Natan Odenheimer
“You may be wondering why I, a young Israeli, am writing you, the winner of Arab Idol,” Natan Odenheimer, an Israeli student who interns with the American Task Force on Palestine, begins an open letter to Arab Idol Mohammed Assaf. And after reading Odenheimer’s letter I am wondering the same thing myself.
The letter is an appeal to the Palestinian global celebrity for dialogue, to make things better. Because Palestinians have never shown themselves to be partners for peace.
You might be thinking, “These people don’t want peace with us”. But please know that while it’s true that for most Israelis it’s hard to see a promise for resolution looming on the horizon, it is not because we are against it. Rather, it is because one of our former prime ministers told us, “There is no partner for peace”. Whether or not this statement is, or was true, most of us still believe it. But deep inside, even the pessimistic among us are hoping to be proven wrong.
It says in the Hebrew Bible, “Better a good neighbor than a distant friend”. The whole world can adore and sympathise with you, but it is us you are stuck with, and vice versa. Please address us too. You can be our idol too.
Mohammed Assaf (photo: Wisam Rostom Photography)
You want Assaf to prove your leaders wrong? You want Assaf to address you too? You want Assaf to look at you? Have you thought about writing a letter to your peers, asking them to look at Mohammed Assaf? Can you tell us which Israeli politician is a partner for peace?
Have you thought about why Mohammed Assaf has united Palestinians and the Arab world? Can you see Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people? You wrote about Jordan’s oppression of the Palestinian people and Jordan denying citizenship and Palestinian refugees suffering in Jordan, but not in the occupied territories. Why?
You want to be addressed by Assaf, but have you thought about addressing Israel’s oppression of Assaf and his family in the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza? You write that you or your fellow Israelis believe there is no partner for peace because that is what your leaders tell you and you are waiting for them to be proved wrong — by a young artist?
Maybe you should be writing Israelis and telling them to look at Assaf. Have you listened to his message of Palestinian solidarity? Have you looked at him?
Oh but you want Assaf to look at you. Hasn’t he been forced to look at you his whole life?
Look at me, because you don’t have a choice. And neither do I. We are stuck together, and we are not going anywhere. But it need not only be bad.
We are stuck together– but your piece is datelined Washington, DC, and it says you are a student at Brandeis. You have the freedom to move; and who is stuck– in Gaza, in the West Bank?
If it “need not only be bad” then look at your countrymen and -women and challenge them. Did you know that in your country, 90% of Palestinian Israelis speak Hebrew, but only 3% of Israeli born Jews speak Arabic? Yesterday Haaretz reported ” The [Jewish]teenagers who took that test in Arabic did not see it as bridge: They saw it as a weapon, and most of them, presumably, were inducted into Unit 8200. “
Here’s my letter to you Natan Odenheimer. Write an open letter to Israeli Jewish teens and tell them to address Assaf as an equal, not with a weapon. Tell Israelis to find politicians who will be partners for peace not founts of self-serving propaganda. Get them to listen. Don’t use Assaf’s celebrity to call attention to yourself.
(Previous Mohammed Assaf reports on Mondoweiss available here)
RE: You might be thinking, “These people don’t want peace with us”. But please know that while it’s true that for most Israelis it’s hard to see a promise for resolution looming on the horizon, it is not because we are against it. Rather, it is because one of our former prime ministers told us, “There is no partner for peace”. Whether or not this statement is, or was true, most of us still believe it.
MY COMMENT: Or, as Uri Avnery put it: “Over dozens of years, Israelis have been brainwashed into believing that “the Arabs” don’t want peace. If they say they do, they are lying.”*
* SEE: “Israel’s Weird Elections”, by Uri Avnery, Counterpunch, 1/04/13:
ENTIRE COMMENTARY – http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/01/04/israels-weird-elections/
Great piece, Annie!
Plus, Odenheimer was an IDF veteran before he went to a college in the U.S. Maybe he should talk some about what he did in the Israeli Occupation Military to help build peace, mutual recognition, etc etc.
It says a lot about the ATFP that they have this patronizing, tone-deaf, and privileged young man as an intern there…
Annie! What great piece! Your are a treasure for a semblance of justice! This Israeli guy just doesn’t get it. He’s just too chock full of ziocaine. And he’s so vain, so arrogant so insensitive to “the Other,” but, I guess that’s saying the same thing. And here he is, taking full advantage of US equality culture, in a land 98% not Jewish. He’s not assimilated to our values, he’s not even a pimple on the foot of that NFL Palestinian American player. He’s an embarrassment to US values, not something to brag about as the Palestinian-American NFL player is.
Such wonderful commentary, Annie. I think that Natan might want to learn Arabic, and learn some truth from Mohammed Assaf’s voice and message.
Dear Annie,
Thank you for putting in words what I feel about this subject, maybe Mr.Odenheimer should read more about Assaf’s story, his life and suffering before he asks him to take the initiative .
It is not Assaf’s job Mr.Odenheimer to do your job and the job of your countrymen.
P.S. Really excellent choice of picture Annie ;)