Seeing Israel First Hand Through My Recent Fact Finding Trip as a JCPA Fellow: The Good, the Bad, and the Complex

I’ll never forget when ... [Lead with moving personal story from trip.]

As American Jewry is grappling with how to deter delegitmization efforts against Israel and is experiencing polarization on how best to support the Jewish state, I had a unique opportunity to travel to the country on a fact finding mission to see first-hand how legislators, NGOs, Palestinians, and Israelis are handling the challenges that face their society. These challenges are often repackaged to question Israel’s motives by its detractors.

I participated in a unique 12-day mission to Poland and Israel as one of eight Frank Fellows of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), chosen from around the United States. This fellowship is for emerging leaders in the community relations field. In Israel, we joined the JCPA Leadership Mission whose purpose is to help the Jewish community become more nuanced advocates for Israel in the United States.

The focus of the mission was racial and gender equality, pluralism, freedom of religion for streams of Judaism and for other religions, efforts for peace, the two-state solution, humanitarian support for Syrian victims, and security.

What I learned is that Israel, a 70-year old democracy, is a complex place made up of one of the most diverse populations from all over the world. The Knesset, the courts, and the diverse populous, including Palestinians, have the freedom and support to advocate for the ideals they believe. This can be difficult while there is a more conservative government in place - an issue that we are facing in the U.S., Poland, and in many countries around the world.

Some of my reflections/highlights of the trip include:

 Humanitarian values are put into practice. We visited the Ziv hospital and heard from NGOs working with Syrians injured in that country’s civil war. We also had the opportunity to meet with a number of Syrian patients. Israel’s help to those who have been historical enemies was very moving. The county has aided more than 2000 in the last two years. We also visited the Bialik-Rogozin School, which ensures the education of migrant and refugee children whether or not the parents are in the country legally - educating 1000 students from 50 nations.

 Exploring efforts for peace while meeting with Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat in Ramallah, and Knesset and foreign ministry members. There seems to be a strong longing and support for achieving two-state status for two democracies, especially with worry about ISIS and war on the borders. Dangerous ideas do not need a passport. Although there is a pause, there is also recognition that final status should happen through negotiations. The majority of the Palestinian population are millennial. We also learned about increasing efforts of Palestinian and Israelis working together for peace.

 Meeting with Ethiopian leaders who are working with their community to integrate into Israeli society. They value education which they believe is the foundation for political power. While some are able to succeed, others have experienced racial bias, an issue that the country is committed to deterring. Additionally, women are also organizing in coalitions to help increase the number of women in elected positions throughout the country.

 While freedom of religion is flourishing for the non-Jewish community as we learned from conversations with Latin Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Lutheran leader Munib Younan, the issue of pluralism in Israel is currently under dispute. The movement for egalitarian prayer is working its way through the legislature, the court system, and is of major concern of the diaspora community.

 We witnessed the debate over removing the Amona settlement in the disputed area of the West Bank. Although the courts have found it illegal, the diversity of opinion about settlements is currently being debated in the Knesset. It was amazing to see it firsthand.

(YOU CAN PUT IN YOUR OWN CONCLUSION)

In conclusion, my takeaway is that it is imperative to have a Jewish state, which is also a thriving democracy, even as we currently agree and disagree with some of its domestic directions. While we must be allowed to talk about Israel’s strengths and weaknesses, we can continue to work in the U.S. to create relationships with those who can influence Palestinians and Israelis to build two states for two people living in peace, and to stand up to those who make false claims against Israel with the aim of seeing its demise.

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Some useful quotations to integrate

"If you love Israel because you hate Muslims, we don't want your love," - Michael Oren, MK

"Young Jews now are not just falling away, but they are going to lead the attack" against Israel - Yair Lapid, NK

"I don't want my sons and grandkids to be suicide bombers" – Saeb Erekat

"I wanted to say I was Jewish, but I was nervous because I had never spoken to a white person," - Rachamin Elazar, (Ethiopian Jew)

"Blast injurious are awful. Recognizing the human hand behind them has been difficult to come to grips with." - Ziv physician, Dr. Michael Harari

"Nothing destroyed our society more than ineffective government." - Dr. Uzi Arad, Israeli National Security

"As long as there is any woman in this country prevented from running for office because of her gender, I am not free." - Hamutal Gouri: the Director of the Dafna Fund of NCJW.

"We have to have the courage to talk about peace." – Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa,

"There are glimmers of hope, even in the greatest darkness" – Frank Fellow participant

Key point from Erekat

 Two states living side by side in peace or one state "reality" which he called "apartheid."  Erekat reaffirmed his support for a peaceful two state solution along the 1967 borders and warned that there were essentially just two remaining endpoints to the Palestinian dilemma.  Erekat defended his refusal to explicitly recognize the Jewish character of Israel. He did share that he has nothing against the Jewish religion and Jews and Arabs have always lived side by side historically.  Erekat admitted that if he were Israel, he would not settle for peace without a guarantees of "end of conflict" and "end of claims."  Majority of Palestinian population is in their 13-20s and their potential should not be squandered  Palestinians followed the U.S. election with great interest and reminded audience that 99% of the people fighting ISIS and being killed by ISIS were Sunni Muslims.