sociopolitical and cultural boundaries that are much more difficult for Israeli and Palestinian activists themselves to cross. I hope this book contributes to more constructive dialogues surrounding possible political interventions (local, regional, and international) that rec- ognize the heterogeneity of Israeli and Palestinian societies as well as the ex- istence of nonviolent activism within both Palestinian and Israeli societies.