Wasatia

Our Campaign kicked off with an interview with Professor Mohammed S Dajani Daoudi in July, on the eve of the Abraham Accords, the world did not know that sweeping changes were on the way. These four episodes preceded the signing of the Abraham Accords.

The power of documenting and engaging just before the world shifts is important. In doing so we can reflect on where we were before paradigms shifted & establish new options for peace in the present context of the conflict.

"I was a revolutionary, I am still a revolutionary, but I am a revolutionary for peace. Before I was a revolutionary for war, now I am a revolutionary for peace. There comes a time when I was very angry in my life, very bitter, it was us or them, because my family, my conflict and my people were in 1948 subjected to a very brutal experience, and there was a lot of anger and bitterness. We did survive in terms of persistence, We survived to keep our identity and then we depended on the Arabs to help us liberate Palestine, and then in 1967 the June war proved that the Arabs were not up to the responsibility so the Palestinians took it upon themselves to liberate Palestine by armed struggle and for a long period of time I believed in that and was part of that resistance movement but yet also I went through a period of going to the United States studying there, I had two PHD’s there, which gave me a lot of time to think and mellow – I was forbidden from returning to Israel and Palestine between 1967 and 1993, so when I came back my personal experiences helped me shift from being angry from wanting to revenge to wanting to co-exist through personal experiences which awakened me to the humanity in the other.

I think being able to see the other in terms of the human essence for the other is very important so I stopped seeing Israel as one entity, but I saw Israel as several entities, there is the good, there is the bad, there are those who are for peace and those who are against peace, and so that is why I felt the need to co-operate, with the peace camp in order to achieve peace for all and address extremism, radicalism that prevail within this conflict, in order to bring an end to this conflict."

Episode Two - Radicalism Versus Moderation

"In the absence of the voice of moderation, the extremist take over & people become as if this is the norm...Islam has the spirit of acceptance of the other, freedom of speech and the empowerment of women." Professor Mohammed Dajani Daoudi.

Episode Three - More Annexations

"The U.S. as part of the Trump plan did call for annexation but it is not the same amount as the Israeli appetite wants to annex." Prof Dajani

Episode Four - South Africa's Role

"Export to us the rainbow of reconciliation that Nelson Mandela has left you as a heritage. This is a very rich heritage and South Africa must carry this heritage to the world and so this is what I expect of you as South Africans, whatever it is you are exporting, diamonds & gold, this message is more important than the gold and the diamonds that you export. In this way, be unique." Professor Mohammed S Dajani Daoudi.

Reaction from Professor Mohammed S Dajani Daoudi to the Abraham Accords