WASHINGTON, D.C. - While tanks rolled, people walked. While guns were fired, people talked. And while leaders postured, average citizens sought solutions. This weekend's pro-Palestinian march in Washington, D.C., proved that all hope is not lost.
The protest was about what is perceived as drastic U.S. bias in favor of Israel, evidenced through U.S. arms sales and subsidies to Israel, favoritism at the negotiating table in the 'peace talks' and remarks such as President George W. Bush's allegation that "Sharon is a man of peace."
The protest specifically was in response to the three-week long Israeli incursion in the West Bank and renewed fighting in the region, which has resulted in hundreds of deaths from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The contrast between what is happening in the Middle East right now and what concurrently happened this weekend is both ironic and inspiring. When I embarked upon my journey to Washington, D.C., to join the tens of thousands of protesters sympathetic with the plight of the Palestinians, I was expecting mayhem. I came braced for angry words, fights, extremism and anti-Semitism. I was, in short, expecting the worst. I have only just realized how corrupt and discriminatory that expectation was.
Why is it that I automatically assumed violence and chaos of a rally led predominantly by Arabs? I did not have the same fear of last weekend's pro-Israel rally. What information have I been fed that has made me automatically associate Palestinians with violence and Israelis with peace?
Whatever my ignorance before Saturday was, all my misconceptions since have been dispelled.
The stereotypical trouble-making protester largely was unseen in Washington this weekend. Indeed, the Palestinian protest only was one of a number of rallies taking place around the city, including protests of the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization, for an estimated total of 75,000 political activists. There were reports of arrests for protesting and bicycling without a license, but other than that, the police seemed to have nothing to do.
You had only to come to Washington this weekend for a reaffirmation that political action is alive and kicking in the United States. People came from all over the country, and all over the world, to participate.
One such man was a Palestinian Muslim living in Jerusalem named Jamal who flew to the United States simply for the purpose of attending the pro-Palestinian rally. He came with horror stories about the things he's seen in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. But more importantly he came to participate, because he believes protest and politics in Israel to be ineffective right now.
"I came because I believe this is where we must fight to get our voice heard," he said. "This is where policy can change and we can have progress, because the way it looks, America is in charge of the Middle East."
America's role in the conflict seemed to be the major rallying point. It was not about whether the Israelis or Palestinians were wrong, and interestingly, religion hardly was mentioned. What I experienced of religious debate was in the form of a conversation with a Hassidic Jew, who insisted that creation of a Jewish state was anti-Torah and that Zionism was a bastardization of Judaism.
"People who follow the Torah understand that to have our own land is against our religion, as is to kill civilians," Rabbi Blum said.
But except for that opinion, which certainly is not the majority opinion of Jews, this rally was about policy. It was about taking a proactive role in influencing change in a country with tremendous influence in the region. Peacefully.
Those who turned out in droves to exercise their democratic right to protest did so because they believe in the process. The common theme was, "if there are enough of us talking, eventually we will be heard."
And talk was by no means confined to the rally, which began at the White House, continued to the Capitol and along the Mall. It pervaded the city. You could hear people sitting in cafes pontificating on solutions to the crisis as you walked by. Conversations on other topics seemed incomplete and shallow without mention of the words Israel and Palestine. The police officers standing by were discussing it, the people working at the hot-dog stands asked our opinions as we walked by and prolifically offered theirs and those marching next to you were eager to know what brought you to D.C.
If one good thing came from this weekend's activities, it is the dialogue that ensued about the conflict. It was beautiful.
Because for all of America's democratic institutional failures - witness Florida - we still have a government that works hard to represent "the people." Americans, perhaps more than any other nationality in the world, have the distinct ability to enact political change through political action.
"The American people have the best hearts," a Christian Palestinian named Louie said. Three years ago Louie moved to and currently works in Washington, D.C., after being refused entrance back into his hometown Jerusalem when he left to visit family in the West Bank.
"The problem is they [Americans] don't fight enough for what they believe," he added. "I know the policy of the administration does not reflect the policy of the people - but it should. That is what this country is about."
And that is what this protest was about. Peacefully, neighborly and intelligently, protesters assembled not to fight, but to influence. The passive nature of the rally caught me off guard, and I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. If I was going to be a political dissident, I reasoned, I wanted it to be exciting and dangerous.
Blood may continue to be shed in the Middle East, but at the very least this weekend in Washington, D.C., concerned people of every background took a small step toward peace. It is interesting that the three people I spoke with the most - a Palestinian Muslim, a Palestinian Christian and a Hassidic Jew - were protesting together, side by side along with throngs of Americans of every race and creed. Perhaps if we continue to wage these little wars of peace and dialogue, policy-makers will listen up and translate that into peaceful policy decisions. But that certainly will never happen without this kind of peaceful activism. I am happy to report Washington was awash with it this weekend. Now we just have to wait and see who was listening.
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