By Stephanie L. Freid

“Each one of us needs to understand our power and our responsibility, and take action by asking: What am I willing to do to end the conflict?” That statement was made in a video clip featuring young Palestinians and Israelis presented at the World Economic Conference in Davos, Switzerland last week.

The video presentation, which was aired via closed circuit to a conference room filled with hundreds of the world’s most influential leaders, was the kickoff of the grass-roots organization One Voice’s $5 million “What Are You Willing to Do to End the Conflict?” campaign. Among those present for the screening were Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, Israel’s Vice Premier Shimon Peres, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni.

By Judea Pearl

While attending a Muslim American conference in Doha, Qatar, in 2005, an Arab leader asked me at the dinner table: “Tell me, why didn’t Israelis accept the Saudi peace proposal of 2002? In fact, they did not even respond to it. Did it not offer them everything that they ever wished for: peace, recognition, security, you name it?”

I looked at him with amusement.

“Do you know what Israelis see when they read a peace proposal in the newspaper?” I asked.

“They skip the text about peace, recognition and security and seek the one word that counts: ‘refugees.’ The rest is trivial. If that word is embedded in ‘right of return’ or ‘a just solution’ or ‘Resolution 197’ or some other euphemism for dismantling Israel, the proposal is automatically deemed a nonstarter.”

By Jacqui Levine

Some places in the world have lots of water — water to spare — and some places don't. When it comes to water, Israel is no New Orleans and PJTC is no FEMA. Starting in 2004, with Barbara McQuiston in the lead at PJTC, numerous people have organized and supported the “Essence of Life Water Reservoir Project” to construct a network of reservoirs in Israel’s Negev desert. As Hillary Clinton has said, “It takes a shtetl.”

Donations to this fund have been explicitly directed to the Jewish National Fund (JNF). No matter what side of the fence or security wall you sit on, making the desert bloom and inhabitable is a wonderful and noble endeavor. As we recently learned, it also advances the cause of peace.

At a PJTC bagel breakfast, Rami Ganor, the JNF-Israel Special Emissary presented a multimedia production entitled “The Politics of Water in the Middle East.” The discussion began with a backdrop of geographical sources of water, historical disputes over water rights and control, and relevant climatic conditions. Due to these circumstances, Israel currently operates at a 25% water deficit. Yet, due to a 1994 peace accord, Israel honors its pledge to sell large allotments of water to Jordan. Though this further depletes Israel’s water supply, the treaty is pivotal in sustaining peace between the two neighbors.

Also at the bagel breakfast, Judy Callahan presented a $19,000 check to Rami for the Mitzpe Ramon water reservoir. Our contribution in small part will help relieve the water shortage that Israel is facing. Mark Twain once said, “Whisky is for drinking, water is for fighting over.”  Baruch Hashem, that’s not true anymore, especially with all the new reservoirs that JNF is building — with our help!