Ghassan Andoni and Jeff Halper
PHILADELPHIA - FEBRUARY 15 - The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker social justice organization, has nominated two candidates for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize: Jeff Halper, an Israeli Jew and Ghassan Andoni, a Palestinian Christian from the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
In a region torn by conflict, these grassroots activists have worked to liberate both the Palestinian and the Israeli people from the yoke of structural violence – symbolized most clearly by the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. They have worked to build equality between their people by recognizing and celebrating their common humanity.
Ghassan Andoni is a physics professor at Birzeit University who has combined teaching with peace activism since the eighties. His brave and courageous work has made him one of the leading figures of the Palestinian peace movement.
While a college student in Iraq, Andoni dropped out to work in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon during the civil war. Returning home from Lebanon, he was arrested by the Israeli authorities and jailed for two years for his membership in the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).
During the first intifada (1987-1993), Ghassan played an integral role in the famous tax revolt against the Israeli Occupation conducted by residents of Beit Sahour, a city near Bethlehem. He was subsequently jailed for his participation. After his release in 1988, he co-founded The Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People, which sponsored dialogue and joint activities between Israelis and Palestinians.
As time wore on, Ghassan and Rapprochement moved from dialogue to direct nonviolent action intended to end the Occupation. He later co-founded the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), working with Palestinians and international volunteers to engage in grassroots nonviolent resistance to call attention to years of Palestinian oppression under Israeli Occupation.
A professor of Anthropology, Jeff Halper is a Vietnam War resister from the United States, who emigrated to Israel in 1973. He has always rejected the exclusivity of Jewish claims to the country that created the Occupied Palestinian Territories and has led to displacement of its people. Even during his military service he refused to bear arms, and as an Israeli citizen, refused to serve in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Two of his children have been imprisoned as conscientious objectors.
Jeff co-founded The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) in 1997, which was among the first Israeli peace groups to work inside the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Working in coalition and partnerships in acts of political resistance, ICAHD works to stop the demolition of Palestinian homes and helps rebuild those homes previously demolished. Here Jeff often displays immense courage, confronting Israeli soldiers and risking arrest by sitting in front of bulldozers targeting homes for destruction.
ICAHD appeals to the international community by disseminating information and networking. In ways that parallel the development of Rapprochement, ICAHD uses dialogue between groups to open communication, foster reconciliation and challenge stereotypes. In acts of political resistance, ICAHD works in coalition with a wide range of Israeli organizations including: Bat Shalom, Rabbis for Human Rights, Gush Shalom and the Alternative Information Center, as well as Palestinian groups such as the Land Defense Committee, the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee (PARC) and Rapprochement.
In recent years Jeff Halper has spent a great deal of time traveling abroad and has established ICAHD chapters in the United States and Europe.
Ghassan and Jeff share a fundamental belief that Palestinians and Israelis who stand for human rights, peace and reconciliation are on the same “side,” making their message relevant and universal. That is why their voices - the seldom heard voices of critical advocates of peace and nonviolence - are acknowledged in this nomination.
The American Friends Service Committee is a faith-based organization working for peace, justice and reconciliation. With national headquarters in the United States and offices in 22 countries of the world, AFSC emphasizes people, not politics or ideology - upholding the dignity and promise of every person.
Additional information about the Service Committee can be found at www.afsc.org. Ghassan Andoni can be reached at
The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.
