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YES TO ANAGREEMENT The Geneva Initiative

Public Conference, February 2012

Israeli-Palestinian joint meeting, October 2012

Member of Knesset, Amnon Cohen (Shas), with Saman Khoury, senior Palestinian Geneva Initiative activist, May 2012

Annual Report 2012

Geneva Initiative Geneva Initiative2 3

2012Who We Are

Over the past year, 10,434 Israelis took part in 153 Geneva Initiative activities across the country. We continue to raise awareness about the issues, bringing together partners in peace and pushing the urgency for a solution to the conflict.

Public opinion polls published at the end of 2012 showed that two-thirds of the Israeli public supports the Geneva Initiative principles for solving the conflict. More specifically, this support is also shared by the majority of right-wing Likud and Shas voters – two key target groups that we have worked with for several years.

Recent elections in Israel gave a renewed hope that change will be made by the decision-makers.

Together with your support, we will continue to lay the groundwork for peace. There is no better cause to serve.

Sincerely,

There is a Plan. There is a Partner.

After a century of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, H.L. Education for Peace- Geneva Initiative offers a real and mutually agreed upon possibility for ending the conflict between the two nations and obtaining an acceptable peace that guarantees the vital national interests of both sides.

We work to gather support among the majority of Israelis in order to encourage the leadership to negotiate and reach an agreement. Our activities are designed to re-instill in the Israeli people the hope that peace is urgently needed and actually possible. With our Palestinian partners, we show that there is broad public support for a peace agreementbased on the two-state solution, according to the Geneva Initiative parameters.

67%

21%

Support

Polling by Dahaf, December 2012

Oppose

[email protected]

Andrea Diamond Director of Foreign Relations

Gadi Baltiansky [email protected]


Going from City to City Influencing the Political Arena

This year we held dozens of activities in different cities around the country in cooperation with mayors and municipal leaders.

Head of the Mevaseret Zion local council, Aryeh Shamam, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on a Geneva Initiative delegation visit to Ramallah (October)

Minister Yaakov Margi, MK Amnon Cohen, and senior political activists from Shas with senior Palestinians at a joint seminar (March)

Beit Shemesh News, 29.3.2012

Yediot Aharonot, 1.4.2012Gal Gefen, 29.3.2012

Head of Ganei Tikva local council, Avishai Levin, former Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs, Ashraf al-Aljrami, and Steering Committee member, Talia Sasson (March)

Ganei Tikva holds a Geneva Initiative Conference

A Man of the Peace Camp

Moshe AbutbulThe left-wing Geneva Initiative organization that is trying to promote their peace initiative, organized on Thursday a special conference in the city of Beit Shemesh The event featured Mayor Moshe Abutbul and was coordinated by council member Reuvan Cohen

At the Geneva Initiative conference that was held in Ganei Tikva, former Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs, Ashraf al Ajrami, said that: “We can reach a final-status agreement within weeks.” Avishai Levin: “We grasp with both hands the solutions of the Geneva Initiative.”

220Participants

Shas Party

Minister Margi meets with Palestinian delegationThe secret meeting took place between Shas and senior Palestinian officials last week in Budapest Margi: the approach was more practical

58%of Shas voters support theprinciples of the Geneva InitiativeSmith Institute, December

156719

Participants

Events

Parties

In the context of the political deadlock between Israel and the Palestinians, this week a meeting took place between Ministers and members of Knesset from Shas with senior Palestinians, under the guise of the Geneva Initiative organization.

Minister Margi told “Yediot Aharonot” that the meeting was very successful and that the Palestinians that they met with had a practical approach. “It was a good atmosphere. They understood that Shas does not “hate Arabs”, and that we are open and practical. Our approach, according the Rabbi Ovadia, is that the sanctity of the human being comes first”.


156719

Participants

Events

Parties

Former Minister of Prisoner Affairs, Ashraf al Ajrami, with senior Likud member Solomon Madmon, at joint Israeli-Palestinian seminar (May)

Likud Minister pushes for support of the Two-State Solution at Geneva Initiative seminar“The new government will have to take on the Palestinian issue diplomatically” said Likud Minister Michael Eitan at a seminar held by the Geneva Initiative which included dozens of Likud activists

Some participants intend to propose a change in the Likud constitution to include support for the two-state solution. Following the seminar there were futher discussions within the Likud about forming a majority among the seminar members to support such a move.

Arutz Sheva, 09.02.2013

58%of Likud voters support theprinciples of the Geneva InitiativeSmith Institute, December

The Geneva Initiative continues its efforts to persuade the Likud to support their cause. Last weekend 20 members of Likud attended a seminar. The participants are members of the Likud central committee and heads of branches across the country.

During the two-day seminar, participants took a tour in Jerusalem and discussed the boundaries as proposed by the Geneva Initiative. They also met with leaders of the initiative and security experts to discuss the core issues of the conflict. They also met with prominent Palestinians and demographer Arnon Soffer. At the end of the seminar they agreed on continued cooperation and expanding the circle to other Likud members.

This is not the first meeting of the Likud and the Geneva Initiative. “The last visit took place in Kfar Maccabiah,” Shimon Hazan told Arutz Sheva, Holon mayoral candidate in the Likud Party. Hazan told Arutz 7 that after discussion with the inititative and exchange of views “I identify with many of the solutions on which we discussed, including the issues of water and the subject of compensation.”

Hazan explained that the views presented by the Geneva Initiative received support on the part of the vast majority of the participants. “The vast majority support it and they have an open mind to hear the other side.”

Arutz Sheva, 03.01.2012

A Romance between Likud and the Geneva Initiative

Influencing the Political Arena

In 2012 we worked with members of Knesset and senior party leaders from across the political spectrum. We exposed hundreds of political activists, leaders of branches and ministers in government to the details underlying the two-state solution.

MK Amir Peretz (Ha’Tnua) and MK Zahava Galon (Meretz), at Geneva Initiative conference“From Elections to Elections” (October)

From left to right: MK Amram Mitzna (Ha’tnua), former MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union),MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), MK Yael German (Yesh Atid), and journalist Tal Schneider, atGeneva Initiative conference “After Gaza and Before Elections” (December)

MK Merav Michaeli (Labor), MK Uri Orbach (Jewish Home), and journalist Maya Bengel, at Genenva Initaitive conference “Where’s the Missing Peace?” (February)

Likud Party


Getting into the Details Talking to Young Leaders

In meetings held over two to three days, political activists, journalists, young leaders and the heads of the Russian-speaking immigrant community, learned about the core issues of the conflict and the solutions provided by the Geneva Initiative.

Thousands attended Geneva Initiative conferences this year to hear experts discussing the impact of regional and global developments – from the Arab Spring to the lections in Israel and the US – on the prospects for the two-state solution.

Brig. Gen. (ret.) Israela Oron at a seminar for young journalists (May)

Geneva Initiative public conference (February)

The speakers at a public conference. From left to right: Journalist Ayala Hasson, public relations consultant Roni Rimon, former MK Daniel Ben Simon (Labor), MK Merav Michaeli (Labor), MK Uri Orbach (Jewish Home), and journalist Maya Bengel (February)

Participants attending a seminar for political activists (December) Participants attending a political party seminar (December)

8301 Participants

Seminars28

2260 Participants

Seminars& Lectures


Confronting the Realities on the Ground

Bringing Israelis to Ramallah 60

Our tours, guided by experts, give a firsthand look at the possible and necessarysolutions for peace on the ground.

In light of the political deadlock in negotiations, we organized several politicaldelegations and groups to meet with the Palestinian leadership, and specificallywith President Mahmoud Abbas.

Participants of a multi-party seminar on a tour of the Jerusalem envelop (December)

Senior representatives of the Geneva Initiative meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. From left to right: Director-General ofthe Geneva Initiative, Gadi Baltiansky, Steering Committee member Haim Oron, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (Z”L.), Chairman of the Geneva Initiative Steering Committee, Dr. Yossi Beilin, and President Abbas.

472554 Participants

Tours

Michael Bitton, Mayor of Yeruham, with President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, part of a Geneva Initiative delegation visit to Ramallah (October)

Members of Knesset and senior Israeli political activists meet with the senior Palestinian leadership in Ramallah (October)

Participants


Investing in Education Getting to know the Partner50 11

12 212

CourseParticipants

ParticipantsMeetings

Meetings

The fifth cycle of our political course included key activists from political parties such as Likud, Shas, Labor and Meretz. The course served to enrich the participants’ political knowledge on the central issues of the conflict and solutions of the Geneva Initiative.

In partnership with our Palestinian counterpart, the Palestinian Peace Coalition – Geneva Initiative, we arranged joint meetings this year with Israelis and Palestinians. Meetings were held in Israel, Ramallah and abroad.

Graduates of the Geneva Initiative political course (September) Israeli and Palestinian young political activists at a joint seminar (October)

Participants of the political course at a lecture in Tel Aviv (September) Israeli and Palestinian leading women at a joint seminar (May)


Reaching out to Immigrant Communities in Israel

Building the Next Generation

4 14

104 663Participants Participants

Activities Activities

As part of our work with the Russian-speaking community, this year we focused on a series of local community leaders, journalists and bloggers who had the ability to spread our messages to the wider Russian-speaking public.

Through a variety of activities this year we met with hundreds of young leaders and students and talked with them about the future of the country and their role in that future.

Participants of a seminar for young Russian-speaking leaders on a tour with Col. (ret.) Shaul Arieli (October)

Attorney Talia Sasson, Steering Committee member, speaking before a group of young political activists (March)

Participants at a conference “The Arab Spring and the effects on the Peace Process” (April)

Hisham Abdel-Razeg, former Minister of Prisoner Affairs in the Palestinian Authority, in an interview on Russian-speaking TV News Channel 9 (December)


Harnessing the Media Enlarging International Support

202075 Participants

Activities

We continued our media outreach this year through a variety of means, including targeted seminars for journalists. Reports on our activities and conferences, as well our public opinions, were published in national and local media news outlets, including in the Russian-speaking and ultra-Orthodox medias.

This past year we met with dozens of leaders from around the world, spoke at major international conferences and held briefings and tours for diplomats and visiting foreign officials.

Director-General of the Geneva Initiative, Gadi Baltiansky, in an interview on Israeli Radio (October)

Foreign diplomats on tour around the Jerusalem Envelope (October) Geneva Initiative table at the Annual J Street Conference in the United States (March)

Chairmen of the Geneva Initiative, Yossi Beilin and Yasser Abed Rabbo at the Brazilian parliament (April)

480

23Participants

Events

Media Outlets


Campaigns CampaignsMillionsExposed

Thousandsof clicks

Billboard “Before the West Bank becomes Gaza” in central Tel Aviv

Video “Save the Zionist Vision” competed in a video contest in the IsraeliMinistry of Culture and Sport and received over 50,000 views

Video “Peace is Still Possible” Video “The Excuses and Facts of the Peace Process”

Online banner campaign “Before the West Bank becomes Gaza”

650

102,450Video clips

Views

Videos


Bringing the Discussion to Social Media

81061401

Facebookfriends

Twitterfollowers

Throughout 2012, we increased our activity on social media networks. We published banners, advertisements, and held discussions on the everyday political issues on the ground, thus reaching out to thousands.

Geneva Initiative on Facebook in Hebrew

Geneva Initiative YouTube Channel

Geneva Initiative on Facebook in English

Geneva Initiative on Twitter


Behind the Initiative Where to find us 3282,340 Views

Websites

The Geneva Initiative Steering Committee serves as an advisory board to the overall strategic goals of the organization. The committee consists of senior experts from different professions including current and former members of Knesset, former generals, ambassadors and academics.

We work in conjunction with our Palestinian counterpart, the Palestinian Peace Coalition – Geneva Initiative, which is also guided by a senior committee consisting of members of government, former ministers , academics and experts.

Israeli and Palestinian signatories of the Geneva Accords 2003 www.geneva-accord.org

www.heskem.org.il/russian

www.heskem.org.il Hebrew Website

Russian Website

English Website

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The Geneva InitiativeYES TO ANAGREEMENT

Geneva Initiative – H.L. Education for Peace // 8 Shaul Hamelech Blvd. , Tel Aviv 64733 // Tel: +972 (3) 6938780 // Fax: +972 (3) 6911306

w w w . g e n e v a - a c c o r d . o r g

facebook.com/[email protected] twitter.com/genevaaccord

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