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Refusing to Be Enemies: Palestinian and Israeli Nonviolent Resistance to the Israeli Occupation
Refusing to be Enemies - now in paperback - presents the voices of more than 100 practitioners and theorists of nonviolence, with the vast majority being either Palestinian or Israeli. They reflect on their own involvement in nonviolent resistance and speak about the nonviolent strategies and tactics employed by Palestinian and Israeli organizations, both separately and in joint initiatives. The book considers the obstacles encountered by nonviolent organizations and includes examples of effective nonviolent campaigns. Additionally, it explores ways in which a more effective nonviolent movement may be built. In their own words, activists share their hopes and visions for the future and discuss the internal and external changes needed for their organizations - and the nonviolent movement as a whole - to successfully pursue their goal of a just peace in the region. A Foreword on the definition and nature of nonviolence is written by Canadian author Ursula Franklin. Additionally, the book is rounded out by analytic essays by activists Ghassan Andoni (Palestinian), Jeff Halper (Israeli), Jonathan Kuttab (a Palestinian activist lawyer with international experience) and Starhawk (an "international" of Jewish background).
520 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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January 21, 2011
A good antidote to all those who have given up on the Holy Land: A review on Refusing to be Enemies
Refusing to be Enemies is a good antidote to all those who have given up on peace in the Holy Land. It is a powerful and hopeful book about the possibility of a peaceful and just future for the people of Israel and Palestine. For all those on both sides of the conflict who say “There is no partner for peace”, … you will meet in this book hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis who are already active partners for peace.
In Refusing to be Enemies, Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta shares the stories of over 100 Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent peace and justice activists whom she interviewed in-depth. We learn why they have chosen nonviolence as a means of struggle and a path to real peace. Kaufman-Lacusta writes that increasing numbers of Palestinians are coming to see nonviolence as an active and effective means to challenge the Israeli military occupation of their homeland. Even some Hamas leaders are supporting nonviolent resistance as an effective means of struggle by Palestinians. And thousands of Israelis and Israeli organizations, as well as internationals, are joining Palestinians in ongoing nonviolent action campaigns, such as those that challenge the 26-foot -high separation wall, which is cutting off many Palestinian villages from their farmland Israeli and international participation in these Palestinian-led nonviolent local actions give moral support and some protection to the Palestinian demonstrators. In addition, notes Kaufman-Lacusta, the “outside” participants gain a heart-level understanding about the Palestinian experience of oppression living under the Israeli military occupation, and are inspired to return home to share their experience with others.
Her book provides firsthand evidence of the conversion experiences of many Israelis and Palestinians from a belief and confidence in the use of violence and the gun as a means of finding security to a belief in the power of active nonviolence.
We hear stories of both Israelis and Palestinians coming to realize that the security of their two peoples is bound together, and you can’t have security for one without security for the “other.”
Martin Luther King once said, “The choice is no longer between violence and nonviolence, but between nonviolence and nonexistence.” Israelis and
Palestinians are discovering nonviolence as the only alternative to an endless spiral of violence and counter-violence and security for none.
The stories in this book profiles the visions, hopes, and dreams of Palestinian and Israeli activists, as well as their thoughts about strategy on how to escalate the nonviolent resistance to the military occupation and build a just peace.
It is heartening to read of Palestinians and Israelis who say, “We are all one human family.” It is even more heartening to learn how they risk their lives in courageous nonviolent actions.
Refusing to Be Enemies helps us realize how important it is for us – Israelis in particular, and people around the world in general- to support the nonviolent initiatives and movements of Palestinians.
President John Kennedy once said “Those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable.” Our job is to help make peaceful change possible in Palestine/Israel.
This excellent book encourages all of us to get beyond the all-too-common division of the world between “us” and “them,” and the need to use violence war, and killing as a way of solving problems and achieving security. Instead, we discover that we are all one human family and can act on that belief and “refuse to be enemies.”
David Hartsough is director of Peaceworkers and cofounder of the Nonviolent Peaceforce. He co-led a Middle East peace delegation last year
Source: David Hartsough, Fellowship Journal, p41, Nyack, NY USA, Fall 2010
Refusing to be Enemies is a good antidote to all those who have given up on peace in the Holy Land. It is a powerful and hopeful book about the possibility of a peaceful and just future for the people of Israel and Palestine. For all those on both sides of the conflict who say “There is no partner for peace”, … you will meet in this book hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis who are already active partners for peace.
In Refusing to be Enemies, Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta shares the stories of over 100 Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent peace and justice activists whom she interviewed in-depth. We learn why they have chosen nonviolence as a means of struggle and a path to real peace. Kaufman-Lacusta writes that increasing numbers of Palestinians are coming to see nonviolence as an active and effective means to challenge the Israeli military occupation of their homeland. Even some Hamas leaders are supporting nonviolent resistance as an effective means of struggle by Palestinians. And thousands of Israelis and Israeli organizations, as well as internationals, are joining Palestinians in ongoing nonviolent action campaigns, such as those that challenge the 26-foot -high separation wall, which is cutting off many Palestinian villages from their farmland Israeli and international participation in these Palestinian-led nonviolent local actions give moral support and some protection to the Palestinian demonstrators. In addition, notes Kaufman-Lacusta, the “outside” participants gain a heart-level understanding about the Palestinian experience of oppression living under the Israeli military occupation, and are inspired to return home to share their experience with others.
Her book provides firsthand evidence of the conversion experiences of many Israelis and Palestinians from a belief and confidence in the use of violence and the gun as a means of finding security to a belief in the power of active nonviolence.
We hear stories of both Israelis and Palestinians coming to realize that the security of their two peoples is bound together, and you can’t have security for one without security for the “other.”
Martin Luther King once said, “The choice is no longer between violence and nonviolence, but between nonviolence and nonexistence.” Israelis and
Palestinians are discovering nonviolence as the only alternative to an endless spiral of violence and counter-violence and security for none.
The stories in this book profiles the visions, hopes, and dreams of Palestinian and Israeli activists, as well as their thoughts about strategy on how to escalate the nonviolent resistance to the military occupation and build a just peace.
It is heartening to read of Palestinians and Israelis who say, “We are all one human family.” It is even more heartening to learn how they risk their lives in courageous nonviolent actions.
Refusing to Be Enemies helps us realize how important it is for us – Israelis in particular, and people around the world in general- to support the nonviolent initiatives and movements of Palestinians.
President John Kennedy once said “Those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable.” Our job is to help make peaceful change possible in Palestine/Israel.
This excellent book encourages all of us to get beyond the all-too-common division of the world between “us” and “them,” and the need to use violence war, and killing as a way of solving problems and achieving security. Instead, we discover that we are all one human family and can act on that belief and “refuse to be enemies.”
David Hartsough is director of Peaceworkers and cofounder of the Nonviolent Peaceforce. He co-led a Middle East peace delegation last year
Source: David Hartsough, Fellowship Journal, p41, Nyack, NY USA, Fall 2010
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