On a recent fall afternoon, a crowd of Arabs and Jews gathered in front of the concrete wall that divides Israel from the Palestinian territories, holding signs reading, “Revenge is not a political plan” and “Stop the violence! Yes to coexistence!” Five stoic-faced Israeli soldiers in combat boots and military greens stood by, watching, with M16 assault rifles slung across their chests. Yaniv Belhassen raised a megaphone. “This land grab is not democratic!” he shouted in Hebrew. “This land grab is not moral!” Overhead, the fabric wings of a gigantic papier-mâché dove blew in the wind. It was a defining moment for Belhassen. For most of his life, the former Israeli soldier would have described himself as a pro-security hardliner who based his politics on the passionate belief that the Jews have a “divine right” to occupy the West Bank. Now, following Israel’s decision to annex 900 acres of Palestinian land for a new settlement, he had organized a demonstration to protest that exact ideology — in the name of peace. What inspires a former combatant, like Belhassen, to become a peace activist, and advocate for those with different religious beliefs? The answer to that question could have important implications for achieving a resolution to the seemingly intractable conflict between Israel and Palestine. Read more at national.deseretnews/article/2822/The-making-of-a-peace-activist-What-psychology-can-tell-us-about-solving-the-Israel-Palestine.html#Hb2bDxSd5vbRKgMJ.99
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 18:44:24 +0000
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