article - Common Ground News Service

Belonging to the land, not owning it

by Sharon Rosen and Suheir Rasul

27 December 2010PrintEmailJERUSALEM - Even backwards in those tempestuous years of the sixties and 1970s when the theory of peace was just a dream in the minds and spirit of a few, Arie "Lova" Eliav and Issam Sartawi knew what they were talking about.

An Israeli and a Palestinian, both politicians and sitting on opposing sides of the political divide, they recognized that a change was required from declaiming exclusive national narratives to acknowledging that this country is internal to more than one nation. Eliav and Sartawis daring vision is what inspired Search for Common Ground to distinguish their annual Middle East common ground journalism awards after these two pioneers for peace.This years awards ceremony which took place on December 15th in Jerusalem recognised Israeli journalist and TV personality Yaron London and Palestinian journalist, Joharah Baker, for articles they wrote in which they discover a deep appreciation for the world of those that are frequently perceived as Other. Those selected for the awards this class and in former years look to deal with Eliav and Sartawi the fundamental understanding that in rank to exist in the land, its inhabitants need to know the underlying distinction between belonging to it and owning it. That sensation of belonging, of deep attachment and individuality that stems from our religions, narratives, histories and cultures must not be confounded with a hope for exclusive ownership which comes at the hurt of others who also find a belonging to the ground but dont part the same narrative. Nowadays, in the thick of increasing hopelessness on both sides about whether we can ever achieve a peace agreement, such a stance appears almost revolutionary. Today, we see politicians who reassure and pacify their supporters by voicing one single national narrative to the excommunication of all other possible realities. We see politicians who liken acknowledgement of Israeli and Palestinian shared longings for the earth to a betrayal of a national heritage. In this paradigm lies the content that if your interests are fulfilled, mine will necessarily be crushed. Ironically, in pursuing such narrow avenues, Israeli and Palestinian figures are up against the popular opinions of both publics. Time and again, surveys on both sides have demonstrated that Israeli and Palestinian majorities see the mutual interests of communion the land, so that an independent Palestine can stands adjacent to a democratic Israel in peace. Israelis and Palestinians have also expressed their common belief in the essential humanity of each other. From Israeli and Palestinian attack fighters joining forces during the recent devastating fire on the Carmel and Israeli and Palestinian bereaved families finding joint ways of coping with their losses, to religious leadership from the different faiths promoting mutual regard and artists residing on opposite sides of the separation barrier painting togetherthere are endless pockets of grace in this troubled region. Building on peoples goodwill to solve the dispute involves a two-step process: a change in our assumptions and a change in our rhetoric. Neither is easy. Acknowledging that the story we ingested with our mothers milk might be one-sided is a painful process. To see that another story exists alongside our national aspirations, symbols and anthems, which is as true for others as ours is for us, can be heart-wrenching. To use a different vocabulary when expressing our views on the conflict away from us and them towards seeking commonality, and to mind rather than reason is very hard. Yet, such steps are required for us to go forward. Search for Common Grounds annual Eliav-Sartawi Awards celebrate the efforts journalists work to adopt a new vocabulary and to prove that it is not me but rather a multifaceted mosiac of we that makes up this blessed and beloved region. ### * Sharon Rosen and Suheir Rasul are the co-directors of Hunting for Common Grounds Jerusalem office. This clause was written for the Usual Ground News Service (CGNews) on the function of the annual Eliav Sartawi Common Ground Journalism Awards. Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 27 December 2010 www.commongroundnews.org