Kholod & Tami write..

“Our greatest fear is not that we are too weak. Our greatest fear is that we are exceptionally powerful.    Our inner light  – not the darkness within us – frightens us most.

  We ask ourselves – what right do I have to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and loved? 

Actually, What right do I have to be?

There is no enlightenment in downplaying one’s self so that others will remain confident.

In as much as we allow our inner selves to shine, so we unknowingly grant others the ability to do the same.

                                                                  Dr. Wandana Shiva, Head of the Anti-Globilization Movement in India

 After three years of working together in the unique partnership model developed in Mahapach-Taghir, we have decided to put down in writing the nature of the dialogue and partnership that takes place between two women – one Israeli-Arab, the other Jewish. During our shared journey in leading the Mahapach-Taghir organization, our sense of a shared responsibility has helped us overcome the many challenges we have faced, and has helped us to create, develop and implement the vision of building a different - a better - reality. Along the way, we came to realize that we had to trust one another completely; we learned to empower one another, to criticize one another as well as to accept the other's criticism.        

One of us is a Jew of Ashkenazi origin, the other an Arab. We grew up in completely different backgrounds: one of us first met Arabs during her military service; the other has met Jewish people since she was a child; one of us did not have to study Arabic, the other studied Hebrew at school. Yet we shared a vision of an alternative society in which the oppression of Arab and Jewish women would no longer exist. We choose to challenge the dialogue that prevails between elite groups in both of our societies, and to build a genuine partnership. We choose to overcome the conflict that exists between our people and not to erase it, to bridge our different backgrounds but not to forget them.

Being unsatisfied with the predetermined notions on the nature of dialogue that can take place only between elitist groups, we knew it would be difficult, but we did not know just how difficult it would be. With many on the sidelines waiting to see us fail, we discovered our own tenacity, our unwillingness to give up on our dream, and our trust of one another. Before setting out on our mutual journey, we agreed that for us the dialogue would be both the goal and the means, and we were fortunate to have many in Mahapach-Taghir who supported us. They challenged us to continuously reexamine ourselves, our goals, and our vision of creating an alternative to occupation and oppression.

After three years, it became clear to us, together with the communities in which we are active, that what ties women from all communities together is the education of their children. From one seminar to another, from one meeting to another – women come together to hear one another and share their concerns. Each participant brings with her own 'social baggage', but we join to create solidarity that facilitates cooperation and compassion in times of need. Through the realization that our battles are similar, that we are all combating the same system, the same establishments, the same perceptions – we come together. We refused to abide by the laws of the jungle that thrust one side against the other. We believed that our two peoples are struggling for similar rights, that both aspire to social justice, respect, and freedom of opportunity. It is this perspective that will enable us to join forces with other groups similar to us, thus forming a strong civil body that can alter reality for us all. In order to do so we need to learn to critique our own societies and to point out where racism lurks and where partnership and solidarity are absent.

Solidarity and partnership between communities cannot take place when the communities themselves practice internal oppression. Only when we call attention to the oppression that takes place in our own backyard can we be compassionate towards the plight of the other. The partnership we seek is liberating once it is practiced both within the community and between communities. Raising awareness among individuals fosters a deeper understanding of one's social, economic, and educational reality and is a crucial step in acquiring the tools necessary for altering these realities.

We believe, and this belief has only gotten stronger, that partnership and solidarity is the most powerful model not only for those of us working in Mahapach-Taghir, but also for the Arab and Jewish communities as a whole. More and more organizations have taken up this model, and we sincerely hope it will become widespread within Israel civil society. This, we believe, will be a real step towards a more democratic, equal and just society that we can all enjoy in the future. 

Tami Schneider and Kholod Idris, July 2009