by Gary Rosenblatt - Editor And Publisher

Defying stereotypes, three Mideast officials who work closely together — an Israeli mayor, Israeli Arab deputy mayor and Palestinian official of Fatah — told a group of American Jewish leaders here this week that Arab-Jewish coexistence can and does exist, at least in one area of Israel and the West Bank.

With the Israeli Arab pledging his love of Israel and invoking Herzl’s “if you will it, it is no dream,” and the Jewish mayor speaking of his friendship with the Fatah official who once served 36 months in an Israeli jail, the scene at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations seemed surreal to most observers. But the implicit message of the three Mideast visitors was that common interests and a strong sense of personal trust can at least begin to overcome hopelessness and violence in the region.

Danny Atar, the Jewish mayor of the Gilboa Region in the Lower Galilee, made up of 30,000 residents (60 percent Jewish and 40 percent Arab), told the American leaders that the efforts of the trio proved “how life can be different in the Middle East.” He said the three men were working together on projects to increase employment, including a new industrial zone that could provide thousands of jobs, and educational programs that promote coexistence and understanding.

Ead Saleem, the deputy mayor of Gilboa, said that after he met Atar 16 years ago, they spent a long weekend discussing ways to improve Arab-Jewish relations. He said Atar convinced him to “focus on what we can agree on,” and one early outcome was a project to teach the Torah and Koran to Arab and Jewish youngsters, emphasizing that “whoever kills in the name of religion is wrong. ”The Fatah official, Qadoura Moussa Qadoura, governor of Jenin, emphasized establishing stability through security measures, economic initiatives and political negotiations. He, too, praised Atar, who told him soon after they met in 1994 that “no two peoples can live together when one is the occupier and the other is occupied, and when one has a good economy and the other is poor,” according to Qadoura. He asserted that Jenin, long considered a hotbed of Palestinian terrorism, has become a model of security where “anyone can walk in safety.”

He added with pride that “Danny [Atar] came to my son’s wedding six months ago” and that his presence added to the governor’s sense of personal joy.

The visit of the three officials was in large part due to the efforts of the Jewish Communities of Western Connecticut, a local Jewish federation. Its work reflects a recognition on the part of mainstream Jewish organizations that a two-state solution is the best and only recipe for Mideast peace, and that both Jews and Arabs in the region would benefit from increased cooperation.

The Interagency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues has 86 member agencies in the Jewish community.Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents, noted that with more than 20 percent of Israel’s population Arab, it is “important to help identify the needs and tensions, and to help educate the American Jewish community” about the situation.

The visitors praised those in the American Jewish community for their support. “Thank you for what you are doing for

Israel,” Saleem, the deputy mayor told about two dozen local Jewish leaders at a lunch meeting at the Conference of Presidents following a morning press conference on Monday. “We hope to show that Gilboa and Jenin can be a model for all.”

Not surprisingly, funds for the Gilboa region projects have come only from Jewish sources. In response to a question from The Jewish Week, Qadoura acknowledged that “unfortunately, there has been no funding” from the Arab world, though he added that he plans to meet with several Palestinian American businessmen this week and ask for aid.

The most ambitious plan proposed by the three Mideast visitors is an industrial complex that would operate on both sides of the border separating Jenin and Gilboa, providing jobs for 15,000 Palestinians and 1,700 Israelis. It would avoid the problem of having Palestinians crossing into Israel by having them work on the Palestinian side.

Jenin has 58 percent unemployment, according to Qadoura. All three of the Mideast officials noted that despite their hopeful attitude about the future, their effort faces major obstacles, ranging from skepticism on the Israeli side to open hostility among Palestinians. Qadoura, who fared well in the recent Fatah elections, said through a translator: “There is enmity from some, and people in the middle who say to me, ‘did you end the occupation?’ We try not to give them too much hope.”

Atar said the immediate goal is to “narrow the gap” and make more projects possible that were previously thought of as impossible.