BY TERRY AHWAL AND DAVID GAD-HARF | A few months ago, the two of us shared an incredible experience that has changed the dynamic of how we relate to each other. Along with five other Detroit-area leaders in the Palestinian and Jewish communities, we traveled to a small town in Maine for the dedication of a children’s camp called Seeds of Peace.
For years we had crossed paths, giving Jewish-American and Palestinian-American viewpoints on issues in the news. Our debates were on television and radio, but never done face-to-face. Eventually we seized the opportunity represented by the 1993 signing of the Middle East peace agreement, and we began to talk directly to one another.
We continue to disagree on many fundamental issues: the proper interpretation of Mideast history, the reason for the Arab-Israeli conflict, the causes of terrorism, and the best way to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. Our commitments to our particular communities have never wavered. We do agree, though, that a just peace is necessary for the survival of our people.
Our trip to the Seeds of Peace camp created a new bond between us and a bond among all of us who traveled there. We realized all of us share the same hope for peace. With this shared commitment, we have dedicated ourselves to support Seeds of Peace and other initiatives that will help bring a brighter future to the Middle East.
The camp is the brainchild of John Wallach, a journalist who cared deeply about the Middle East and wanted to contribute to its stability. It brings together young Israelis, Palestinians and other Arabs for four weeks in which they share sleeping quarters, participate in camp activities and talk about co-existence.
During our visit to the camp, we observed heated discussion on subjects such as Jerusalem, terrorism and history. Facilitators helped the youngsters convey their feelings honestly and then explore solutions to even the most complex problems. The youngsters did role-playing to try to experience each other’s perspectives, an activity that would have been impossible to do in their homelands.
Listening to the intense debates, the conclusion could be that there is no hope for the future. But as the discussions ended, the youngsters began interacting in ways that showed some real friendships had developed during their weeks at camp. They had arrived as enemies, but they were able to cross the boundaries that divided them.
At the camp dedication ceremony, government officials from the United States, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan attentively listened to the campers as they voiced their hopes, dreams and distress. The leaders seemed inspired by the children and took the opportunity to get to know one another in this informal setting. The children had taught the diplomats a lesson in diplomacy.
The future of the Middle East depends on young people such as the ones we observed in Maine. Their attitudes have not yet hardened and experiences such as those at the camp can provide a foundation for the rest of their lives. In an age of cynicism and despair, especially in the Middle East, these children can hope for a better future. A durable peace will be achieved only if tomorrow’s leaders can break from their past stereotypes and hatreds of each other.
Although the camp environment is artificial and bears no resemblance to what the youngsters will encounter when they return home, a “seed of peace” has been planted. We wish today’s leaders could be mandated to attend the camp, to learn from the children the art of negotiation and mutual respect.
For generations, conflict in the Middle East has shattered the lives of the people entangled in it. Years of battle have left them insecure and fearful of each other, unable to carry on a normal existence. From the children, we have learned that being on different sides of this conflict does not mean that we have to be enemies.
Terry Ahwal serves on the Board of Ramallah Club of Detroit. David Gad-Harf is executive director of the Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan Detroit.