OneVoice Talks Lessons of Arab Spring for Israel and Palestine
By The Onevoice Movement, PRNEThursday, July 14, 2011
LONDON, July 15, 2011 -
Leaders of the
examined the lessons of the Arab Spring and the potential for
mobilizing the grassroots as a force for peace between Israel and
Palestine at the Royal Society for
the Arts on Thursday.
(Logo:
An audience of 180 listened to and interacted with a panel of
speakers, including OneVoice
Israel Executive Director Tal Harris and
Director Samer Makhlouf, who debated the failure of politicians to
forge a successful framework. The speakers agreed that the masses
must take the initiative to secure a peaceful future.
“The elites have duped the Israeli people into seeing success as
perceptual conflict management,” said
“It is our job to show Israel that it can end the conflict and
change its own circumstances.”
The debate, moderated by RSA Chief Executive
offered the opportunity for grassroots, academia, and the political
elite to collect their thoughts on where things are headed in the
Middle East at this uncertain time. The
Dr. Denis MacShane MP, former British foreign office minister,
and
Dr. Claire Spencer, head of the Middle East and North Africa
Program at Chatham
House, rounded out the group of panelists.
The notion that Middle Eastern nations are ruled by nepotistic
dictators is coming to a close. There is wide agreement among the
populace that freedom is a fundamental human right of all peoples
and their life, voice, and vote are more important than ever.
“Palestinians taught the Arab people how to take charge with the
first intifada [uprising], but we need our brothers to remind us of
our own power,” said
no longer willing to allow the elites to fail again and are taking
their struggle against the occupation and for freedom to the
streets.”
Dr. MacShane struck a note of caution by warning that grassroots
activism - however well intentioned - still required responsible
political leadership to produce tangible results. “The Arab Spring,
I’m afraid… is lacking a clear political platform and true change
will require resilient leadership,” he said.
“It’s been fantastic to have such a cross-section of opinion and
analyses this evening,” said
executive director of
OneVoice Europe. “For too long, this conflict has been trapped
in grim certainties and crippling inertia. What we have heard this
evening demonstrates that - perhaps for the first time in a
generation - the ground beneath the feet of the political
leadership is shifting. Moderates on both sides must now unite to
ensure that their leaders respond bravely before this opportunity
for transformational change is lost.”
OneVoice
is an international grassroots movement that aims to amplify the
voice of Israeli and Palestinian moderates, empowering them to
demand a two-state solution. The movement educates and trains
Israeli and Palestinian youth in leadership skills, non-violent
activism, and democratic principles. To support and contribute to
OneVoice, join us at
.
Joel Braunold, External Relations Director, PeaceWorks Foundation, OneVoice, t: +44-208-948-5218, f: +44(0)208-332-6423, www.OneVoiceMovement.org
Tags: England, Israel, July 15, London, Palestine, The Onevoice Movement
