(Editorial note: The newsletter below is from our founding editor, Cornelis Hulsman, currently based in the Netherlands where he serves as the director of the Arab-West Foundation, one of our partner organizations. To our knowledge, the upcoming civil-society conference in The Hague is one of the only of its kind since the attack on October 7th 2023 and the brutal war on Gaza that has followed.)

The first major activity of the Arab-West Foundation since it was elected head of the Dutch network of the Anna Lindh Foundation in July 2024 is organizing a dialogue conference in The Hague, “Messages of Hope and Peace: Connecting for a Just Future for Palestine-Israel.” The conference seeks to provide resources that can help to heal the division between Israel and Palestine and their supporters. Representatives from Israel and Palestine will present their proposals for ending the war and for addressing the deep pain.

You can follow the livestreaming on 25 November 19:30 – 21:00 pm CET here.

This conference comes at a time of great need. In the Netherlands, the violence and chaos surrounding the football match between Ajax and Maccabi-Tel Aviv on November 7th has only deepened the schisms in Dutch society and threatens to tear the centrist government party New Social Contract (NSC) into pieces.. There were violent anti-Semitic reactions in Amsterdam to the aggressive behavior of Maccabi fans who shouted things such as death to the Arabs and tore down Palestinian flags. Prominent Israeli government representatives and many international media outlets spoke of a pogrom against Dutch Jews without mentioning or downplaying the role of the Maccabi fans. Responses came from large numbers of mostly Moroccan youth that traditionally feel stronger sympathies for the Palestinians and who are frustrated with the double standards applied by many politicians about Israel. Dutch populist politicians as Geert Wilders (PVV), Carolien van der Plas (Farmers party) and several leading members of the Liberal party (VVD) placed the blame on Moroccan youth claiming that integration of Muslim migrants to the Netherlands had failed. In doing so, they poured oil on the fire and increased the crisis in the Netherlands. The NSC that already had been reluctant in forming a government with these populist parties became the victim. NSC Undersecretary Nora Achahbar, who is of Moroccan descent and previously served as Public Prosecutor, resigned because of the polarizing tone within the Council of Ministers, possibly referring to undersecretary Jurgen Nobel who spoke in public about “an integration problem of Muslim youth.” When a member of the cabinet refers in such generalizing terms to an entire group then the problem is not that group but Dutch politicians who make such unfounded generalized claims. Chris Jansen of Geert Wilders’ party refused to distance himself from Wilders’ earlier statement that the Netherlands needs less Moroccans. Populist politicians thrive on division and scapegoating certain segments of the population.

Background: Anna Lindh Foundation

In 2005, all EU countries and 12 countries in the southern Mediterranean established the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF), named after the prominent Swedish politician Anna Lindh who was murdered in Stockholm in 2003. Both Israel and Palestine were accepted as full members. The resulting Euro-Mediterranean Partnership aimed to build a common space of peace, stability, shared prosperity and dialogue between cultures and civilizations. The Anna Lindh Foundation believes dialogue and understanding should be the norm and not the exception. Its website explains objectives and tools. The ALF is developing a map which should greatly enhance the interconnectivity between partners throughout the region.

The conference on November 25th brings together leading Israelis and Palestinians, members of the Anna Lindh Foundation network in Israel and Palestine, who despite the polarization, hate speech and injustice still believe dialogue is necessary to move forward. These bridgebuilders will be badly needed once the war ends and societies seek to rebuild. They also serve as example for us in the Netherlands that despite our powerful emotions we need to find ways to listen to the profound pain of the other, oppose stereotyping and making inflammatory allegations.

“Messages of Hope and Peace: Connecting for a Just Future for Palestine-Israel”

Agenda

Date: November 25, 2024

Time: 19:30 – 21:00 CET (with possible extension)

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In-person attendance is by invitation only and represents people that are deeply involved with both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian supporters. While the in-person discussion concerns a limited group of people, livestreaming will enable all 4000 civil society members of the 42 member countries to provide feedback for further follow-up. The meeting provides a crucial platform for exploring solutions, fostering dialogue, and building connections between Palestinian and Israeli civil society leaders dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation.

Welcome Remarks

- H.E. Caspar Veldkamp, Minister of Foreign Affairs (tentative)

- Mr. Josep Ferré, Executive Director, Anna Lindh Foundation

- Mayor Jan van Zanen, The Hague

- Cornelis Hulsman, Director, Arab-West Foundation

Key Speakers and Activities

- Dr. Yossi Beilin (Israel), initiator of the Oslo Accords

- Dr. Heba Husseini (Palestine), Senior Lawyer in Ramallah, former Legal Advisor to the Palestinian Delegation for the Peace Process

- Presentation: Building widespread Israeli and Palestinian support for a Holy Land Confederation

Civil Society Collaboration

- Itach Ma’aki – Women Lawyers for Social Justice (Israel)

- Jerusalem Center for Women (Palestine)

- Joint Efforts to Implement the UNSCR 1325 Women, Peace, and Security Agenda during this Critical Time

From the tradition of the Quakers, the conversation will also feature focused listening to each other’s experience with participants in the hall. This conversation will start with Hanneke Gelderblom (Jewish – former member of the Senate and Council of Europe) and Jozef Attawil (Palestinian and for years involved in the organization of the annual Palestinian Prisoners and Detainees Day in which Palestinians from all over Europe are involved).

Closing Remarks

Ambassador Robert Serry, former UN Special Coordinator for Middle-East Peace

Final Thanks

Mr. Josep Ferré, Executive Director, Anna Lindh Foundation

For more information or media inquiries, please contact Arab-West Foundation.

Cornelis Hulsman

Director, Arab-West Foundation

Founding Editor, Arab-West Report/Dialogue Across Borders

November 20, 2024