I would be the first person to admit that I am clueless about the conflict between Palestine and Israel. The little I did know came from the news, and often the only stories I heard were about violent attacks from both sides. So when I learned I would be doing my internship at a place focused on Israel and Palestine, I had to do a crash course in the history and politics surrounding the conflict.
This semester I am working at Just Vision, a non-profit media organization bringing attention to non-violent movements to end occupation in Palestine. The mission statement on their website is: “Just Vision increases the power and reach of Palestinians and Israelis working to end the occupation and build a future of freedom, dignity, and equality for all.” They do this by producing documentaries and publishing news stories on Hebrew news site and partner organization Local Call. They seek out the stories that main news outlets generally ignore.
As a communications major, I have spent years learning how stories help shape our understanding of the world. Our relationship with the media is a reciprocal one. We shape the media while the media shapes us in turn. With my job at Just Vision I feel like I am helping shape the conversation around Israel and Palestine.
I assist the communications director and the public engagement manager. Part of my routine is to skim the news of the day and pass on any interesting stories about what I like to call “creative protesting.” It is easy to find stories about attacks committed by angry citizens or the most recent grievance committed by the Israeli government. It is much harder to find the stories about the people who are working toward peace without resorting to violence.
One example of a story that caught my attention is the deportation of asylum seekers in Israel. In December of last year, the Israeli government passed a bill allowing the indefinite imprisonment of African asylum seekers if they refused deportation to another country like Rwanda or Uganda. Since then, thousands of people in Israel have protested this decision by holding demonstrations. Airline pilots have refused to fly deported refugees; some rabbis are launching the “Anne Frank Home Sanctuary.” Like the story of Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl who hid from Nazis by living in a secret compartment in a house during World War 2, the rabbis plan to help these refugees go into hiding. Hundreds of refugee seekers currently detained have recently launched a hunger strike.
It is these stories about people working together that give me hope. When people face adversity they can have many different reactions. It is easy to shut down, and it is easy to lash out in a violent manner. Violence is often the reaction shown in media. Just Vision chooses to show a different story. By sharing the stories of non-violent resistance, Just Vision shows people that they do not have to resort to violence to fight against the occupation. They inspire others to take action. In a world where there is a constant cycle of bad news, it is refreshing to hear stories about resilience and love. It gives me hope that there are still people in this world that care about the greater good.
