on symmetry, empathy and peace....by Noa and Gil Dor

a group of people sharing a common cultural identity, i.e. a combination of tradition, language, historical origins and a sense of common destiny, are commonly referred to as "a people".

in order to "belong" to a people an individual must pass three tests:
1) one must identify himself as a member of the people in question.
2) one must be recognized as such by fellow individuals from that people.
3) one must be recognized as such by members of other peoples.

Both Jews and Palestinians fall under these definitions of people. This is the basic assumption behind the call for mutual recognition.

who needs a state?

The individual right for the pursuit of happiness is best manifested in the principle of equal opportunity. But in order for the individual to asses, to understand, to seize and to exploit a given opportunity, he/she must be well prepared!
The responsibility for this preparation starts at home with our parents. it includes language, traditions etc... in short, culture! or more accurately - our parents’ culture. that culture is typically most effective among individuals of the same "people". moreover the "rules of the game" within each society are best expressed by its traditional practices. these in turn are solidified then transformed into laws and constitutions of nations. however, whereas traditional practices can withhold regardless of a people's independence, formal laws and constitutions are meaningless without a territorial jurisdiction. It is no wonder that societies evolve from "wandering peoples" to "national states". It is a manifestation of the individual's wish to secure the best future for his children...

Both Jews and Palestinians have lived as peoples without their own independent country. At this time in history, both need a sovereign government running an independent national homeland of their own.

But as much as peoples need a land, lands throughout history have always been inhabited by more than one people! That is why "nations" are not synonymous with "people". Nations are born from the societies that live on a land. Israel and Palestine are no exclusion. They are inhabited by dynamic and diverse groups of people. In fact they are mixed with each other! The Israeli nation cannot and will not be comprised of the Jewish people exclusively. In fact the Israeli society has been grappling with this challenge since its inception and despite the ongoing violent conflict, it is has made substantial steps in the right direction. Unfortunately without peace based on mutual recognition, the formation of the Israeli Nation cannot be accomplished. The same is true for the Palestinian Nation with regards to its society's ethnical and religious diversity.

The failure to recognize each other's rights, compounded by exclusive claims of both people to the land, seem to be at the root of our inability to resolve the conflict.

The Palestinians need to recognize both Israel's right to exist in peace and security, and the Jewish people's right for a National home land in Israel. These are two separate and critical points.

Similarly, Israel needs to recognize both the Palestinian’s right for a national home land in Palestine, and the sovereignty of the future independent Palestinian state.

The ensuing territorial compromise has already been spelled out and should be implemented as a part of a comprehensive settlement based on the aforementioned mutual recognitions.

The right of return

The issue of the "right of return" of refugees of war to their homes should be resolved from the point of view of symmetry. both people feel they have a "right of return". We suggest replacing the term “right of return” with “the right to live in peace within secured and recognized borders of each people’s national homeland”.

Jerusalem

The issue of Jerusalem touches upon the sensitive subject of religion. On the eve of the holocaust Memorial day 2010, it may be appropriate to speculate that since the destruction of the Jewish temple by the Romans, God seems to have given us the following message:
"My existence is relative, not absolute! There are two forces that drive conscious interactions in the universe: empathy and apathy. When human interactions are governed by empathy I come to be and whenever they are governed by apathy i cease to exist."

That means that God, in the deepest sense, is a metaphor for empathy without which no human society could have ever evolved. This notion connects perfectly with the idea of "love thy neighbour" and the concept of God as love on a universal scale, a concept common to many philosophies and religions in the world.

This piece of philosophy is entirely relevant to the political issue at hand since God, as an expression of human empathy, could not have promised anything to anyone based on apathy to the needs of other people! Human Empathy is all we need to enable us to recognize apologize and share, and that includes Jerusalem. When we do, we will finally arrive at the two state solution:

Israel - a "Hebrew" state:
1) The "national homeland" for the Jewish diaspora
2) A pluralistic democracy for all of its citizens

Palestine - an "Arabic" state:
1) The "national homeland" for the Palestinian diaspora
2) A pluralistic democracy for all of its citizens

Hello all.
One voice is a great group of Arabs and Jews doing the only thing there is to be done in the depressing, grotesque reality we live in here: urging our leaders to stop making excuses, sit and talk, and find a solution.
In light of the horribly embarrassing, not to say destructive, conduct Netanyahu's government displayed during vice president Joe Biden's recent visit, it's good to know there was someone out there raising the voice of reason and unity.
I am proud to add my voice to 'OneVoice'.
Look below..
AchiNoam



Biden Responds to OneVoice Israel

With the country watching, OneVoice Israel gives voice to the moderate majority
New York, March 11, 2010—OneVoice Israel staff and youth leaders urged hundreds of people attending United States Vice President Joe Biden’s speech at Tel Aviv University on Thursday not to let the extremists on either side seize the peace process.

Eight youth leaders joined OneVoice Israel Interim Director Tal Harris and Coordinator Guy Lupo in distributing nearly 1,000 flyers to attendees in support of the renewal of talks between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.
“The agenda in Israel is being hijacked by extremists who work to undermine our government's strategy for peace,” said Harris. “Today, we witnessed 700 students at Tel Aviv University eager for change, who disagree with the appeasement of extreme settlers.”

OneVoice Israel’s staff and youth leaders wearing the movement’s t-shirts stood out from the audience during Biden’s talk. Noticing their presence, the vice president gave the first question to our youth leader Danny Shaket.

Shaket asked Biden for his opinion on what the U.S. administration, the Israeli government, and the Palestinian Authority would need from the moderate majority in order to reach an agreement.

“The United States cannot want peace more than the Palestinians want it or more than the Israelis want it,” Biden said. “You have got to get to the point where the leaders are actually able to sit and hopefully what we can do in these proximity talks, being available to both parties, we can be a bridging mechanism.”
Throughout his speech, Biden voiced his commitment to end the conflict through a two-state solution.

“For Israel, then, this is about both preserving your identity and achieving the security you deserve, lasting security,” Biden said. “For Palestinians, statehood will not just fulfill a legitimate and long-sought aspiration common to all peoples; it will restore the fundamental dignity and self-respect that their current predicament denies them.”

Israel’s announcement of plans to build 1,600 Jewish homes in the Ramat Shlomo settlement in Arab East Jerusalem marred Biden’s visit and was condemned by the United States.

“[T]hat decision, in my view, undermined the trust required for productive negotiations,” Biden said on Thursday. “I -- and at the request of President Obama condemned it immediately and unequivocally.”

The vice president’s comments were met with applause from the mainly Israeli audience, many of whom were students at Tel Aviv University.

“It's unfortunate and dangerous that the Israeli government’s actions are not in sync with their two-state strategy,” said Tal Harris of OneVoice Israel.


The OneVoice is an international grassroots movement amplifying the voice of Israeli and Palestinian moderates. OneVoice works with Israelis and Palestinians in parallel, empowering them to seize back the agenda for conflict resolution and demand that their leaders achieve a two-state solution, guaranteeing the end of occupation and the establishment of Palestinian state, while ensuring the safety and security of the State of Israel.

Dearest family and friends,
Friday feb 12th at 2 am our daughter Yum was born.
Funny. I had to go to the hospital on the 11th, when my water broke. But when 11 became 12, when 1 became 2, so did i….

Yum, in Hebrew… sea.
A sea of love.
She was delivered naturally. I was in the water a lot and asher and I were together, holding on to each other for dear life…
It was very painful but went well and the feeling of achievement, doing it this way like some amazon, is indescribable.
Debby our midwife was wonderful. thank you debby.
I'm exhausted but happy and honored to have been host to this miracle for the third time.
We were home 12 hours after the delivery.
Ayehli and Enea are super excited. As are grand and great-grandparents alike.
So,
New life begins…
I wish Yum a life of depth and discovery, befitting of her name.
(she's 4 days old in the photos attached..)

Love
achiNoam.

food for thought...a personal note on the verge of new life

Hello all.

Tick tock, tick tock...

I am waiting to give birth, for the third time. due formally feb 24th but feel it could be any day.

What a strange, suspended state of being... my thoughts are like the waves of the sea (the one near our house, i attached a photo...)

New life soon to emerge, a new chance for....for what?

For clearer vision, for purer heart, for hope, for change, for sanity. A new chance for humanity in the form of a tiny fractal of its colossal whole..

A tiny fractal that could maybe be the one cell to multiply differently. To change the warped genetics of this generation, that emotional DNA which has brought so much pain and suffering to this world. Will it be this new little bud, a leader of the future, a discoverer, a fighter, a mover....

will this little bud be the one to finally experience the highest form of bliss, a life untainted by war??

These questions and so many more fill my sleepless nights.

I saw an amazing movie last night, called AJAMI, Israel's contender for this year's Oscar Award.

This movie is a must see in my opinion, i applaud its creators with all my heart. Its perspective, message and insight into the complexity of our painful situation here in Israel is so moving, so brilliant, it left me awed and heartbroken.

for all of you who feel you are in the dark about what's going on here, and that includes my fellow Israelis, this is your chance for a rare and magnificent peek into a reality far from the black and white propaganda presented by almost everyone, almost always, here in our own back-yard. Here, 15 minutes away from this house where i now sit and write..not in Gaza, not in Syria, not in iran. Here. This is our face, this is all of us.

Spectacular, Highly recommended.

While we're on the subject of perspective, find below, a link to a speech given by a journalist and woman i admire greatly, Pilar Rahola from Spain. (both English and Spanish version links).

Another brave soul, willing to fight against singular, propaganda-driven thinking. A real free thinker, the sort of which i admire greatly.

The sort of which i hope our new daughter will be.

Sending all of you much love,

Noa (Achinoam)


http://www.pilarrahola.com/3_0/XTRAS/print.cfm?ID=1775&TIPO=11&IDIOMA=3

in Spanish:

http://www.pilarrahola.com/3_0/CONFERENCIAS/default.cfm?ID=1775

pace of peace, POP, the seeds of hope.

hello all.

i's like to bring to your attention an animated film called "pace of peace", made by Israel high school students, arab and jewish, in collaboration with some very fine Italina animators.

the story was conceived by the kids, and i had the pleasure of writing and performing the theme song. gil dor did the prodcution. i asked Rim Banna, palestinian/israeli singer songwriter, to join...and the result is before you.

the film was made a few years ago, and won several prizes. much has happened since, but nothing has really changed, so it remains highly relevant in my eyes...

in troubled times lke these, all i can do to keep sane is spread seeds of hope and pray the winds of good will carry them as far as they can go.

to see the film please go to YOUTUBE and search for "Pace of Peace" . it's the anumated film right on top. i tried to put in alink but something went wrong.

thanks and enjoy.

love

noa

hello all,

here is my ' fim debut', the trailer from a film called "the Golden Pomegranate"!

the film is visually beautiful and historically very interesting. the story of one strong Jewish Yemenite woman's struggle for survival and independence against all odds.

i play a tiny part and i'm basically playing myslef so no need to hold your breath for an oscar any time this century, Penelope can relax, but it's a start! LOL :-) (Almodovar here i come!!)

check it out.
love
noa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AxtshXZddk

as the new year approaches

hello everbody.
The two videos below are really amazing. I got them from different people over time, you may have seen them already, but if you haven’t , this is DEFINALTELY worth the couple of minutes it takes.
It’s a wow. Believe me :-)
As we approach a new year, good to know where we’re headed, or rather, to understand we have NO IDEA where we’re headed!
My conclusion?
“ all we need is love” .
Hope you got lots of it this year and all of those to come.
Hug
achiNOAam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY&feature=fvst

And the last update:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8