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OneThe Peres Center for Peace - leading non-profit organization dedicated to promoting peaceful relations between Arabs and Israelis - is pleased to present the January 2011 E-Bulletin.
 

Dear Friends,
 

It is my great pleasure to present you with the first E-Bulletin of 2011. This year has already been jam packed with cross-border activities bringing together Israelis and Palestinians from across many professional fields: economics, business and agriculture to name a few.

 

It seems that 2011 will be a crucial year in the process of Palestinian State building, which will hopefully culminate in an agreement leading to an independent Palestinian State. Though I have my doubts, Israel should do all that it can in aiding this process and work with the Palestinians to make this happen. The Peres Center will continue to work actively to enhance capacities on the Palestinian side and to foster cross-border meetings wherever possible, in order to strengthen professional ties, and contribute to creating the conditions for peaceful and productive relations between Israel and the neighboring state-to-be Palestine.

 

Shall 2011 bring only good things to this region and may we all play our part in bringing about a just and lasting peace.

 

Best wishes,

Dr. Ron Pundak
Director General
Palestinian Food Manufacturers on a Mission to Become Kosher 
Kashrut workshopFollowing the success of the Israfood exhibition, to which the Peres Center brought 14 Palestinian companies which were presented in a Palestinian Pavilion, a special meeting was organized which focused on Kosher Certification. In attendance were the 14 Palestinian food companies that participated in
Israfood in November - all part of the Peres Center's initiative to promote Palestinian exports to Israel.

The need for the workshop arose following a clear preference by Israeli food marketers to purchase Kosher-certified food products. Three rabbis, who specialize in providing Kosher certification for food manufacturers operating abroad, introduced the Palestinian representatives to the procedures required to receive Kosher certification. Since most of the raw materials used in Palestinian food manufacturing originate in Israel, the Kosher certification process should be relatively simple in this case. However, part of the process requires surprise visits by the rabbis, which for the time being, is very difficult to do in the heart of Palestinian cities. One of the alternatives discussed in this context was to install electronic surveillance equipment in the factories, so that the operations could be supervised from afar.

The Peres Center plans to continue to accompany both sides throughout the process, including providing assistance to the rabbis to receive entry permits into the Palestinian territories.
Palestinian and Israeli Kids Bond Over a New Sport - Cricket!
Kids playing cricketSeventy Israeli and Palestinian children from Yeruham, Dimona, Yatta and Samoa came together for the launch and first joint activity of the Peres Center's new Twinned Cricket 4 Peace project. The boys and girls aged 10-13 met their counterparts for the first time at the event in Ber Sheva at an indoor sports center.

After opening speeches the children received a Cricket 4 Peace t-shirt and hat. They were divided up into three groups and rotated around to three different stations, each focusing on a different cricket skill - batting, bowling and fielding. Activities also focused on incorporating inter-language learning so that the children learn each other's languages. The children, though new to the game, enjoyed a cricket match in mixed Israeli-Palestinian teams. At the end of the game, each child received their very own cricket bat.

The event was attended by Israeli and foreign media, the head of the Israeli Cricket Association, the Indian Ambassador to Israel as well as staff of the Peres Center and partner Al Quds Association for Democracy and Dialogue. An article about the Cricket 4 Peace project was featured on Israeli Channel 2 news. Click here to watch the video.

Young Israeli and Palestinian Political Leaders Travel to Spain

YPL in SevilleA group of 19 young leaders, 12 Israeli, 7 Palestinian, travelled to Seville as part of the Peres Center's "Young Political Leaders" (YPL) Fellowship Program. The delegation of promising and passionate leaders represents a wide political spectrum of Palestinian and Israeli parties. The two day seminar was hosted and funded by the Three Cultures Foundation and included meetings with young Spanish politicians and presentations by participants, followed by discussions on current political affairs and regional dilemmas.

Participants also strengthened their personal capacities through leadership training led by YPL program graduate Oren Magnezy. The tour of Seville set an inspirational background to the seminar as participants took in the rich complex history of this city which was a prosperous home to Christians, Muslims and Jews. The Flamenco at night and cheerful bars were also helpful in terms of the participants feeling comfortable and getting closer to each other. Here are some quotes from participants:

Yasser: "This experience was very important to me. Before I came here I was a little bit desperate about the political situation in Palestine. This feeling is still there but after this meeting I have a small seed of hope. I feel that at this meeting we start to work against obstacles and barriers. It's not the first time I meet Israelis but I feel this time I am meeting more serious people."

Ofir:"My real question was is there really a real partner for peace. From my point of view I found the answer, I know that there is a partner and there is a chance, closer than I think."
 

Palestinian and Israeli Textile

Companies "Talk Shop"

Textiles meetingOver 15 Palestinian textile companies met with Israeli companies at a Peres Center B2B meeting. Participants expressed optimism about the future for cooperation in the textile industry, particularly in view of rising prices in China, so much that the Peres Center has already heard of several deals being signed as a direct result of the meeting.

Interestingly, the meeting was attended by several business people who knew each other from previous cooperation many years ago, when times were better, but have since lost touch. As such, this event served as an important time and place to renew these ties and cooperation.

The meeting was held in Tel Aviv, in full cooperation with PalTrade and as part of the "Private Sector Partnership" funded by the Norwegian government.
 
"Strawberry Fields Forever"
Strawberry workshopThe successful Strawberry Fields for Peace initiative continues in 2011 with two workshops held recently, attended by close to 200 Palestinian farmers. Sixty Palestinian farmers from Jenin attended a one day workshop and field tour of the demonstration farms already established in the area. The field tour allowed the farmers to see the progress of the strawberry plants growing, as well as receiving guidance on how to run their own pilots. After the field tour the farmers met with the strawberry experts and participated in a Q&A session.

Following that tour, in an unprecedented meeting, 120 Palestinian farmers from Qalqilya, Jenin and Uja attended a workshop at the Peres Peace House in Jaffa. This meeting was by far the largest gathering of Palestinian professionals in Israel in a long time. The day began with opening words from the Belgian Ambassador to Israel, Her Excellency Ambassador Frankinet and the Investment and Trade Commissioner of Flanders in Israel, Mr. Jacob Lempert, followed by lectures about strawberry diseases, best practices and proper handling methods. The participants then continued on to visit a packing house in Kalansawa.

Strawberry Fields for Peace is a Peres Center cross-border peacebuliding project that provides capacity building support and advanced training to Palestinian agriculturalists in order to enhance local strawberry production and international support.

The project is part of Peres Center efforts to strengthen trade ties between the Israeli and Palestinian private sectors and as our way of assisting in building the infrastructure and the economic and agricultural capabilities of the Palestinian state in the making. The Strawberry Fields for Peace project is generously supported by the Flemish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
New Research on Border Crossings to Improve Trade Relations
The Peres Center recently presented a new position paper on the relationship and potential benefits between the Jalame crossing point and the port of Haifa.

Thirty representatives from Palestinian companies which export to and/or through Israel and leading Israeli business people in the shipping and logistics sector attended the presentation. Participants expressed their views about the crossings and how to improve their activities, as well as the export process through Israeli ports.

This advocacy project will be sent to decision makers, government officials, private sector players and international organizations active in the region in an effort to improve import-export practices between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

This project was conducted in cooperation with PalTrade and as part of the "Private Sector Partnership" funded by the Norwegian government.
 

Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian

Farmers Hosted in Jenin

Farmers in JeninOver 60 Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian environmentalists and farmers recently attended a three-day seminar in Jenin to learn about environmentally friendly methods of controlling the Olive Fly pest. All participants arrived to a welcome lecture, introduction to the project and then attended a social dinner.

The following day began with greetings by the Governor of Jenin, who expressed his support of the project and gave his blessing on the cross border cooperation. The Director of the Jenin region at the Ministry of Agriculture visited the workshop and gave a short review on the agricultural situation in Jenin. The day continued with lectures by Mr Fares El-Jabi, President of the Palestinian Center for Agriculture and Development, on the situation of the Olive Fly in the West Bank. The third day included site visits to an olive farm with explanations on the traps and different methods that are used. Participants also visited the Village of Akaba close to Jenin, where they were hosted by the "Akaba Agricultural Organization".

Throughout the workshop, participants were provided with tools and knowhow to pass on to their farmer communities as well as new methods and techniques for monitoring the pests. Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian colleagues also shared their experiences within a cooperative atmosphere and developed professional and personal relations.

Participants showed much interest and willingness to implement the methods and techniques learnt. Feedback questionnaires indicate that participants gained new information and felt that the workshop was very useful.

This workshop is part of the "Pest Management: Palestinian -Israeli - Jordanian Cooperation for Friendly Pest Management" project, a partnership between the Peres Center, the Amman Center for Peace and Development, Tel Aviv University and a Palestinian partner, generously supported by the European Union.
 

Brussels Hosts Israeli and Palestinian Peace NGO Representatives

Delegation in BrusselsThe Palestinian-Israeli Peace NGO Forum's delegation returned recently from a successful visit to Brussels. The delegation of Israelis and Palestinians met with prominent decision-makers, government officials, and representatives from civil society organizations and networks, in an effort to strengthen the communication and cooperation between the Peace NGO Forum and European partners from all sectors: government, civil society and grassroots. Comprised of three Israeli and three Palestinian Forum representatives the delegation delivered a unified message: Particularly now, as the peace process is on the brink of either soaring forward or heavily deteriorating, peace-building efforts ought to maximize peace and cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis when the political process is unable to do so. Altogether the delegation met and delivered its messages to over 400 people.

The Palestinian-Israeli Peace NGO Forum is a dynamic platform, with over 100 member organizations, that promotes ongoing cooperation and interaction between active Palestinian and Israeli Peace NGOs, facilitated by the Peres Center for Peace and Palestinian NGO Panorama - the Palestinian Center for the Dissemination of Democracy & Community Development. The Forum is supported by the European Union Partnership for Peace Program and the Region of Tuscany.
 

Peres Peace Library to Feature Special Edition of Famous Israeli Author

Amos Oz's Novel

The Peres Peace Library has recently received two exciting new additions to its collection. The first is the Arabic translation of Amos Oz's renowned autobiographical book "A Tale of Love and Darkness", with a dedication to his close friend President Peres. This book will join our collection of Arabic translations of Hebrew literature and will take pride of place in the Peres Peace Library, located within the Peres Peace House. The second is the fascinating book of former Cypriot Prime Minister George Vassiliou, also a close friend of President Peres and a member of the Peres Center for Peace's International Board of Governors, which describes his experiences with the peace process in our neighboring island of Cyprus.

The two books are welcome new additions to the Peres Peace Library's growing collection, which will be composed of books, periodicals, audio-visual and digital materials on issues such as civil society and peacebuilding, conflict resolution and peace processes in the Middle East and round the world. The library will also include the private book collection of President Shimon Peres as well as books and articles written by and about President Peres.
 
The library will serve as a valuable resource for students and practitioners of conflict resolution around the world as well as those interested in the life, contributions and achievements of President Peres.

In This Issue
» Palestinian Food Manufacturers on a Mission to Become Kosher
» Palestinian and Israeli Kids Bond Over a New Sport - Cricket!
» Young Israeli and Palestinian Political Leaders Travel to Spain
» Palestinian and Israeli Textile Companies "Talk Shop"
» "Strawberry Fields Forever"
» New Research on Border Crossings to Improve Trade Relations
» Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian Farmers Hosted in Jenin
» Brussels Hosts Israeli and Palestinian Peace NGO Representatives
» Peres Peace Library to Feature Special Edition of Famous Israeli Author Amos Oz's Novel

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Peres Center
in the Media

  

Channel 2 News video piece on new Peres Center Cricket4Peace project


 
Ynet article on Kashrut workshop for Palestinians companies (English)

 

Jerusalem Post article on new Peres Center Cricket 4 Peace Project
 

Portal Jaffa article on workshop for Palestinian Farmers at the Peres Center