Arab, Israeli teens say trust built at Maine camp has been shaken
BY ESTHER BABALOLA | Recent violence in Israel is testing—and in some cases splintering—the tentative bonds of friendship forged by Palestinian and Israeli teenagers who attended a camp in rural Maine last summer.
Seeds of Peace, a nonprofit organization that strives to bring youths from the Mideast together before they become enemies, held a camp this summer at Camp Androscoggin in Wayne, Maine.
Founded by author and journalist, John Wallach, Seeds of Peace saw 30 Palestinians and 44 Israelis break bread, compete in games, walk through the woods and otherwise live in Peace.
They left Maine on Sept. 2 to travel to Washington, where they visited the White House to hear President Clinton hail their efforts.
Then they returned home, vowing, as most kids do after a summer at camp, to keep in touch, to stay friends.
But on Sept. 24, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu OK’d construction work on a tunnel underneath Old Jerusalem. Palestinians were enraged that he had tried to extend Israel’s influence into the Muslim Quarter, near the Al Aksa Mosque. A week of rioting left more than 70 dead and passions inflamed.
“I am very angry with Netanyahu’s decision. I think that he should just close the tunnel,” said 16-year-old Palestinian Inaf Moussa. “Keeping it opened has only made matters worse. Because of him many of my friends have been injured.”
Inaf was part of this year’s Seeds of Peace Camp. Asked what she thinks of Israelis now, she hesitates and replies: “Well, I think that we cannot trust all Israelis. They will have to earn my trust.”
Until the recent violence, most students said summer camp had pierced their stereotypes about each other. Asaf Talmor had his doubts about Palestinians when he first arrived.
By the end of the summer his views had changed.
“I never thought I would understand their side,” said Asaf, an Israeli. “Now I can really connect with them and I have made many Palestinian friends.”
At summer’s end, Asaf was full of hope. “The future looks bright,” he said. “It’s easier to negotiate with someone who you know is your friend.”
But now, with a hard fist, the new violence has reinforced the old stereotypes. Daniel Shinar, a 16-year-old Israeli, has attended Seeds of Peace for two years. He was part of this summer’s camp, and when he arrived back home he felt confident in the trust he had towards Palestinians. Now is unsure again.
At camp, Daniel was able to debate Palestinians on such contentious issues as who owns Jerusalem and who should rule its streets.
Passion informed the opinions, but the debaters listened to each other and tried to understand the other’s views—something they said could not have been accomplished before.
“I could sit and talk with them because there was trust between all of us,” said Daniel.
Now, he said, “I know now that I will not be able to trust all Palestinians. I feel as if there are two sides of me. One side is angry and wants to fight, it wants revenge. The other side remembers what Seeds of Peace stands for.”
The strains on the program meant to foster peace do not worry its founder. Even if one child’s eyes are more open to neighbors as a result of a summer in Maine, Wallach argues, the program is a success.
“The children understand what the leaders need to understand, and that is peace,” he said. “The program is even now more urgently needed.”
If nothing else, the recent clashes have raised fresh doubts in young minds about their neighbors. But to those who experienced a summer of tentative friendship, enemies are harder to keep.
“It might take some time,” said Daniel. “But I think we can finish the peace process.”