BLINKEN VISIT OFFERS RARE HOPE TO SOME ISRAELIS
▶ US Secretary of State gave boost to civil society groups with meeting
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s decision to meet Palestinian and Israeli civil society organisations was a boost to the groups, those involved have told The National.
They said the “unprecedented” move helped to bring the communities together at a time of heightened hostility to such bodies.
Mr Blinken’s visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories was a bid to cool regional tensions after a spate of deadly attacks in recent weeks.
It was his first visit since the new right-wing Israeli coalition government took office in December and included meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
He also set aside time to meet representatives from five leading civil society organisations in Israel before doing the same with Palestinian groups in Ramallah, the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority. A US embassy source told local media that the move by the Secretary of State was “rare, if not unprecedented”. Those present welcomed the gesture, saying it gave them a boost at a time when they face increasing hostility, including from inside the new administration.
“It’s not a comfortable situation and the new government is a huge threat to us and our work, but we’re also more motivated and active,” Daphna Goldschmidt-Cohen, from Ropes, which seeks to bring together emerging leaders from across the Middle East, told The National.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich previously described human rights organisations as an “existential threat” to Israel and staff of several organisations have been subjected to travel restrictions.
In 2021, Israel also labelled six leading Palestinian rights groups as terrorist organisations and raided their offices.
“It’s very rare for our government to get involved in work bringing Israelis and Palestinians together, said Ms Goldschmidt-Cohen.
“I’d say that 90 per cent of that work is undertaken by civil society organisations. However difficult, our work is crucial because there’s no other meeting point for Palestinians and Israelis.”
However, she said that such hostility – while bad – was not new and had not stopped the groups from working.
“We’re more motivated and active. We need to remember that the government in Israel has been pretty similar for the past decade and a half,” said Ms Goldschmidt-Cohen.
This work is crucial for fostering understanding between the sides, said Nitzan Shauloff, calling the meeting with Mr Blinken “unforgettable”.
“Civil society organisations play a critical role in Israel by promoting dialogue and collaboration between different communities and advocating for the most marginalised groups in society,” he said.
“In the current political climate, their role is even more crucial.” Mr Shauloff represents Tikkun Olam Makers, which brings together specialists to help society and makes items such as advanced 3D-printed limbs.
Ryan Levin of the Netzach Educational Network, which encourages social mobility in Israel’s ultra-orthodox community and works to overcome suspicion of the secular world, said civil society initiatives were a stabilising force.
“Whatever the political situation might be, our work is largely un-reliant on government for its success,” he added.
Mr Levin said Mr Blinken seemed to have a “real understanding” of the sensitivity of the situation.
Others said the move had been a good step even if Mr Blinken’s visit did not yield any specific breakthroughs in calming tensions or restarting the long-stalled peace talks.
“It really was a positive meeting, and he then went and met counterparts in Ramallah. Nothing bad can come from him visiting, at least … Time will tell what the impact of the trip will be,” said Ms Goldschmidt-Cohen.
Last year was the deadliest in more than a decade in the West Bank, with violence steadily rising following lethal Palestinian attacks in Israel, which led to an increase in Israeli raids.
Mr Smotrich said Israel would take 100 million shekels ($29 million) from Palestinian Authority taxes it had collected on the authority’s behalf to compensate victims of Palestinian attacks.
Mr Blinken called on both sides to ease tensions as he ended a visit to the region on Tuesday, in which he reaffirmed Washington’s support for a two-state solution.
Top US diplomat for the Middle East Barbara Leaf and US special representative for Palestinian affairs Hady Amr remained behind to continue talks between the sides.