Political leaders in Israel and Jenin strive to build bridges for peace

Gilboa and Jenin as role models

By Marty Cooper

On Sunday, Aug. 30, one Jew and two Arabs shared their stories of their lives as friends, colleagues and neighbors. They traveled halfway around the world to speak to a group in Southbury, Conn. to promote and discuss co-existence and peace in the Middle East. The event was sponsored by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Western Connecticut.

Daniel Attar, the mayor of Gilboa; Ead Saleem, Gilboa’s deputy mayor; and Qaddourra M. (Moussa) Qaddourra, the governor of Jenin in the West Bank, provided Americans with a living example of how collaborative efforts offer a beacon of hope for peaceful coexistence.

The differences between Gilboa and Jenin are stark; Gilboa is a rural area rich with beauty, orchards and fertile farmland. Jenin, in contrast, has high unemployment and is home to refugee camps. Checkpoints and blockades are the norm, as was its reputation – in the past – as a hotbed for suicide bombers.

Work to achieve co-existence began in the 1990s but slowed down after the second intifida. The three men met a couple years ago to resume negotiations and to develop a plan for co-existence and peace. When Saleem invited Moussa to meet with him and the mayor of Gilboa to get to know one another and learn each other’s concerns, Moussa needed special permission to cross the border.

More than 25 years ago, Saleem’s family and Moussa’s family were friends; that friendship had lasted for several generations. But changed circumstances in recent years ended that relationship, and neither Saleem nor Moussa knew of their families’ interconnected histories until they met in Gilboa.

At the event in Connecticut, Ead Saleem acknowledged that Jenin used to be known as a ‘factory of terror,’ but today, the situation is much better. With 40 percent of the people living in the Gilboa Arab, it’s essential that the communities work together to be a model for peaceful co-existence. “No one is born a terrorist,” he said, “and it’s time to open a new page with Israel and Jenin and the Palestinians.”

Lauding the United States as a good partner to helping promote peace in the region, Saleem also said, “What’s good for Israel is good for the Middle East; security is the first step to peace.”

Moussa said, “I want our children to have a good and peaceful future where there is no bloodshed. We want the people of Jenin to go to Jerusalem so they can extend the olive branch [of peace].”

The region found a special friend in Tony Blair, the former prime minister of England. Blair, an official envoy for the international community, including the United States, believes that Jenin must be built from the bottom up, by concentrating on economic development, security and infrastructure. To that end, work has begun to develop industry and greatly improve security.

Ending poverty and violence and promoting mutually interdependent business will bring the communities together, they all agreed, so they’re doing something about it.

That something was the “PeaceTival,” a unique event in an Arab village in Gilboa to promote co-existence and peace throughout the region. For the first time, this year’s festival on Oct. 6-8 will include delegates from Jenin, Gaza, Ramallah and Jordon. Jewish and Arab artists will perform, Jewish and Arab food will be served and the next steps toward bridge-building will be taken. Other initiatives toward peaceful coexistence and economic health have been planned by this threesome, as well.

Attar urged the creation of a large-scale plan to create good jobs for those who live in Jenin. “Our lives,” he said, will be better when the Palestinians’ lives are better.”

“Twenty years ago. I was a war hero with battle wounds,” said Attar. “I’ve been the mayor of Gilboa for 16 years, so today I am responsible. If I do not do this, then no one will.”

We have a responsibility for our neighbors, Attar added, explaining that it is not a battle between Israel and Palestine or a battle between Arab and Jew. “It’s a battle between moderates and extremists; the extremists don’t care about peace, and they want bloodshed,” he said.

“The window of opportunity for bringing a clear vision to the region is limited, as Fatah, who controls the area, may lose its political strength to Hamas if peaceful co-existence does not come soon,” said Rob Zwang, executive director for the Western Connecticut Federation. “The timing for bringing the delegation to the United States was critical.”

On Monday, Aug. 31, the three spoke at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Organizations in New York City.

Gilboa, like Afula, is a sister region to Rhode Island. The Southern New England Consortium includes the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island, the Federation Jewish Communities of Western Connecticut and 11 other Federations in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Marty Cooper is the community relations director of the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island.