From left: OVI youth leaders May Shavit, Uri Fishelson, Shir Lachish, Director of OVI’s Youth Leadership Program Dana Sender, Gal Bareket, Ben Ofer, Abigail Gottlieb, and Shira Prat work in a group session during a youth leadership seminar on May 27, 2011.

New York, August 1, 2011—Two competing visions of women exist in Israel: the romantic pioneer and the realistic homemaker.  These gendered stereotypes have caused an identity crisis for Israeli women that has only recently started to break with the rise of women’s roles in civil society.

The women of OneVoice Israel (OVI) are part of the new female guard, combating stereotypes of traditional women’s roles for increased visibility and impact on ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  They see themselves not as superior to men, but equal in a struggle that requires the numbers and voices of both genders.

 “OneVoice is a great way for women to get their voices out there,” said Naomi Havron, a seasoned youth leader, who co-coordinates the Haifa chapter. “We do not say extreme things…but I am with OneVoice because I believe what we are doing is better and more correct [than other organizations].”

On the surface, many people consider Israel a model of equality.  The country’s history is rife with images of strong feminists and heads of state such as Golda Meir, the third woman in the world to hold the position of prime minister. But a gender equality gap clearly exists in the state, and despite the positive imagery, some women still feel pressure to fit into traditional female roles.

“I know as soon as I get married, people will start looking at my stomach and asking, ‘when will you start being productive?’” said youth leader Shir Lachish.

Though traces of inequality remain, there are many places, like OneVoice, where women are treated virtually the same way as men.

“I don’t even really look at the dynamics between men and women in OneVoice in a feminist way,” said Abigail Gottlieb, who joined the movement last year. “In the Tel Aviv University chapter, the ratio [of men to women] is about equal.”

This view of gender equality is shared among many male youth leaders.

“In OVI, I perceive it to be quite equal,” said youth leader Yoav Shechter. “We have women leaders and there are many women activists who are strong and brilliant.”

The women of OVI are able to navigate OneVoice and find their role in the organization in part due to the tutelage of Dana Sender, OVI’s Youth Leadership director.

“Dana’s strong personality allows her to be a good spokesperson [when] recruiting both men and women,” said Shir.

Dana regularly conducts outreach to grow the movement in Israel. “I am the main intermediary to the youth leaders, recruiting them and organizing their training,” she said. “As a woman, I help break the stigma that men might have.”

Strong Israeli women, using their unique feminine advantage, are constantly proving that women are anything but ineffectual.

The organization Four Mothers, for example, is viewed by many as changing Israeli public opinion when it pushed the discourse toward unilateral withdrawal from the first Lebanon war.

“Four Mothers took the stance of being protective of their sons,” said Shir. “They used an emotional platform to appeal to people and were very successful, but OneVoice is focused on ending the conflict for pragmatic reasons so we speak from a rational viewpoint.”

Four Mothers, and women like them, have carved out an important place in civil society organizations for women, but it is up to the new generation to speak up as well.

 “There are more powerful women in civil society organizations than there are in politics,” said Naomi. “If OneVoice has a more crucial effect on the conflict, then women can as well.”

OVI provides a place for women to speak out and work toward ending the conflict.

“It is important that women are part of the conversation,” said Dana. “There are more women [in Israel] and they are more affected by the conflict. So they need to step up.”

From left: OVI youth leaders May Shavit, Uri Fishelson, Shir Lachish, Director of OVI’s Youth Leadership Program Dana Sender, Gal Bareket, Ben Ofer, Abigail Gottlieb, and Shira Prat work in a group session during a youth leadership seminar on May 27, 2011.

New York, August 1, 2011—Two competing visions of women exist in Israel: the romantic pioneer and the realistic homemaker.  These gendered stereotypes have caused an identity crisis for Israeli women that has only recently started to break with the rise of women’s roles in civil society.

The women of OneVoice Israel (OVI) are part of the new female guard, combating stereotypes of traditional women’s roles for increased visibility and impact on ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  They see themselves not as superior to men, but equal in a struggle that requires the numbers and voices of both genders.

 “OneVoice is a great way for women to get their voices out there,” said Naomi Havron, a seasoned youth leader, who co-coordinates the Haifa chapter. “We do not say extreme things…but I am with OneVoice because I believe what we are doing is better and more correct [than other organizations].”

On the surface, many people consider Israel a model of equality.  The country’s history is rife with images of strong feminists and heads of state such as Golda Meir, the third woman in the world to hold the position of prime minister. But a gender equality gap clearly exists in the state, and despite the positive imagery, some women still feel pressure to fit into traditional female roles.

“I know as soon as I get married, people will start looking at my stomach and asking, ‘when will you start being productive?’” said youth leader Shir Lachish.

Though traces of inequality remain, there are many places, like OneVoice, where women are treated virtually the same way as men.

“I don’t even really look at the dynamics between men and women in OneVoice in a feminist way,” said Abigail Gottlieb, who joined the movement last year. “In the Tel Aviv University chapter, the ratio [of men to women] is about equal.”

This view of gender equality is shared among many male youth leaders.

“In OVI, I perceive it to be quite equal,” said youth leader Yoav Shechter. “We have women leaders and there are many women activists who are strong and brilliant.”

The women of OVI are able to navigate OneVoice and find their role in the organization in part due to the tutelage of Dana Sender, OVI’s Youth Leadership director.

“Dana’s strong personality allows her to be a good spokesperson [when] recruiting both men and women,” said Shir.

Dana regularly conducts outreach to grow the movement in Israel. “I am the main intermediary to the youth leaders, recruiting them and organizing their training,” she said. “As a woman, I help break the stigma that men might have.”

Strong Israeli women, using their unique feminine advantage, are constantly proving that women are anything but ineffectual.

The organization Four Mothers, for example, is viewed by many as changing Israeli public opinion when it pushed the discourse toward unilateral withdrawal from the first Lebanon war.

“Four Mothers took the stance of being protective of their sons,” said Shir. “They used an emotional platform to appeal to people and were very successful, but OneVoice is focused on ending the conflict for pragmatic reasons so we speak from a rational viewpoint.”

Four Mothers, and women like them, have carved out an important place in civil society organizations for women, but it is up to the new generation to speak up as well.

 “There are more powerful women in civil society organizations than there are in politics,” said Naomi. “If OneVoice has a more crucial effect on the conflict, then women can as well.”

OVI provides a place for women to speak out and work toward ending the conflict.

“It is important that women are part of the conversation,” said Dana. “There are more women [in Israel] and they are more affected by the conflict. So they need to step up.”

Three young boys write their suggestions for a peace framework during the "Help Bibi" campaign outside Independence Hall in Tel Aviv on July 27.

New York, July 28, 2011—OneVoice Israel is hosting a three-day block party outside Independence Hall in Tel Aviv as part of their “Help Bibi Complete the Israeli Peace Initiative” campaign from July 27-29. The movement is dishing out food, music, and politics—a trifecta for change.

The campaign comes less than two months before the Palestinian Authority’s UN bid for statehood in September. The intention of the campaign, which is simultaneously occurring on Facebook, is to open the eyes of the Israeli public as to the lack of initiative from the Netanyahu administration.

“As long as we get excuses we will be struggling through the status quo,” said Tal Harris, executive director of OneVoice Israel. “Netanyahu only explains his problems and doesn’t try to solve them. If this continues, our chance for peace won't be more than a dream.”

The backdrop to the campaign features two “Help Bibi” billboards, a DJ providing music and entertainment, and free food and drink.  The public is encouraged to write suggestions on the billboards as to what a viable Israeli peace framework should look like or incorporate.

Members of the Knesset including MKs Yitzhak “Buji” Herzog (Labour Party) and Ilan Gilon (New Movement-Meretz), as well as Kadima members Meir Sheetrit, Yoel Hasson, and Shlomo Molla came out in support of OVI’s campaign. Israeli actor Moshe Ivgy also stopped by.

Herzog had some harsh words for Netanyahu’s inability to forge a peace framework.

"Public discourse …is very important, but the prime minister's stupidity [and] irresponsibility [of] not responding to the Obama initiative narrows the gap with the Palestinians for negotiations," he said.

Sheetrit agrees. "I see a clear link between the deadlock in the negotiations and the social and economic state [in Israel],” he said. “Security and the need to preserve it are indeed important and necessary, however they [become reasons] not to deal with social issues - and this danger is an existential threat to Israel. The government of Israel should accept the Arab [Peace] Initiative as the basis for new negotiations with the Palestinians."

Perhaps the deduction of a child can enlighten the Knesset to the wants and needs of the next generation. Ariel, 11, asked Ido, 12, what he was doing at the billboard. “It’s simple," he replied. "Take a second to think about what the Arabs want from us and what we want from them, [and] write it down [to] tell Bibi.”

OVI Executive Director Tal Harris and MK Yitzhak “Buji” Herzog (Labour Party) show off one of two "Help Bibi" billboards outside of Independence Hall on July 27.

Danny Shaket, OVI's coordinator of the Youth Leadership Program, discusses the campaign with an interested passerby on July 27.

Dana Sender, director of OVI’s Young Leadership Program, watches Nir Eshet, 6, write “In order to bring peace, we will learn how to speak Arabic.”

Click for more pictures.

From Left: Rachel, China, Danny Shaket, Andy Shallal (Busboys and Poets restaurant owner), and Ahmad Omeir following a speaking event at Busboys and Poets’ Peace Café in Washington, DC, October 2010.

After three fulfilling years with OneVoice, I will be leaving my position as director of the International Education Program to pursue graduate studies at Columbia University.

I have worked alongside our Israeli and Palestinian youth leaders during 18 speaking tours and numerous public events from Los Angeles, California, to Greensboro, North Carolina, to Dearborn, Michigan. I leave you with some of my favorite memories from past IEP tours:

1. Seeing Danny and Ahmad’s personal stories interpreted in sign language at Gallaudet University, the only liberal arts university for the deaf in the world.
2. Witnessing Uri and Malaka (and countless others) get to know each other during their first meal together.
3. Attending a Ramadan Iftar at the Embassy of Bahrain and a Shabbat service at the historic Sixth and I Synagogue with Ari and Antwan in the same evening.
4. Joining Dana and Roza in a presentation at the 55th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
5. Waking up at 5 am to watch Dalia and Itamar’s live interview on the Tulsa morning news.
6. Moderating my first IEP event on stage at Elon University alongside Rami and Yaniv.
7. Joining Nisreen and Roi in one of our strongest tours to date even as “there could hardly be a less hopeful moment for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
8. Leading an interactive conflict resolution seminar with William and Daniella upon a special invitation from the Center for Political Participation at Allegheny College.
9. Addressing a packed auditorium with Dalia and Lee at Columbia University.
10. Witnessing Mohammad and Eliran move an audience to tears at the Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles.

These are just a handful of special experiences and visions of genuine conflict resolution that I have witnessed first-hand. Even during the toughest political moments, these tours provided the moderate, balanced voice that is so desperately needed to end this conflict.

NEST Consulting was founded by Moty Cristal, who uses his vast negotiating experience from the Camp David and Taba Summits to design unique workshop programs. NEST’s trainings for OVI are punctuated by hypothetical simulations and outdoor activities that allow the 25 youth leaders to exercise their new skills. The first two sessions, on July 7 and 14, were deemed a success by staff and youth leaders. Two more workshops are scheduled for July 21 and 28.

“Often, we don’t pay attention to the way we say things or communicate our ideas,” said Vanessa Seyman, 33, head of Research & Development and Training for NEST Consulting. “[OVI youth leaders] need to advocate their agenda and they need to know the right way to pass on their message or knowledge to accomplish their ultimate mission [of a two-state solution].”

Yoav Shechter, 29, has been a youth leader with OVI for more than four years. As an engineer focused on sales and marketing, one of his main tasks is negotiating contracts with customers. He expected to learn a lot from NEST’s negotiation training series.

“The training program comes from the real life examples of Moty Cristal and the political processes that he experienced,” said Yoav. “[As a result of the training] we youth leaders are better equipped to stand in front of an audience and convince people.”

Youth leaders can also apply the principles they are learning to their everyday life in their careers, personal relationships, and as advocates for OVI.

“Youth leaders can now use their skills to more effectively relate to the people during campaigns, listening and using context clues to know what people care about,” said Danny Shaket, OVI’s Youth Leadership Program coordinator. “For instance, if someone mentions security concerns, then youth leaders will talk about a two-state solution in terms of security concerns.”

Youth leaders are challenged to put their training to the test immediately. Hitting the streets of Tel Aviv after the first training, youth leaders engaged people on the Help Bibi campaign, an initiative that invites Israelis to help PM Benjamin Netanyahu complete the missing parts for an Israeli peace initiative.

One simulation exercise involved dividing youth leaders into pairs. One youth leader received a hypothetical sum of money and had to offer their partner a share. They could offer only once and no counter-offer was allowed. If there was no agreement, neither partner received any money.

“It was interesting because everyone got the same amount of information before the exercise began and everyone had the same scenario yet every pair got to a different outcome,” said Yoav, who successfully offered his partner a 50/50 deal. “In actual negotiations it is far more complex but it is built upon these principles and power balances.”

These training seminars teach OVI youth leaders how to communicate within Israeli society as well as with their Palestinian partners.

“[NEST Consulting] develop[s] specialized training,” said Vanessa. “Different cultures have different ways of negotiating and communicating. NEST Consulting’s methodology aims to facilitate negotiations across cultures.”

Yoav Shechter takes notes at the NEST consulting training seminar on July 7, 2011.

Twenty-five of the most highly active OVI youth leaders listen intently to the NEST Consulting training seminar on July 7, 2011.

New York, July 20, 2011—OneVoice joined the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams and Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols at Lambeth Palace, London on July 18 and 19 to discuss the situation of Christians in Israel and Palestine.

OneVoice Israel Executive Director Tal Harris and OneVoice Palestine Executive Director Samer Makhlouf were two of several noted guests invited to speak on issues raised by the archbishops, such as Christian emigration and the disappearance of historic Christian communities from the Holy Land.

“[T]he conference will give us an opportunity to examine some of the reasons so many people are leaving, and also ask us the question: what we can do to help those Christians who so urgently want to stay in their Homeland, and to imagine a future there for themselves,” Archbishop Williams said in his appeal to the General Synod earlier this month.

The audience was a mix of religious sects from the Christian and Jewish communities, as well as academics, politicians and non-governmental organization representatives. 

John Allen of National Catholic Reporter moderated the event, and religious figures included Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., consultant to the Armenian Orthodox Church in the UK Dr. Harry Hagopian, and Most Revd. Dr. Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin. Dr. Hans Gert Pottering, chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Foundation and former president of the European Parliament, rounded out the panel.

John Lyndon, executive director of OneVoice Europe, said the cordiality of the audience and panelists invoked a mood of support of not only the Holy Land’s Christian community, but for actively working toward a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“People often talk about the conflict as solely between Jews and Muslims, but there are indigenous Christians who have a stake in a peaceful resolution, and religious communities in Britain want to support them,” said Lyndon. “OneVoice would like to promote its work toward a politically negotiated, two-state solution as the only viable option among British religious groups as they seek to bolster Christian communities in the Holy Land.”

Makhlouf, a Palestinian Christian, believes that his own identity engenders a special position in ending the occupation and supporting a two-state solution, and he echoed Lyndon’s comments.

“Like many other Christians in the Holy Land, there is a conflict between the identities,” he said. “Am I Palestinian? Am I Christian? Then I discovered the great combination [and] when you discover this very special role…you think really that you are a messenger [and] you have a very great responsibility in your society.”

Faced with negativity on the ground, Harris philosophized, “how can you not have your demonstration feel like just a castle in the sand washed away by tomorrow’s headlines?”

He provided a compelling answer: “Our mission now is to set our feet down and get our hands dirty and [build] peace practically, not with words, but with legislative actions and with campaigning around specific issues. People like me and movements like ours…are ready to embrace [British religious groups’] interests in our region."

Listen to Samer Makhlouf's opening remarks.

The activists hung posters demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his party fill in the missing parts of a future agreement with the Palestinians. Thursday night's activity was in tandem with the online segment of the same campaign OVI launched on Facebook.

"Likud needs to remember that we still want and hope for a proposal, and we'll be waiting for it," said Danny Shaket, OVI's coordinator of the Youth Leadership Program and leader of the event.

OVI Executive Director Tal Harris said, “only 10 weeks ahead of the vote on Palestinian statehood in the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu is still torn between his own personal and political ideology and the overwhelming consensus both nationally and internationally for the two-state solution.”

OVI invites everyone who cares for Israel's future, including Likud Party members, to inspire Netanyahu with bold and effective ideas for a framework of a final status agreement with the Palestinians.

OVI posters hang next to a Likud banner at the party’s headquarters on June 30, 2011.

From left: OVI youth leaders Noam Mor'e, Raz Balin, and Eliran Eyal hang posters demanding Netanyahu propose a framework for peace on June 30, 2011.

OVI posters hangs on a door to the Likud Party Headquarters in Tel Aviv.

OVP Executive Director Samer Makhlouf said along with the sporting events, youth leaders from the second Bethlehem chapter participated in conflict resolution technique sessions before finishing their basic training.

Makhlouf said these kind of events help expand OneVoice’s presence and provides “a nice opportunity to deliver the OneVoice message to all who participated.”

Other partner organizations from towns and villages outside of Bethlehem were also present and brought members of their communities to join the activities, he said.   

Youth leaders, families, and children make the OneVoice logo during the OVP and Generations For Peace event on June 28.

Youth leaders fill out their evaluation forms after basic training at the OVP and Generations For Peace event on June 28.

Smadar Cohen-Chen (right) reaching out to youth in Beersheba in 2007.

New York, June 30, 2011–Smadar Cohen-Chen has gone through two tragedies in her life: the death of her military commander in a bus attack and of a close friend in the 2006 Israel–Lebanon war.

What makes Cohen-Chen, a conflict-resolution teaching assistant at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), so exemplary is instead of turning to anger and despair, she took a step back and looked closer at the social and political climate in Israel and reignited her own values.

“When you lose someone, your first response is to be very, very angry,” she said.

Dana Sender, the youth leadership program director at OneVoice Israel (OVI) said that many Israelis involved in OVI, like Cohen-Chen, have experienced an emotional hardship due to the conflict.  

But yet, Cohen-Chen stressed that it is important to understand what kind of a situation on the ground would allow for such actions.

To this self-described leftist, the political atmosphere in Israel has grown to such a degree that her views on the conflict and the two-state solution is often frowned upon. Cohen-Chen said she became more liberal after her friend died in Lebanon, and it was in college when she began studying government in her search for answers.

“It was then that I knew Israel can’t be perfect and all of its policies can’t lead to good things all of the time,” she said. “People will come up to me and say, ‘you’re a traitor, you’re not a Zionist, you don’t love Israel’ when that is not the case at all.”

Instead, Cohen-Chen cares for her country to a fault, and searching for ways to resolve the conflict includes scrutinizing government and reaching out to others, tragedy or not.  Her family background and work at OVI makes such negative arguments seem wanting.

“My mom was a professor and had Arab students,” she said. “Hating was never an issue for me. On some Shabbats, my family would go to Arab villages to meet people and drink coffee, and people thought that it was a little weird. I didn’t feel like an outsider; I thought I was doing something special.”

At OVI, Cohen-Chen participated in leadership seminars, toured Canadian colleges with OneVoice’s International Education Program, and attended the World Economic Forum workshop on taboos in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, alongside former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

In light of the impending United Nations September vote on Palestinian statehood, Cohen-Chen has observed rising anxiety levels among her fellow Israelis.

“Some people are concerned about the statehood idea,” she said. “Such people don’t feel the conflict in the day-to-day because they are comfortable with their own lives. It is only when an issue [of magnitude] interrupts their lives do they become stand-offish, and this can reinforce conservativeness.”

And while Cohen-Chen is living proof that such interruptions should not dissuade hopefulness, there are other progressives who feel that the reality of the day-to-day conflict sometimes becomes too much to bear.

Despite all that she sees and hears, Cohen-Chen remains positive.

“Tragedy could be a force for good,” she said. “If there weren’t any optimists, then peace wouldn’t really happen. I think if there were enough people like me and movements like OneVoice, peace would be a self-fulfilling prophesy.”

MK Yoel Hasson (center) answers an audience question as PA official Ashraf al-Ajrami (left) listens at Ben Gurion University in Beersheba on June 14.

New York, June 20, 2011—OneVoice Israel (OVI) announced on Tuesday a new Facebook application, following a debate with MK Yoel Hasson and PA official Ashraf al-Ajrami in Beersheba on international recognition of a Palestinian state come September.

The debate at Ben Gurion University is part of OVI’s conference series entitled, “2011: Toward a Black September?”, which has engaged hundreds of people across Israel. The Facebook application will build on this impact, reaching thousands of Israelis from now until September. It comes as a response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to offer a peace initiative and will serve as a platform for the Israeli public to express creative ideas of how to resolve the conflict.

“Israel needs new ideas and bold leaders to dismantle the bomb that could come in September,” said Danny Shaket, OVI youth leadership program coordinator, who moderated the debate. “There is a lack of understanding in Israeli society when it comes to September; no one really understands what it will mean and what the Israeli response should be.”

Hasson, who also serves as chairman of the Two-State Solution Caucus, noted that Netanyahu’s precondition of recognition, which proves his unwillingness to restart negotiations, is among the biggest obstacles to negotiations. If Israel takes an assertive role in restarting negotiations, the September UN vote for Palestinian statehood will become unnecessary.

“We must understand that we are in political chaos,” said Hasson. "On the other hand, maybe September is not bad because it will be international recognition that the solution to the conflict is two states.”

Al-Ajrami gave a view from the Palestinian perspective and fielded tough questions from the audience.

"We prefer to negotiate directly with Israel than to receive the consent of the United Nations in September, but we have no choice,” said Ajrami, former minister of prisoner affairs for the Palestinian Authority. “[Netanyahu] did not adopt the principle of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with agreed upon land exchanges. This is the biggest problem of the Palestinian people even more than the refugee problem."

The audience disagreed on multiple occasions with al-Ajrami. Three comments from the audience identified the refugee issue as the biggest obstacle to an agreement, noting that any agreement would be invalid if all Palestinian refugees return to Israel.

To solve all final status issues, including refugees, Israeli and Palestinian leaders will need compromise and creativity.

“[Netanyahu is] confused and stuck,” said Tal Harris, executive director of OVI. “We invite everyone who wants to help him to complete the missing articles of a peace initiative by using our new Facebook application and give Netanyahu creative ideas.”

Read Palestine New Network's article about the event.