Even as dark clouds were gathering over Israel and Iran, a large contingent of peace organizations flew to Paris in the middle of June to discuss possibilities and plans for peace. Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom was represented in that conference, which was hosted by French president, Emmanuel Macron, by village member, activist and codirector of its educational institutions, Samah Salaime. Salaime also addressed the attendees in a panel discussion on involving civil society organizations in the peace movement.
Despite the surprise attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the conference took place as planned. Samah, like most of the attendees from Israel, found herself stranded in France for longer than planned, but she used the opportunity to meet with the French Friends Association and to speak with the French FA coordinator Veronique Hayem (who also hosted her following the conference until Samah could get back home).
Salaime said it was an honor to participate in the conference and to come as a representative of WASNS, which “embodies a living example of an alternative path to peace. For some 50 years, we have built a framework of trust, peace education, and dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis at the very heart of the conflict. We have also been pioneers in bilingual and binational education, using it as a concrete tool to shape a more just and peaceful future. For me, it is an opportunity to remind the international community and the United Nations that civil society-led models must be supported – not merely as symbols, but as essential components of any viable peace solution.
“The fact that more than 150 people attended, including Palestinians from Gaza, East Jerusalem, within Israel, and the West Bank, alongside Israelis and Jews, was very powerful,” she added.
“The speech by the young woman from Gaza, as well as that of the grandson of a hostage taken on October 7, were particularly powerful. Their voices represent the younger generation and deeply moved the audience.
“We are a very small community, but being together, supporting one another, with the warm hospitality of the French people and the president himself, meant a great deal to us.”
As to President Macron’s speech, Salaime said it was carefully worded, but that he reaffirmed his commitment to a two state-solution and the participants came away with the feeling that he is, despite the twists and turns of the conflict, committed to a sustainable solution based on freedom for all. Both Palestinians and Jews were heartened by his insistence that all hostages must be released and the war in Gaza ended immediately.
For Salaime, the location of the conference – in Europe – was significant. Europe, she told Veronique in the interview, may present some models to Jews and Palestinians, either through the EU or the Swiss canton model, of shared, peaceful societies. These gibe with the model presented by WASNS, in which equal rights for all and an equal share for all take precedence.
“We were, of course, worried about our families and homes, and, with the battle with Iran, the peace we were discussing seemed like a distant future. But that future is not as far off as it seems. If there is one thing we felt, it is that we need to dream. We need to keep peace on the table, and, despite the cancellation of Macron’s peace summit with the Saudis in the UN, we felt he would remain committed to working for peace.”
The French conference was an opportunity, as well. With the representatives of so many peace and civil society organizations – from the OPT and Gaza as well as within the Green Line – there were ample opportunities for collaboration, networking and planning. The efforts are continuing with working groups, and WASNS is participating in three of those groups – on binational education, dialogue and communication, all areas in which it has years of expertise and knowledge.
