Today,
Only weeks ago, before returning home to the
Middle East from their historic 2004 Israeli-Palestinian expedition to
Antarctica, the courageous mountaineers inspire Jews and Palestinians of
Santiago, Chile to begin transcending their own local conflicts and come
into face to face relationship.
"Breaking the Ice" is on the Web at http://www.breaking-the-ice.de/
.
Palestinian Ms. Olfat Haider, and Jewish Doron Erel and Heskel Nathaniel are
the expedition's representatives for an important few days in DC.
Thursday the were honored with the Common Ground
Award for "Diplomacy through Sport." It brought tears and a
huge ovation from hundreds at the Austrian Embassy, where one speaker said, "The
best way to predict the future is to invent the future."
They showed their video and spoke to 200
deeply attentive Jews in the sanctuary of Temple Emanuel's Shabbat service
last night in Kensington, MD. All night, Rabbi Warren Stone's welcome and
prayers, and Cantor Boxt's beautiful chanting, affirmed and blessed the courage
and vision of "Breaking the Ice."
The Washington Post published a fine article
and photos. CNN News and the CNN morning show is telling their
story of teamwork.
Today, National Public Radio will interview the
expeditionists live by phone from a DC home, where a Jewish couple and a
Palestinian couple will co-host a gathering of Palestinians and Jews to see
once again that "an enemy is someone whose story we have not heard" --
and to begin their own Dialogue.
Tonight an auditorium at American University
will host students and a variety of Washington, DC citizens -- and more cameras
and reporters. And a bonus will be words from Dr. Harold Saunders,
former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, and pioneer of Sustained Dialogued
and this public peace process. The week's calendar is at:
Appropriately, we conclude with Lauren
Gelfond, the extraordinary Jerusalem Post journalist, reporting
personally and deeply on "Breaking the Ice" in this weekend's
Magazine.
May these moments and stories add up to this: each
of us "breaking the ice" where we live.
The Jerusalem Post Magazine,
March 19, 2004
Polar meltdown
An unlikely crew of Israelis and Palestinians
which journeyed to Antarctica last month
reflects on nature, faith, politics, and snow
By LAUREN GELFOND
It took Suleiman al-Khatib a few moments to catch his
breath. Though his loyalty to Fatah and memories of 10-plus years in an Israeli
jail are always with him, the vision before him transported him to another
reality.
A soaring iceberg the size of several buildings and
etched with rainbow reflections stared him down, sweating and hissing. The
echoes of fizzles, cracks, and finally a cavernous boom enveloped him as the
massive ice tip heaved back and forth, fell, and carved violent waves into the
icy, still waters.
For a few minutes, or perhaps only seconds, he and the
other crew members who ran up on deck gripped the rails, paralyzed with awe.
Such dramatic silence in the wake of a stunning explosion is common, though
this time, far from home, the shock felt almost giddy, they would later say.
After the moment of silence, and gasps for air,
exclamations started to stream: "wow", "oh my God," and
then, laughter.
Eventually, a joke about the cursed Titanic made the rounds, as the waves
continued to pound rhythms against the sides of the small yacht.
Khatib spent months getting ready for the joint
Israeli-Palestinian expedition earlier this year to Antarctica: preparing
physically and psychologically, reading about the landscape, and considering
the political and social demeanor he would carry.
But nothing could have prepared him for the power of
nature, he says.
"It's like magic. What made it? A great force?
God? You feel so small and weak before nature, and like you are on a different
planet or a star, where there are no Jews or Arabs. Before nature I didn't see
differences between Jews and Arabs... political and religious differences are
there, but you suddenly didn't feel it."
Sailing in storms and by glaciers, trekking on ice,
and climbing in near-zero visibility to a previously unclimbed peak in
Antarctica set the unlikely backdrop for the atypical teammates, who time and
again would share such moments of awe, humility, and unity, contrasted against
powerful division.
TIRED OF the political status quo, two
Palestinian Fatah members and two former Israeli commandoes, brought together
by a new organization Extreme Peace Missions, were among the eight Palestinians
and Israelis (see box at end) who decided to make over the face of the usual
dialogue and peace groups. Instead of sitting down to talk, they would join
forces to accomplish a physical goal, one in which they would depend on each
other for survival. And instead of the usual players - politicians or peaceniks
they would round up a diverse team of doves and hawks to duke it out - or work
it out. The only goal: climb and name a virgin Antarctic peak - together.
Now home for one month since the 40-day adventure on
ice, the group is somber. Reflecting on the power of nature, faith, politics
and snow, they re looking back on their journey to the end of the world to ask
themselves if they indeed broke the ice.
Soon after they left the Middle East, flew to Chile,
and set sail on January 1 for Antarctica via Cape Horn, the trekkers got their
first taste of the local weather's capriciousness. Strong southern winds bumped
the nose of the boat to and fro in the icy waters, and the teammates went
flying. Tending to seasickness and bad bruises occupied much of the first days
at sea.
Local Palestinian Fatah leader Nasser Quos and former
IDF commando Avihu Shoshani joined forces to clean a stuffed toilet without
proper equipment, as fellow shipmates suffered from seasickness.
Finally at Antarctica's outer coast, they arrived at
Deception Island, a volcano.
"It looks impossible to anchor there, but there
is one opening - in a crater. Inside it's fantastic," said Israeli group
leader Doron Erel.
Despite the beauty of the island, where the crew took
a five-hour practice hike into the volcano's snowy caps to get their first
glimpse of penguins, the calm quickly gave way.
"The first week the boat was shaking day and
night. The moment we got to the Antarctic shore we had a lot of time for
coffee. Suddenly emotions came out that had probably built up for a long
time," says Heskel Nathaniel, an Israeli developer who co-conceived of the
expedition with his old friend Erel.
"I thought, my God, it's possible to leave the
mission now. This might become violent somehow. We fought about the status of
Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, holy places. People left the room. Olfat
cried. Avihu didn't want to speak to the Palestinians any more. But we had to
sit together again [at the next meal]. We didn't want to talk - but we had to
ask for the salt. And
somehow, the conversation starts again."
The first argument about Jerusalem was the worst of
the trip, says Olfat Hyder, a Palestinian Israeli, who is a volleyball league
player and gymnastics coach.
"Some Palestinians said Jews have no claim to the
Temple Mount, no history, nothing. I didn't agree - another Palestinian and I
fought against this. I also had an argument with Avihu [Shoshani, Israeli
lawyer, former IDF commando and right-wing activist]. He said Israel is not
violent; it just protects itself. This hurt me. I think it's beyond that."
At a certain point everyone was hurt by everyone else,
most later said.
The group quickly recovered from alienated to
sociable, but deep political values dividing the group had been exposed, and
makeshift groups and sub-groups were established.
But in the wild, they say, the divisions soon became
unimportant.
Following the afternoon hike, while visiting a bay of
whales, a tourist ship suddenly shifted its attention to the expedition yacht.
With a sail hand-painted by Israeli artist Menashe Kadishman of a dove with
Israeli and Palestinian flags, the passengers were busy snapping photos.
"'You people are fighting over there, what are you doing here together in
Antarctica?'"
the amazed tourists asked, says Palestinian journalist Ziad Darwish, laughing.
In the evening, the crew encountered some Ukrainian
scientists who were stationed on a research base, and invited them on board for
dinner. Darwish volunteered to cook. Armed with cinnamon, cumin, red peppers,
and other spices he brought from home, he whipped up a large tray of his
specialty: eggplant with meat and pine nuts.
"All of the sudden there was a very strong wave
and I'm holding the tray. I have to decide if [I should] throw the food to the
floor and hold on, or hold the tray and fall down," he says, now laughing
harder.
"I decided to save the food for my colleagues. I
flew into a chair and had a bruise on my rib for a week."
"[The Ukranian scientists] brought music and
alcohol and we partied until early morning," says Nathaniel of that night.
"When I looked around suddenly I saw people from
east Jerusalem, little Palestinian villages, Israel, and Russia, all just
enjoying ourselves, dancing with different flags. It was one of the most
bizarre things I ever saw in my life. We were hugging, and even loved each
other this night."
The isolated way-station in Antarctica became the
catalyst for many jokes.
"Why not make a state for the Palestinians here,
where they can't disturb anyone? You are such trouble-makers," the
Israelis quipped over and again. Laughing in response, the Palestinians always
agreed: "Fine, as long as you are here next to us. We don't want to separate."
Sailing south to Prospect Point, the departure point,
the boat headed across the ocean littered with broken sea ice and towering
icebergs until it reached frozen land.
"We spent three days dragging sleds, with ropes
tied to harnesses, roped together in groups with heavy loads, snowshoes, ice
axes," says Erel. "There are dangerous crevasses. If one falls the
other will catch him."
Navigating the crevasses, a few unlikely links between
doves and hawks were born, they say.
ACROSS THE harsh landscapes, Yarden Fanta, an
Ethiopian immigrant, was often reminded of her journey on foot at age 13 across
the Sudan to Israel, where she lost her sister, niece, and uncle. Though she
says she wanted to journey to the ends of the world this time to just sit and
talk with Arabs, the idea of traveling with two Fatah activists terrified her.
"I never thought that I'd sit with former
convicts from the territories. But I discovered that they are simply amazing,
full of love," she says.
Just weeks earlier she'd infuriated Palestinians when
she brushed off their talk of independence, saying Arabs already have 22
states, Khatib remembers. "She changed because of our good
relations," he says.
The self-described right-winger did not give up her
beliefs about Israel, but embraced the Fatah activists as friends, calling them
moderates, and eventually making jokes about her own earlier fears.
"My attitude changed about [Palestinian]
convicts: you can talk and respect each other even if you are different; even
be friends with someone who is extreme. Convicts are first of all human. What a
discovery! I was afraid they'd kill us, but they were so normal. The
Palestinians told me it affected them a lot, too, to see that we can live
together, even though the big things didn't change."
"Why are you giving the knife to the
Palestinians?" she laughed as they divided the food equipment to carry up
the summit.
"[The Palestinians] also joked that Hamas and
Jihad take responsibility for terror attacks, but they were instead 'claiming
responsibility' for our health. Everyone laughed."
Hyder had a similar revelation, she says.
"There were arguments and fights politically, but
on the personal side we treated each other as human beings. Avihu and I [for
example] fought a lot - he's right-wing and his opinions don't suit me. But as
a human being, he's a good person. When I got hurt he helped and was always by
my side. He didn't treat me that way he speaks of Arabs - but as a
person."
Though Hyder forged new relations with unexpected
Israelis, she says the biggest surprise was with fellow Palestinians.
"I have lived with Israelis and know their side,
but what touched me was hearing about the Palestinian problems. I always hear
the news, but this is the first time I met two Palestinians who had been in
jail."
THOUGH ISRAELI right-wingers Shoshani and Fanta
made some surprising connections with the Palestinians, they also shared a
certain disappointment.
Fanta raised the hackles of the Palestinians when she
several times referred to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat as a
terrorist.
"What hurt and surprised me was that they need
permission from Arafat for everything. I said, 'You see - if Arafat can tell
you if you have permission [for the expedition], he is definitely giving
permission for terror attacks. They were angry," she says.
"From what I saw, the three Palestinian men came
to make a political agreement about Palestinian identity," says Shoshani.
"They played at friendship but it wasn't real.
They were [even] against Olfat because she is Arab-Israeli and disconnected
from the Palestinians. I understand Arabic and heard Suleiman and Nasser. They
had three different conversations, one with us, one with the cameras, and one
with each other. I asked myself if maybe [the reason they promote certain ideas
is because]
they get their salary from Arafat, but if that's true I don't think they should
have been on the trip. I don't owe opinions to anyone and they shouldn't
either."
Most of the Israelis and Palestinians said they, too,
had mixed feelings at certain times, and everyone agreed before signing on to
full public disclosure - for better or worse.
"I thought the whole journey was worthwhile when
we saw the the leaders of the Jewish and Palestinian communities of Chile
together. They lived next to each other and never exchanged a word
[before]," says Nathaniel of the group's welcome by the two communities,
during a stopover on the way home. After their first meeting, they published
stories in their local Jewish and
Arabic papers, and remain in contact today.
"But something wasn't right. The Palestinians got
invited to visit the Palestinian ambassador. I would have wanted him to invite
all the team. It upset me [also] that they took a framed picture of the four
Palestinians and the Palestinian flag on top of the mountain, it felt for a
moment like we weren't even there, like half the picture.
"Afterwards, I realized that in the life of
individuals in the Palestinian Authority you can't just say what you want. We
Israelis grow up in a democracy, we could never really understand. We were very
insulted. Palestinians speak more freely when no cameras are around.
"Avihu didn't take part in the mountaintop photo
shoot because Arafat had signed the flag. I could not resolve it," says
Nathaniel.
Khatib shrugs the incident off to bad chemistry.
"The Israelis also requested a signature, but
[Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon's office didn't answer. Avihu just has a problem
with the Palestinian flag. I didn't always feel I'm Palestinian [but human]
with Hezi or Doron. But with Avihu - he was so extreme, he supports occupation
and the fence and he doesn't want peace. We can't talk," he says.
"I was in prison from 1986-97: 10 years and five
months, for Fatah involvement and causing problems, throwing rocks at soldiers
and settlers, violence. I stabbed a soldier. But I read a lot of books in
prison it changed me," says Khatib.
"I'm still connected to Fatah. I couldn't partner
without the support of Arafat. But if I didn't believe in peace I wouldn't have
gone. We want two states. We don't do terror. I personally don't use violence.
"I can't [however] tell other people whose lands
are stolen not to throw rocks at soldiers. Settlers have always taken our land
by force and many times the government doesn't even know about it. It causes
violence. I hope both sides can get by without any more violence. I'm ready to
understand the problems of terror attacks and the fear of getting on the bus.
And we tried to explain how we live every day, what it's like to be in jail, to
travel to Ramallah."
"It changed my mind that peace between Israelis
and Palestinians will happen - unless the Israelis change their thoughts about
Palestinians," says Quos.
Beyond politics there were even fights over money.
According to Nathaniel, he and Erel had spent a good deal of their personal
savings to finance the project.
"Our Palestinian colleagues had the feeling that
we were making money from the expedition and using them. It was impossible to
explain to them. It's ridiculous; you go on a peace mission and can have fights
about who pays the telephone bill. We weren't always brave, mature, and noble.
The dark side of human nature came up," he says.
Not finding a solution for every problem, though, is
okay, he holds.
"We accept the fact that we have different
opinions and are still friends. We spent many hours explaining to the
Palestinians why we worry, mistrust, and are afraid, and they started to hear
our words. And we definitely learned what they go through when they told
stories of curfews, checkpoints, and humiliations."
THE CLOSER the group got to the summit the more
they became overwhelmed by the natural beauty and their own raw emotions.
Snow-saturated winds blew at 180-200 kilometers an hour, at times causing a
total white-out.
Once at the summit all the members cried, especially
Darwish.
"The feeling of reaching that mountain - tears
came to my eyes. I remembered my people being killed, I remembered my brother,
why did it come to me at this moment? I just wish the two peoples could see how
we cooperated and gave a hand to each other; it would change a lot of
relations. We hugged each other and shouted. We did it! It'd be na ve to tell
you that we resolved the [political] issues, but we opened a very small
aperture to understanding and hearing."
While the three Palestinian men kneeled in prayer,
Hyder had her own revelation.
"It was very emotional," she says.
"Everything was white. When I saw the view and
the beauty I forgot why I was there. I forgot about Jews and Arabs. That is
something big. The message? Everyone thinks differently, but can be together. I
don't need to think the same but we can let the [other] live in peace."
Looking at the Israeli and Palestinian flags in the
virgin snow, Nathaniel described the moment as "the most emotional"
of his life.
When Khatib stood up after prayers, he remembered his
commitment to Fatah and the Palestinian people, yet he also felt transported to
a consciousness beyond national, religious, and ethnic identity, he says.
"It was cold, it got colder, it got harder, we
were roped together. Everything was white. We felt like we were in the sky. We
are so small in front of this. Is there a message? I need to be a better man. I
survived, I succeeded, I had fun. Now I really respect life more."
Now what?
They laughed. They cried. They disagreed bitterly.
They even sometimes hated each other. But in fiery debate or in icy storms they
didn't kill each other - or even try. In fact, even the most extreme among them
went out of his or her way to help the others survive. As a result, six now say
they have ever so slightly thawed Israeli-Palestinian relations. But one
Israeli and one Palestinian say their hearts are more frozen than ever.
"My friends and neighbors said it was madness to
participate and many advised me not to go because the Israelis don't believe in
peace. I am sorry to say they were right and I'll say in a loud voice I'm sorry
for my participation. The Israelis just care about themselves and are ready to
build their lives without caring about other people's pain," says local
Jerusalem Fatah leader Nasser Quos, who frequently locked horns with the
Israelis and even with some of the Palestinians.
His most bitter rival on board was right-wing Israeli
lawyer and former commando Avihu Shoshani. The two paired up to scramble eggs,
clean toilets, and watch the other's back on ice, but agreed on only one thing:
the trip was great fun but a disappointment.
"Everyone said that the Israelis all returned
more left-wing, but for me it's not true," says Shoshani.
"So many [negative] things I thought before
[about Palestinians] still seem right. I'll tell my three kids to keep trying,
because it's not clear if it would have been different with three other
Palestinians. I don't want my kids to throw away hope even though I'm left
without much."
"They [Nasser and Avihu] are both f--
extremists," says Palestinian journalist Ziad Darwish, in reaction.
"The majority believes in peace and coexistence
and nothing will change if we don't. Israelis and Palestinians have arguments
but we can do it peacefully. [Our trip] was reported in Palestinian, Egyptian,
Lebanese, Jordanian, and Gulf newspapers [and] I haven't had any negative
comments about it. It's time to sit down and understand each other."
Israeli right-winger, student Yarden Fanta, says she
is proof that it's possible. Before the trip she was terrified of traveling
with Fatah activists.
"So everyone didn't agree politically. But we are
a symbol - everyone helped and gave a hand [to the others]. We can do this. It
will help educate the next generation, by setting an example. We can talk,
listen, and even respect the other," she says. "Everyone has
humanity."
Fatah activist Suleiman al-Khatib of the West Bank
says he has donated a positive image to his society.
"[West Bank] neighbors, friends, and people I
don't know came to look at the [expedition] pictures and see two different
flags. Some accept it, some are against it," he says. "But [they see
and hear that] there were good Jews from Israel, so loving, so good, not like
the pictures [they usually see] of soldiers and settlers."
Suleiman is still in contact with some of the
Israelis.
"About a week ago I wanted to speak to Suleiman,
I was so happy to hear his voice," says Israeli Heskel Nathaniel.
"He said 'you know Hezi, I'm looking at the
pictures and starting to cry.' The emotional example is so deep. It's not that
we answered any questions and made solutions. But we learned to listen. I am
not a leftist or a rightist. I can develop emotions for the so-called enemy but
have seen how deep the differences are. We have listened to arguments from both
sides and have more questions than before. This is one of the achievements. And
after that experience I don't think any of us would ever hurt the other."
"I believe that not only [are we now less likely
to do harm to the other] but our children, our friends, are less likely
[also]," agrees Israeli Arab Olfat Hyder.
"We are small seeds. Even people who hear about
it now know it's possible [to be together even if we disagree]."
"I still think about it all the time," says
Israeli climber Doron Erel. "I'm not sure I have conclusions. I understand
some things better. People do not change so fast, but the experience we shared
made us close - we will all take that with us, and it will influence our family
and friends. I won't go to Ramallah because it's not safe - but I will be happy
to have my kids meet their kids."
For now, they say, a humble beginning is enough.
For their efforts, the eight climbers were honored
this week by the international organization Search for Common Ground with an
award recognizing conflict resolution initiatives.
Nasser Quos, 36, of east Jerusalem, soccer coach and head of Fatah in
the Old City of Jerusalem, who spent three years in an Israeli prison for
throwing a firebomb in the first intifada and later was bodyguard to PLO
Jerusalem representative Faisal Husseini.
Fatah member Suleiman al-Khatib,
33, of Hizme in the West Bank, who spent ages 14-25 in prison for Fatah
activities, including stabbing a soldier.
East Jerusalem journalist Ziad Darwish,
53, whose brother was killed in an Israel Air Force raid in Beirut in 1982.
Olfat Hyder, 33, Haifa gymnastics coach
and Israeli national volleyball league player.
Professional climber Doron
Erel, 44, who was in an elite IDF commando unit and went on to climb
the highest mountain on every continent; he was the first Israeli to climb
Mount Everest.
Lawyer and right-wing activist Avihu Shoshani,
44, who was in an elite IDF commando unit.
Real-estate developer Heskel Nathaniel,
41, currently living in Berlin.
Yarden Fanta, 32, a PhD candidate in
literacy studies who trekked on foot from Ethiopia via Sudan to Israel,
illiterate, at 14. Three family members died in transit.