Non-Violent Activist in Shufat
“What do you think are key factors for choosing and staying non violent?”
First of all you have to remember that some people are with violence, others are not with violence.
When you think about non-violence as a practical tool, you have to also be reasonable.
First, some people engage with non-violence as a tactic, they choose the method because it is easier. It is much more easier now to organize people, to walk in the street and to demonstrate. We can all do that. We can all write something on a sign if we are interested in a specific cause.
In our context is much more difficult as the reality tends to present the violent option more frequently and more prominently.
Two, they choose it as it is easier than the alternative. For example, if you have to fight against a famous boxer. You know you cannot defeat them but you have to fight. If can you can you would rather fight through a game of chess, because you have a better chance of winning. It is a tactic because you know your opponent is much stronger and more powerful,
The third, some people think of it as it is in one way or another more ethical to use non-violence . Because violence will lead to the use of more violence, and you don´t want to hurt somebody else as a human being, so you don´t feel you want to do it so you use non violent methods as an ethical step.
I use it myself from an ideological standpoint. If you look what Jesus did, Jesus was always pro non-violence. And we talk intensively about this. It is not wise but it is faith and we stick to it therefore. We live by peace. So it is more of an ideological reason.
For many people, it would be easier for us to get 50 000 people today to demonstrate than to get people throwing stones at the government buildings.
Throughout our history, sometimes violence also has been effective, but non-violence has also been effective throughout history.
So, really it is a personal choice, but we need to be also humble, that better we get engaged in non-violence, the better we perform it. But I don´t think we can come and say that this is the only way that people that are in chains can be liberated.
Also it differs what you define as non-violent methods.
“Do you think Palestinian political power can be more unified in order to be more powerful in their struggle?”
Unity is…the people are more than political leadership, it is the organiazations, the initiatives, the grassroots, and we have been able to mobilize and getting people together, although it is difficult to work together, it is even annoying to work together, everyting likes to talk about teamwork….we can have 50 000 demonstraters today, working together brings creativity, brings solidarity, we have to work together, it is important fpr us to desire for others what you desire for yourself, it is in the bible, and it is also in other religions.
And this is also what defines justice, If someone commit something to me and I don’t want to do the same thing back, then it is something wrong with it, when it comes to justice.
We can also speak a little more about justice, you need equity. It is not justice to have a turtle race with a rabbit even though they start at the same time and run the same distance.
Justice is the central goal, because justice solves the problem, justice makes peace normal, peace is necessary in order to be able to reach reconceiliation.
International law regulates justice between people, without law you will have chaos between people. Today we need UN and EU to act and stress the need to follow human rights and international law. So people need to feel that there is justice or that there is a chance that justice will be done, that international law is implemented in the region. I am not and you should not be pro Israel or pro Palestinians, you should be pro justice, and you should act to put pressure on parts establishing justice and international law, then there is hope and equity between people.
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