English Annual Report 2011

The Geneva Initiative Annual Report 2011Opening windows for an agreement.

Dear Friends, This past year has been a slow one for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. But it has been an active year for us. With over 100 events that included over 6,500 participants, we have continued our work to bolster public support for the two-state solution. The political atmosphere has not been easy, but with 58 percent of the public’s support for our parameters for an agreement, we have all the reasons we need to persist forward. Enclosed, in a few short pages, is a snapshot of some of our activities during the past year. As we head into 2012, we will continue to stress this basic point: the status quo is not sustainable. The current diplomatic impasse will shift one way or the other and we should not adopt a wait-and-see approach. While we cannot predict the future, we certainly can try to shape it. We hope you will join us in this endeavor. Sincerely, Gadi Baltiansky Andrea Diamond Director-General Director of International Relations Gadi@heskem.org.il Andrea@heskem.org.il2

Part OneTarget Groups

Geneva 25 Meetingsin Politics 1,089 Activists PoliticalIn 2011 we continued to deepen our relations 8 Parties 21within the parliamentary arena through Knessetongoing activities with Knesset members from Membersacross the political spectrum. MK Daniel Ben-Simon (Labor), Brig. Gen. (res.) Ilan Paz, Minister MKs Zehava Galon (Meretz) and Nino Abesadze (Kadima) in Yossi Peled (Likud), MKs Nachman Shai and Shlomo Mula a conference at the Knesset in collaboration with the Geneva (Kadima) in a conference held in the Knesset in collaboration Initiative (July) with the Geneva Initiative (July) A two-state solution is an Israeli existential interest Minister Yossi Peled, Likud, at a Geneva Initiative conference (July)4 Part 1 >> Target groups

ShasThis year, we expanded our activities with the Shas party. We 6 Activitieshave been working with cabinet ministers, members of Knessetand activists in conjunction with Palestinian counterparts toencourage them to promote the peace process. 98 Participants Deputy Speaker of the Knesset MK Yitzhak Vaknin (Shas) Former Palestinian Minister for Prisoner Affairs, Ashraf speaking at the Geneva Initiative 2.0 Conference held in el-Ajrami, meeting with senior political activists from Shas Switzerland (November) (December) I would sign the Geneva Accord with both hands…It’s worth it for our country, our children, and for the peace we all want. Deputy Speaker of the Knesset MK Yitzhak Vaknin, Shas, Radio Interview, January 2012 Shas members meet Palestinian officials Minister Margi says seminar organized by Geneva Initiative put things in ‘different proportions’ Part 1 >> Target groups 5

KadimaThis year we deepened our relationship with the Kadima partyby providing conferences, tours, and events at local Kadima 9 Activitiesbranches across the country. 490 Participants No doubt that the Geneva Initiative is an excellent toolbox which can help the leadership reach peace. MK Doron Avital, Kadima, a Geneva Initiative conference Geneva Initiative conference at the Kadima branch in Rehovot. From left to right: in Rehovot (April) former Minister of Prisoner Affairs, Dr. Sufiyan Abu-Zaida, journalist Avi Bloom, MK Doron Avital (Kadima), Chairman of the Geneva Initiative, Dr. Yossi Beilin, and former IDF Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz (April)LaborGraduates of the political course this year led the establishment of the political progress forumin the spirit of the Geneva Initiative. The forum is recognized by the Labor party institutions. Inaddition to this significant move, MKs and key political activists participated in seminars andconferences held throughout the year. MKs Nachman Shai (Kadima) and Daniel Ben-Simon (Labor) at a conference held in the Knesset in collaboration with the Geneva Initiative (July)6 Part 1 >> Target groups

LikudFurther to our ongoing cooperation with the Heads of 4 Activitiesthe Likud branches around the country, this year we heldseminars and tours designed to promote the GenevaInitiative in the current ruling party. Activities were attended 150 Participantsby ministers, MKs, and local leaders of major branches. We will share with other Ministers and MKs what we learned from the Geneva Initiative – it’s important and very useful. Yishay Zandani, Chairman of the Political Forum, Likud, Radio Interview (January 2012) Minister Yossi Peled (Likud) in a conference at the Knesset in collaboration with the Geneva Initiative (July) Part 1 >> Target groups 7

Local 10 ActivitiesAuthorities 824 ParticipantsThis year we continued our extensive activities with Israeli 26 Mayorsmayors. As part of the activities we held several seminars inIsrael and abroad including a seminar where mayors had theopportunity to meet with their Palestinian counterparts anddiscuss solutions to the peace process. In addition, we heldconferences across the country with numerous municipalities. Seminar for mayors in Netanya. From left to right: Dr. Yechiel Lasri (Ashdod), Haim Avitan (Hadera), Benny Vaknin (Ashkelon), and Dov Tzur (Rishon LeZion) (February) I thought that peace was impossible until I encountered the Geneva Initiative. Mayor of Ra’anana Nahum Hofri, at a Geneva Initiative joint seminar (November) Mayor of Ra’anana, Nahum Hofri, at an Israeli-Palestinian joint seminar (Turin, Italy, November)8 Part 1 >> Target groups

Women 6 Activities 147 ParticipantsDuring 2011, we established the “Women’s thinking forum topromote a peace agreement,” a continuation of the joint women’sseminar. Dozens of leading women from prominent companiesand from the media on both sides met regularly in Tel Aviv andRamallah to discuss new ways to promote the peace process. Women must take part in the most crucial decisions that affect their lives and their futures. Brig. Gen. (res) Israela Oron, at a Geneva Initiative seminar (March) Participants on a tour in Ramallah for leading women (September) Participants in the “Women’s thinking forum to promote a peace agreement” in a meeting with Palestinian women in Ramallah (September) Part 1 >> Target groups 9

Immigrant 15 ActivitiesCommunities 824 Participants 622Our activities this year continued to focus on immigrants from the formerSoviet Union and from the Ethiopian community. Activities includedconferences for the Russian-speaking public, meetings between seniorjournalists from the Russian and Palestinian media, as well as seminars andtours for senior activists from immigrant communities. Ksenia Svetlove (Channel 9), Brig. Gen. (res.) Israela Oron, and former Author A. B. Yehoshua in a Geneva Initiative conference Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs, Ashraf el-Ajrami, in a seminar held for the Russian-speaking community held in for leaders of immigrant associations from the former Soviet Union (April) collaboration with MK Nino Abesadze (Kadima) in Tel Aviv (May) The continuation of the occupation guarantees the continuation of racism. MK Shlomo Molla, Kadima, at Geneva Initiative seminar for the Ethiopian community Geneva Initiative conference for the Russian community (May) (April)10 Part 1 >> Target groups

The Next Generation 31 Activities 824 1,074 ParticipantsThinking of tomorrow, the Geneva Initiative has continuedthis year to turn to various groups of young leaders,student leaders and young journalists. Outreach to thisgroup included work with political activists, studentassociations, and parliamentary assistants. The silent majority needs to wake up and support the Geneva Initiative. If we don’t do it, nobody will do it for us. Vicki Idzinski, a leading youth activist in the Russian-speaking community, at the Geneva 2.0 Conference (November) Tour for bloggers and social media activists in the area of Jerusalem under the guidance of Col. (res) Shaul Arieli (April) Part 1 >> Target groups 11

GenevaInternationalAs the international community continues to play a key role in helping Israeli andPalestinians move forward in negotiations, the Geneva Initiative has been active inmany different international forums and conferences. We met with dozens of foreignrepresentatives from numerous countries and international organizations. Participants in the Geneva Initiative conference 2.0 held in Switzerland (November) Chairmen of the Israeli and Palestinian Geneva Initiative, Yossi Beilin and Yasser Abed Rabbo, with former representative of the United Nations Terje Larsen (New York, September) Former French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, speaking at a Geneva Initiative conference (Tel Aviv, May)12 Part 1 >> Target groups

39 Activities 824 2,875 ParticipantsThe Geneva Initiative istoday a consolidated,detailed proposal,compatible withinternationally acceptedparameters. President of Switzerland Micheline Calmy-Rey, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York (September) Former President of Switzerland, Micheline Calmy-Rey, speaking at the Geneva Initiative 2.0 Conference (November) Taglit-Birthright participants from North America listening to a lecture at the Geneva Initiative office in Tel Aviv (January) Part 1 >> Target groups 13

Palestinian 13 Joint SeminarsPartners 824 Participants 222Together with our partners in Ramallah, we held several three-day jointseminars with members of Knesset, mayors, political activists, journalistsand prominent women on both sides. Mayor of Yeruham, Michael Biton, with former Palestinian Minister, Qadoura Fares (seminar for mayors, November) Director General of the Geneva Initiative (Ramallah), Nidal Fuqaha, and Talia Sasson, member of the Israeli Geneva Initiative steering committee, at the “Women’s thinking forum to promote a peace agreement” in Ramallah (September) If there is one thing that I believe in all these years of the political process, it is the Geneva Initiative. Yasser Abed Rabbo, Secretary General of the PLO Executive Committee (September)14 Part 1 >> Target groups

Part TwoActivities

Seminars 14 Seminars 824 Participants 508This year our two-day seminars concentrated on studying the coreissues of the conflict and solutions as proposed by the GenevaInitiative. All seminars included prominent speakers from across thepolitical spectrum, as well as senior Palestinian representatives. Israeli and Palestinian parliamentary assistants at a Seminar for leading Shas activists. From left to right: MK David Azoulai (Shas), joint seminar in Budapest, Hungary (September) Attorney David Glass, former Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs, Ashraf el-Ajrami, and Brig. Gen. (res.) Shlomo Brom (December) Seminar for mayors in Acre. From left to right: Nahum Hofri, Mayor of Ra’anana, Maj. Gen. (res.) Amram Mitzna, and Shimon Lankri, Mayor of Acre (June)16 Part 2 >> Activities

In the Media April 25, 2011 // Yossi Beilin Palestinians proposals for splitting Jerusalem were not far from Clinton and Geneva plans, maps reveal January 25, 2011 // Nir Hasson December 1, 2011 // Bernard-Henri Levy Gadi Baltiansky, Director General of the Geneva Initiative Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian negotiator interviewing with (Israel), interviewing with Channel 9 News at a Geneva Channel 2 News at a Geneva Initiative conference (May) Initiative conference (February) Part 2 >> Activities 17

Tours 20 Tours 824 771 ParticipantsTo truly understand and illustrate the complexities of the conflict, this year theGeneva Initiative continued to hold tours along the 67’ and Geneva lines under theguidance of expert specialists with emphasis on the issues of borders, settlementsand Jerusalem. Among the participants were members of Likud and Shas, journalistsand others. Tour for social media activists around the “seam line” in Jerusalem (April) Brig. Gen. (res.) Ilan Paz giving a tour for European Members of Parliament Col. (res.) Shaul Arieli in a tour for central Shas activists (December) around Jerusalem (April)18 Part 2 >> Activities

Lectures 39 Activities 824 2,702 ParticipantsThis year, Geneva Initiative experts have continued to speak in many different forumsthroughout Israel and the international community on the importance of the peaceprocess. Lectures have been held at such venues as the National Security Collegein Israel, the J Street Conference in Washington, the British Parliament, and leadinguniversities and think tanks. Gadi Baltiansky, Director General of the Geneva Initiative (Israel), gives a lecture at the TLV Internationals Salon (December) Harvard students in a lecture at the Geneva Initiative office in Tel Aviv (March) Part 2 >> Activities 19

Political Leadership 2 CyclesCourse 90 ParticipantsThis year we continued to deepen and enrich the political knowledge 30 Meetingsof activists from major political parties (Shas, Likud, Kadima, Labor)with emphasis on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and thesolutions offered by the Geneva Initiative. Daniel Shek and Ilan Baruch, former Israeli ambassadors to France and and South Africa (respectively), speaking at a lecture for the political leadership course (December) Participants of the political leadership course on a MK Yitzhak Vaknin (Shas) speaks to the political tour led by Col. (res.) Shaul Arieli in the West Bank leadership course in Tel Aviv (October) (November)20 Part 2 >> Activities

Conferences 10 Conferences 824 1,900 ParticipantsDuring 2011 we continued to bring issues to the forefrontof discussion in the public discourse. Our conferences bringexperts to discuss topics on current issues. Former Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs, Ashraf el-Ajrami, at a Geneva Initiative conference in Tel Aviv (October) Chairman of the Geneva Initiative, Dr. Yossi Beilin, chief Palestinian negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erekat, and former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Bernard Kouchner, at a Geneva Initiative conference (Tel Aviv, May) Part 2 >> Activities 21

Social Media 5,778 Facebook Friends 1,081 Twitter FollowersWe created a venue for interactive discussionsamong the thousands of friends and followers 85,700 Views on YouTubeon social networking sites and disseminatedour message and videos to thousands A viral video with over 10,000 hits and 3,000 shares The Geneva Initiative Facebook page The Geneva Initiative on Twitter The Geneva Initiative YouTube Channel22 Part 2 >> Activities

Websites 3 Websites 824 393,597 ViewsDuring 2011 we continued to expand ouractivities on our website in English, Hebrew,Russian and Arabic. The Geneva Initiative Hebrew website The Geneva Initiative English website The Geneva Initiative Russian website Part 2 >> Activities 23

Israeli Public Support for the Geneva Initiative Support Oppose 58% 52% 46% 46% 39% 39% 2009 2010 2011 *Poll conducted by the Truman Institute at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (December 2011) ranshacked The Geneva Initiative www.geneva-accord.org heskem@heskem.org.il facebook.com/heskem twitter.com/genevaaccordGeneva Initiative – H.L. Education for Peace // 8 Shaul Hamelech Blvd. , Tel Aviv 64733 // Tel: +972 (3) 6938780 // Fax: +972 (3) 6911306

English Annual Report 2011

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