Wearing a red t-shirt, kaffiyah and several new Palestinian flag-colored bracelets around her wrist, a twenty-four year old activist from London passionately spoke about her experience as an occupation tourist at a weekly protest of the wall in the West Bank village of Nil'in. In addition to being detained at the airport, she had been arrested at her first demonstration just a week ago, and held by the Israeli police for several hours. At the police station, she moved about freely, blowing smoke in the faces of soldiers, handing out cigarettes to Palestinian prisoners and singing Bob Marley songs. "Some of the soldiers even hit on me," she said. "It was like a movie."
Every summer, hundreds of young international activists travel to Israel and Occupied Territories to stand in solidarity with Palestinians against the Israeli occupation. For the past ten years, the presence of international pro-Palestinian activists has been fairly constant. Since most international activists have no national or religious ties to Israel or Palestine, and stay for relatively short periods of time, some of the more seasoned activists question whether their activism is effective, or functions more like occupation tourism.
To serve the demand of international activists to visit the Occupied Territories, several organizations have emerged to provide travel information, accommodations and training for activists during their stays. While some organizations, like Christians for Peace, focus on several conflicts around the world, other organizations, like the International Solidarity Movement are specifically focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The ISM, which has support groups around the world, provides participants with lodging and a two day training program. After the training, ISM participants spend their week monitoring checkpoints, Palestinian homes and participating in weekly Palestinian-led demonstrations, where participants regularly come into conflict with the Israeli Defense Forces and some have even lost their lives.
The twenty-four-year old activist, who in accordance with ISM protocol had taken an ISM name, Zorro, in order to protect herself from being targeted by Israeli police, dreamed of coming to the Occupied Territories for years. Like most international activists, she was tired of people at home telling her that reading books wasn't enough to have an opinion -- she needed to see and experience the conflict for herself.
Zorro rooting on Palestinians
"I've been a Palestinian activist for nearly ten years. One day, when I was fourteen-years-old, and feeling really disempowered, my sister invited me to this Palestinian protest, and it was the most empowering experience I ever had." Now, two weeks into her trip, Zorro was leading an even fresher ISM participant about the conflict zone.
The London based communications consultant of Muslim descent came to the Occupied Territories to see the conflict for himself. Along with other ISM participants, he ooed and aawed at the IDF's tear gas grenades as they spun across the olive grove towards demonstrators, took pictures of Palestinians throwing rocks with homemade slingshots, and laughed uncomfortably alongside Zorro, who rooted the Palestinians on in a sports match-like style.
At one point, an ISM participant from Italy, the quietest member of the group, gave a Palestinian demonstrator, inundated with tear gas, makeshift medical supplies -- an onion -- which is supposed to soothe the pain. When the Israeli Defense Forces entered the olive grove, Israeli and Palestinian demonstrators started running across the field to escape arrest. Trailing behind, one of the fresh ISM participants said, "Wow, it's like Lord of the Rings out here."
While Palestinian and Israeli activists appreciate international activists' bravery, for some their lack of connection to the conflict and the short amount of time that they spend in the Occupied Territories raises questions about how effective their trips are.
Israeli activist vs. international activists
When asked if international activists are a part of occupation tourism, Joseph Dana, an Israeli-American journalist who has been documenting demonstrations in the Occupied Territories for the past two years said, "I think it's fairly on point."
To illustrate the difference between Palestinian and Israeli activists verses international activists, Dana recalled a recent protest where Palestinian and Israeli activists sat in the shade at the back of the demonstration while international activists passionately protested at the front lines. "I have to ask, 'What are you so angry about? What did these people do to you?" he said. "No offense to the activists -- they are very brave... but they need to remember that the Palestinians are the one's who are protesting, and that they are coming here to support the Palestinians, not to be Palestinians."
Similar to Dana, Bassam Tamini, a Palestinian and leader of the popular resistance in Nebi Saleh, stressed the importance that activists come to support the Palestinians and follow their lead. "Everyone that comes must be able to come without their agenda and accept our decision about which tactics to use -- popular resistance verses a nonviolent resistance -- they must come to support us, not to change us."
However, for Tamini, activists play an essential role in ending the occupation because of the power they have to change the perception of Palestinians abroad. "We believe, that solidarity comes from every place on earth -- we can take it from there and they can send it to us here--because we are asking for peace, not war."
For Tamini, the most important participants at demonstrations are the Israelis. "When the Israelis come they remove the occupation from their thoughts, their mentality -- and this is the most effective. They give us the most power to change."
For Kobi Snitz, a 38-year-old Israeli activist with Anarchists Against the Wall, it's crucial that internationals come and support the popular movement, even if just for a short time. In fact, Kobi credited international activists and the ISM for "leading the Israelis" to join the Palestinian popular movement.
Even though most international activists come for less than a month, a few activists -- like Robin Brown, a 24-year-old climate change activist from London -- stay for several months to gain a more in-depth understanding of the occupation. He had been a member of the ISM in London prior to coming on the trip. "You are more useful when you go back home if you've been here. I don't want anyone to be able to tell me I am a liar or misinformed -- now I'll be able to say I saw myself what was going on here."
International activists shoot conflict zone
According to Brown, the ISM has a very strict focus on not being a neo-colonial movement. "It's the community and the Palestinians that are likely to suffer so it has to be led by them."
However, he also admitted that it's hard to feel that he's contributing. "You want to be useful, but you realize that you're most useful at home." At five months, Brown is currently the ISM's longest staying participant. He plans to return home shortly.
Like Tamini, for Snitz it's important that international activists return to their home countries more informed.
"It's kind of like Birthright, except the big difference is that people who come are motivated by a lot more than a free ticket. They are paying to risk their lives for a cause that many of them have been committed to for years." he said. "Even if someone only comes once, it's a kind of support that will remain on the ground."
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As one who has gone with ISM twice, it's kind of obvious that you will end up doing more useful work after having been with Palestinian solidarity activists in Palestine. In the end, you'll spend more time at home than in Palestine. More time with chances to work and network and contact people.
But at the root of it is the experiences each activist had in Palestine witnessing and sometimes being subjected to the brutality of Israel's occupation alongside Palestinians. That's what gives each activist the power to continue working upon returning home.
When you are critical of international activists joining Palestinians in their resistance, you need to remember that you are not criticizing the foreign volunteers, but the Palestinians who came up with the idea themselves. This is a tactic that has been devised internally in West Bank and Gaza to get the message out and share their experiences with the world. First-hand accounts work best.
It's always funny to me how foreigners always feel more qualified to lecture the Palestinians on how they should run their resistance. Here's a clue: America is on the wrong side of this issue. If the resistance is comfortable to you as an American or an Israeli, it's not working.
http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/mess-report/mess-report-are-the-palestinians-silencing-the-attempted-rape-of-u-s-peace-activist-1.301905
The UN mandate stated that they had one year to move and assimilate, just as the Jews who were displaced out of Muslim countries were moved and assimilated into Israel.
This is a conflict between two distinct groups of people. The Arabs and the West can have their two cents, but must ultimately understand that the more they try to instigate, the more complicated they make things. I don't believe activists like this do much good and I think they can often be motivated (or manipulated) for all the wrong reasons.
I believe that you said the above only to illustrate how some of the less reasonable posters frequently make the same statement about Israel and Bibi. So I understand the frustration. BUT here is the catch. If you allow such people to drag you down to their level than you become no better than them :). Don't let them do this to you. Keep pushing peace instead.
Obviously right wing Israel. They can take more land, build more homes on it, make it more difficult for the PA's and see Christians and others move out.
Of course the Arabs have their own serious problems, some are extremists but most of them have been pushed in that direction by IDF and settler Repression.
If the IDF wants peace then why does it STEAL video camera's from NGO's, journalists, even tourists ? Clearly they FEAR what they have documented or might !
If one truly wants to understand, one should experience both sides, and even then the chances of actually understanding what's happening is tiny.
Why not demand peace instead? Why not force both entities to move toward peace instead of seeking revenge and taking sides?
Their families? In their personal communities? You would do far more damage to the activists and their cause.You do not make it personal. You do not go after families. You are effectively calling for criminal actions against the citizens of this country- in other words, terrorism. that is not activism. Thanks but no thanks- we've already had a dose of your kind of activism and look at your results.
It needs to be both.
Unfortunately, the United States seems to lack the capacity to function as mediator in this conflict. We have clearly aligned ourselves withy Isreal. Our current relationship with Isreal is not healthy for either us or them. Lately, I've hear good things about Turkey though. Who knows? For now, I am a pox on both their houses. (Not literally).
Where is all the usual sanctimonious pretense of activism when it comes to Palestinians and any other group aside from Jews?
You do realize that it costs the host countries lots of money to have these camps in their lands dont you? You dont think it comes for free do you?
"8 arrested at East Jerusalem protest following clash with police
Left-wing activists protest weekly alongside Arab residents of Sheikh Jarrah over settlers' takeover of locals' homes."
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/8-arrested-at-east-jerusalem-protest-following-clash-with-police-1.301039
European left including ISM use these impressionable pawns to advance their hatred for Israel and undermine its defense to make sure next Arab war be more successful than the previous ones.
Join me Winkler and take Israel side in her struggle for peace.