Linda: Or security and peace.

Adam: The dynamics used to achieve freedom are different than the dynamics used to achieve peace. I don't know if, for the most part, Israeli peace groups have internalized this concept in their work.

Huwaida: The ISM has been portrayed as an internal peace group and in that sense Israeli peace groups would ask why we don't want to work with them, but speaking as a Palestinian woman . . . I believe in the power of the people to affect change, and non-violent direct action as means of liberating ourselves and bringing an end to the occupation. There are so many reasons why Palestinian people feel disenfranchised from non violent ways of action. Non violence has been tried in so many forms and what they see and experience is that it has been met with so much violence, so it's hard to believe that non violence will work. There has been no indication it will work.

I am a firm believer, as are the people who are involved in ISM in nonviolence. We are calling other people to join us, based on a resource we can use which is international solidarity. If we call on good people, by-pass all the resolutions which are resolutions that aren't being adhered to, forget the governments that aren't upholding justice, like the US, that aren't respecting our rights, but calling on average citizens from all over the world, regardless of race and religion, people with an inherent belief in the freedom of all people, to come stand with us, this is a way to extend our voices and work with the power of the people against injustice.

So the International Solidarity Movement is a Palestinian led movement, against occupation, which actively calls on people from all over the world, including Israel, to join us. As people, not as organizations. We've seen the phenomena of international solidarity. It is increasing and spreading, and to answer the question why don't we work with Israeli peace groups, we do work with them, whenever they want to join us as people. When we call for an action, anyone can join, but this movement is a Palestinian movement for freedom and peace, and being such seeks to work with Palestinian people, who feel disenfranchised, people who don't believe.

Linda: What I hear you saying also, is that sometimes you leave it up to the Palestinian community as to whether they want Israeli activists to join in with them or to not.

Huwaida: It's left up to the communities whether Israelis are welcome. For the most part, by their own governmental laws Israelis can't go into the occupied territories, it's illegal for them. There's a sensitivity that dates back to Oslo and the whole peace process – During the 7 year peace process Palestinian groups worked with Israeli peace groups, and steps were taken towards normalization of relations which were seen as benefiting only Israelis. While the whole world was talking about peace, the Palestinian economy was going downhill, check points were being instigated, homes demolished, settlements built . . . So Palestinians believe that they were mislead by this peace process and the Israeli peace groups were in it for how it would benefit them, without achieving justice and freedom and an end to occupation.

In general, this is a lot of what people are sensitive about. Sometimes, you encounter cynicism. People ask, are you a peace worker, because the word peace has come to mean something different. Palestinians think organizations of peace had their eyes shut to what was really happening. When you have your home demolished, and you have no one to cry to, you become cynical to the word peace, and peace doesn't mean justice.

A lot of people became skeptical. Not all, but this was especially poignant. The Palestinian system of NGOs cut relationships. They issued decrees of no more contact with Israeli groups, unless they specifically, outrightly advocated the implementation of the UN resolutions, including 194, the right to return. This laid out what most people were feeling. We don't want a cooperation with Israeli organizations that only benefits one side. Israeli peace groups felt hurt by that. They complained about the fact that Palestinians were cutting relationships with them, and making it harder for them to work in their community and accept peace and justice, what we're all working for. But again, this was the stance of Palestinian civil society, this is what we found. It wasn't against Israeli civilians, but asked, under what banner do they stand? The banner of Peace Now, when I know Peace Now is a Zionist, and doesn't believe in Palestinian right to return.

All Palestinian organizations and villages say, you're welcome as individuals, no matter what religion, to join us in our struggle, but don't come under the name of your group, because we don't agree on guidelines, and I don't want my situation to benefit your organizations mission.

Linda: What I'm understanding has to do with what Adam said, that for the Palestinians freedom is the first requisite for peace and any group or person who wants to join the Palestinian people in their struggle has to have this first and foremost as their primary intent. Including pushing for implementation of the UN resolutions, which thus far Israel has not implemented.