July 11, 2002
Meeting with Adam & Huwaida
International Solidarity Movement

Linda: You too just got married, yes? What a time and place to be newly weds! But life really does go on. Adam, you’re Israeli and Huwaida is Palestinian? Where did you meet and where are you two from?

Adam: Yes, we're from the states. I'm Jewish, not Israeli. We both have US passports. We've both been working in Israel for a long time. We met when we worked together with Seeds of Peace.

Huwaida: I'm Palestinian. My parents are from here. I was born in the US and lived there most of my life.

Adam: She was conceived in Palestine!

Linda: I'm sure you must have heard this before, but when I arrived here, not even yet off the plane, and mentioned that I might be working with the ISM, someone called me a self-hating Jew.

Adam: Yes, I'm the "King of self hating Jews!"

Linda: What is the philosophy behind your work with ISM?

Adam: The philosophy behind, and the impetus for, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) developed out of the realization that many people don't know that a Palestinian non-violent movement exists. It was not receiving attention or support domestically, internally or externally. And it needs the support of foreigners to help support it and be a resource for it, because when internationals are present the IDF is more on guard not to exercise violence when the people respond to the situation nonviolently.

Linda: This seems to be the most important reason.

Huwaida: Basically, when Palestinians try to go out and march, or protest their situation, or remove a roadblock to the entrance of their village, they face the possibility of extreme violence and intimidation from Israeli soldiers. Even before a stone is thrown, an action on behalf of Palestinians can be seen as violent, and the response of the IDF is often to fight back, starting with rubber bullets, and then going to live ammunition. But, when internationals are present, the dynamic changes. This brings the international media, who will take an interest even when it’s only a few Palestinians, if you have internationals there. But, for the past few months, the media has been limited in its extent to move in the West Bank, and we haven't been getting as much media as we would like. The visibility is very important as it helps quell violent reactions.

Linda: We've been listening to a lot of people and it's clear this is a very critical time right now. How are you dealing with all this?

Huwaida: I am the one who sends out the email alerts to the international community. I'm beginning to feel like things in this situation are so normal; everyday, I hear the same thing. Today, for example I was putting out an email alert, when I got call about an incident in one of the occupied villages - soldiers opened fire at a checkpoint where no internationals were and shot a 17-year-old girl in the head. Her uncle, a man I know, called it in. The sad thing is that this doesn't surprise me anymore.

If you go to the Gaza checkpoint and see the way the soldiers treat Palestinians, as we saw when we were monitoring, they are herded like cattle. And if they don't comply with the soldiers at the checkpoint, or if one person complains, one soldier can hold 50 people back from crossing, deciding their fate for the rest of their day. These people may have set aside 2 hours to get through the checkpoint and might have to wait many more, if they're lucky at all, to get through that day. If they get restless and reactive, and ask questions, a soldier will toss a tear gas canister or concussion bomb. I have to ask myself so often, how can anyone have so little regard for human life and human suffering.

When you're Palestinian, your life is totally determined by soldiers and the people with the power over you. What the Palestinians see is that even if they are in the right, there is no one there to hold the soldiers accountable. That's what the importance of an international presence is for.

Linda: When we were in Gaza we met a group of ISM folks. I have to say they looked a little bored that day. I know what you’re doing is incredible work, but on this trip we've heard some criticisms of ISM, not from those folks we met, but from others in the "peace movment." I say that in parentheses because the word peace has come to have a very different meaning to me since coming here.

We've heard three specific criticisms. One is that you won't work with Israeli peace organizations. Another is that ISM international activists leave here only having had an experience of actions without having a strong contextual grounding, a good sense of history or broad overview. The last is that you are not balanced, you represent only one side of the picture – that of the Palestinian suffering – and leave out the Israeli point of view.