The Secret Recipe for Coexistence. Member Spotlight: Eyas Shbeta
These days it is very difficult to think about a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. The idea of a unique state shared equally between Palestinians and Israelis appears to have been put aside and deemed impossible by many. But what if a community of 80 families and the unrelenting work of people like Eyas Shbeta can demonstrate that such a solution actually works and coexistence among the two peoples is not only possible but also extremely resilient?
Eyas has dedicated his whole life to Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom (WAS/NS), translated to Oasis of Peace in Arabic and Hebrew respectively. He is a core member of the community since the early 70s and among the founders of the School of Peace. The school conveys to younger generations as well as to adult professionals the principles of justice, equity and peaceful coexistence that the community of WAS/NS keeps at its heart and which made it so successful and renowned on the global stage in achieving sustainable peace in the region. Eyas met his wife at the very beginning of the establishment of the village, and they have been living there until this day, highlighting their commitment to the community as their life’s work.
“Living together despite differences”
Eyas, born and raised in a Muslim family, conducted his university studies in Tel Aviv, focusing on philosophy and the study of the Hebrew language. By growing up within Israel, he could observe closely the dramatic dimensions of the conflict which has been plaguing the area for more than 70 years. Nevertheless, Eyas was convinced that by bringing Palestinians and Israelis together, peace could be possible. Pushed by his conviction and desire to take active action to fulfill his vision, he decided to move to a place where this status of coexistence already existed. The community of WAS/NS had born only a few years before in the shape of a small community between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv where Israeli and Palestinian citizens could live together in equality and reciprocal acceptance, despite the differences.
“I am convinced that even if two people live together and share the same country, the same soil, they can live peacefully despite their differences,” he says. Thanks to his experience as a teacher, Eyas has given an extraordinary contribution to the foundation of the School of Peace within WAS/NS in 1979, a pioneering experiment combining educational methods with mediation, reconciliation, and dialogue. Since then, he covered various roles in the School of Peace, among which group counselor, manager, and director. He is nowadays among the oldest and most experienced members coordinating the main activities within WAS/NS: visits, encounters, workshops, and educational courses. Eyas thinks that life is a constant improvement, as a demonstration of that he recently obtained the certifications as a Mediator at the Gevim Institue and Coach by Tel Aviv University.
“Yes, peace can be resilient”
WAS/NS sparks hope towards a peaceful future between Palestinians and Israelis. The community was established in 1970 by the visionary Fr. Bruno Hussar on a small piece of land conceded by the Latrum Monastery symbolically equidistant from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. In his mind the courageous idea of constituting an interfaith community which, among others, would be able to demonstrate to the world that coexistence between two peoples in conflict for a long time is practicable and resilient. In the words of Eyas, “the community is a fully-fledged example of how a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian question could be done and probably represents the best solution.”
The values of justice, peace and equality are cornerstones in the community, and these are spread outwards through a wide range of educational activities and humanitarian aid regional projects. Indeed, WAS/NS gives practical expression to its vision of egalitarian society through pioneering educational work at the School of Peace, the Children’s Educational System, the first bilingual multicultural school in the region, and the Pluralistic Spiritual Centre. Children from more than 28 villages in the area surrounding the community take part in educational activities. Since its establishment in the early 70s, many people like Eyas joined the peace efforts of WAS/NS and the vision it brings forward. That stands at the core of its strength is the capacity to create spaces for understanding and dialogue between human beings.
“Israelis and Palestinians have very scarce knowledge of each other, of their respective problems, fears, and hopes. WAS/NS serves instead as a meeting point, where exponents of both parties can face the reality of a community where Jews and Muslims have been peacefully living for more than 40 years. I am convinced that their perspectives change after spending some time speaking with the inhabitants of the community.”
“We teach them coexistence”
Eyas has been always strongly involved in the coordination and management of the School of Peace, which conducts courses and seminars for Palestinian and Israeli youth and adults, both inside the community and in the territories of Israel and Palestine. His commitment focuses on organizing various kinds of activities, workshops, seminars, and meetings to make participants reflecting on the conflict constructively and implementing interfaith dialogue practices. “All the time we talk,” Eyas summarizes the articulated work of WAS/NS as an educational institution in the key practice of dialogue, which is prevalent in the community rather than mediation. In fact, finding a safe and open space for dialogue between parties with dissonant worldviews offers the powerful advantage of rehumanizing the opponent party and therefore putting down roots for more emphatic and genuine relationships.
“The core idea of the schools and courses within WAS/NS is to bring people to talk among themselves. When people begin to know deeply who they have in front of them, they start to see them as friends, rather than hostile strangers, and it becomes easier to start reframing their relationships.” In the recent past, Eyas has managed to bring experts to WAS/NS who lived, first-hand, in conflicts such as in Northern Ireland, Serbia, or Turkey, to lead lectures and seminars in the community. From these lectures and seminars, it has been possible to draw similarities and lessons learned to apply in the Israel-Palestine context.
Eyas joined MBBI very recently. He is very convinced that there is a great need for mediation skills in Israel & Palestine and that MBBI could definitely have a huge impact in the area. The key to effective conflict resolution in Eyas’ opinion overlaps with the underlying philosophy of WAS/NS, the community he greatly contributed to forging: “The secret is to bring people together; when they are together something positive happens!”
To learn more about WAS/NS and/or contact Eyas, please email him here: eyas@nswas.info
Written by Matteo Piovacari: MBBI Writer