After saying goodbye to Jerusalem this morning, we got back on the bus and drove to the north for the first time on this trip. After a lengthy bus ride, we arrived in Givat Haviva, which is a a kibbutz that rents out its facilities to the IDF for three reasons. The first reason is to enable soldiers to finish their high school degrees. The second reason is that this kibbutz helps non-Jews in the army convert into Judaism. And the third reason is to focus on soldiers who come from problematic homes.
The first person we met with was Lydia Eisenberg, who is originally from Wales. She made aliyah due to the terrible anti-Semitism there.She reviewed with us the complexity of the conflict. However, the main part of our visit to Givat Haviva was to meet with an Israeli-Arab, Amir. Amir is different than any of the other Palestinians that we have met with previously because he is an Israeli citizen and should have all of the same rights as a Jew living in Israel. However, he shared with us that he does not receive the rights that he should be getting and that is a major issue for him. Amir just wants equality for all Israeli-Arabs. Many of the students and teachers challenged Amir, saying that the Israeli-Arabs need to do more on their part in order for them regain full rights. Amir also shared with us that one of the reasons why Israeli-Arabs do not have equal rights is because there is no constitution in Israel. After a lengthy dialogue with Amir, he drove with us and showed us two Israeli-Arab villages which are on the green line. Amir showed us his house and the difficulty that he had receiving a permit for his house. He also took us to his parents' house, which was nearby. Last, he showed us that there is a house that is literally built into the security fence separating Israel and the West Bank. Overall, we all gained a lot of knowledge from Amir.
After leaving Givat Haviva, we enjoyed another lengthy bus ride to Kibbutz Hannaton, where we are spending the night. We listened to a panel of three kibbutz members, who shared their journeys to this specific kibbutz. In addition, they shared with us what it means to live on a pluralistic kibbutz. Overall, everyone thought today was amazing and we all gained lots of knowledge. Good night from the north.
Posted by Noah Chasin
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