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Interview Questions for Yehuda Stolov

You talked about building joint communities in which people’s identities aren’t threatened. What do you do to ensure that identities aren’t threatened?

Where do the conferences take place?

Can you tell me about your last meeting with Palestinians from Nablus?

Did you encounter any resistance to the joint prayer session you held?

Who takes part in your meetings? Which audiences?

You mentioned meetings when the Palestinian participants didn’t have permits to enter and that the age group was limited to young people and included almost no women. How does that affect group dynamics?

Have you ever had arguments on any side?

What types of activity are you referring to?

Why don’t you think those are successful?

What do you mean by “the human infrastructure”?

Can you give me an example of overcoming a prejudice during a meeting, something that impressed you?

Which other prejudices have you encountered on both sides?

Is there any prejudice you had that you faced during a meeting?

This man from Nablus who now sees the soldiers at the checkpoint in a different light, what impact does that have and can it be long lasting?

How does the group deal with the fact that settlers participate, too? How do you feel about it?

What’s different about the meeting that enables them to talk, as opposed to outside the meeting?

By inviting settlers to participate, are you asking the Palestinian participants to accept the status quo, and accept settlements as permanent?

When you say that settlers are part of Israeli society that can be interpreted as a given fact for the Israeli side but how is the Palestinian side supposed to interpret it?

Some say that generally those who are in the more powerful political position prefer to focus on inter-personal relationships, while those in the minority, or those who are less dominant, prefer to address politics head on. How would you respond to that?

What is your response to criticism that your activities ignore the political reality?

How do you neutralize the political?

When you say you want to put politics aside, what do you mean by “politics”?

Do you initiate activities between residents of the Territories - say settlers and Palestinians?

What do you say to a person from Nablus who meets somebody from a neighboring settlement? Do you say, "put aside politics"?

You say that both sides need to face reality. What is your end vision if you are counseling Palestinians about how to achieve 100% of their lands and settlers about how to stay in settlements near Nablus?

What about security? If there is no security barrier or divide, how can there be security?

Take the Palestinian woman whom you invited to come and tell the settlers what she had to say. Is there a place for this type of thing within your meetings?

What is the hardest thing for Israelis to hear from Palestinians during your meetings?

How has your work changed over the past three years of the intifada?

What do you consider a small success in your work?

What makes a meeting successful apart from people coming?

What do you expect them to take with them from the meetings?

What are the ethics you try to further during meetings, and do you view them as being incorporated within Israeli society in the current atmosphere?

Do you think that people are born with prejudices, and if so, what makes you hopeful that your work will have far-reaching results?

Do you have doubts regarding your work?

How does your work affect your relationships with other people or your community?

How does your religious community regard the meetings?

How does the conflict affect your life?

What’s the most important thing for you to attain in your activities?

Why did past peace processes fail?

What does the word peace mean to you?

Which political model do you think can work?

What are the advantages and the disadvantages to a single-state solution here?

How does your family relate to your work?

What was your home like, growing up?

What was your link to the activities then? What made the change?

What does Zionism mean for you?

Which international audience has the most influence here?

What are the misconceptions that international audiences have regarding the conflict?

Is there anything that depresses you about the current situation?

What are the conflict’s roots?

Does the conflict have religious roots?

Are there any political steps necessary in order to enable your activities?

Can these meetings be conducted effectively under occupation?

How can you expect [Palestinian] people to put aside politics when it’s just outside their homes, in comparison with the Israelis who come?

Why is it so bad to talk about the political situation?

You say you object to discussing politics at your meetings because Israelis will argue nothing can be done until the PA “suppresses the groups that initiate terrorist attacks” What do Israelis need to do in order for things to move forward?

Based on your experience, would you do anything differently in your organization?