Aziz Abu Sarah (, he, עזיז אבו סארה; b. 1980) is a

Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...

peace activist, journalist,

social entrepreneur Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a wide range of o ...

and politician. After watching his brother die of internal injuries subsequent to being released from an Israeli jail following a year-long detention for

stone throwing Stone throwing or rock throwing, when it is directed at another person (called stone pelting in India), is often considered a form of criminal battery. History The throwing of rocks or stones is one of the most ancient forms of ranged-weapon ...

, Abu Sarah first turned to anti-Israel political writing. After high school, he learned

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

and joined an Israeli-Palestinian families bereavement organization, and began lecturing against violent activism in schools. Abu Sarah co-founded the alternative tour company Mejdi with his Jewish friend Scott Cooper, which gives different perspectives on any given point of interest to tourists in various multi-cultural locales. He later received recognition for his conflict resolution work in such disparate places as Colombia and Afghanistan. He has advocated for better political representation and living conditions for Palestinian residents of

East Jerusalem East Jerusalem (, ; , ) is the sector of Jerusalem that was held by Jordan during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, as opposed to the western sector of the city, West Jerusalem, which was held by Israel. Jerusalem was envisaged as a separat ...

through his association with political advisor Gershon Baskin.

Early life

Abu Sarah was born in

al-Eizariya Bethany ( grc-gre, Βηθανία,Murphy-O'Connor, 2008, p152/ref> Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ ''Bēṯ ʿAnyā'') or what is locally known as Al-Eizariya or al-Azariya ( ar, العيزرية, " laceof Lazarus"), is a Palestinian town in the West B ...

, a town in the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

, to a Muslim family, the youngest of seven children. His father ran a produce import-export company with neighboring Arab countries.Steinberg, Jessica (12 January 2015
"What Aziz Abu Sarah Learned in Hebrew School"
''The Times of Israel''. Retrieved 3 June 2019 As a youth growing up during the

First Intifada The First Intifada, or First Palestinian Intifada (also known simply as the intifada or intifadah),The word ''intifada'' () is an Arabic word meaning "uprising". Its strict Arabic transliteration is '. was a sustained series of Palestinian ...

, he threw stones at passing Israeli cars "because we were bored, with nothing to do." His first stone was accidentally thrown at a neighbor's car. The only

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Abu Sarah knew of were the soldiers he dodged at

Israeli checkpoint An Israeli checkpoint ( he, מחסום, ''mahsom'', ar, حاجز, ''hajez''), is a barrier erected by the Israeli Security Forces, primarily today part of the system of West Bank closures in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The checkpoints a ...

s, and

Israeli settlers Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli (b ...

. When Abu Sarah was 9, his older brother Tayseer was arrested from home by the

Israel Defence Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branch ...

on suspicion of stone throwing and detained for almost a year. His brother died from internal injuries a few weeks after being released from custody, from what the family believed he received under torture in an Israeli prison.Profile
"Aziz Abu Sarah"
''National Geographic''. Retrieved 3 June 2019 The family moved to nearby

when Abu Sarah was 16 due to his difficulty in obtaining an

Israeli identity card Teudat Zehut ( he, תעודת זהות ''t'udát zehút''; ar, بطاقة هوية ''biṭāqat huwiyyah'') is the Israeli compulsory identity document issued by the Ministry of Interior, as prescribed in the ''Identity Card Carrying and Display ...

in al-Eizariya. He attended the Al Rashidiyeh School, and soon after joined the

Fatah Fatah ( ar, فتح '), formerly the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, is a Palestinian nationalist social democratic political party and the largest faction of the confederated multi-party Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and ...

youth movement, which had a strong presence at the school. Abu Sarah refused to participate in the required

Hebrew language Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

instruction out of spite. As editor of the youth organization's magazine, he contributed many angry and vengeful articles. He wrote political pamphlets, a crime that would have gotten him 6 months imprisonment under the

Israeli Civil Administration The Civil Administration ( he, המנהל האזרחי, '; ar, الإدارة المدنية الإسرائيلية) is the Israeli governing body that operates in the West Bank. It was established by the government of Israel in 1981, in order ...

. After finishing high school, Abu Sarah enrolled in an

ulpan An ulpan ( he, אולפן), plural ''ulpanim'', is an institute or school for the intensive study of Hebrew. Ulpan is a Hebrew word meaning "studio", "teaching", or "instruction". The ulpan is designed to teach adult immigrants to Israel the b ...

(Hebrew language school) on King George Street after realizing the career limitations of not understanding the language. There for the first time he began getting to know some Israeli Jews. He visited

Yad Vashem Yad Vashem ( he, יָד וַשֵׁם; literally, "a memorial and a name") is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; honoring Jews who fought against th ...

, walked through a

Haredi Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...

neighborhood and attended a Christian Bible college to obtain different perspectives on the

Israeli-Palestinian conflict Israelis ( he, יִשְׂרָאֵלִים‎, translit=Yīśrāʾēlīm; ar, الإسرائيليين, translit=al-ʾIsrāʾīliyyin) are the citizens and nationals of the State of Israel. The country's populace is composed primarily of Jew ...

. Urged on by a family friend, he attended lectures with his parents sponsored by

The Parents Circle-Families Forum The Parents Circle-Families Forum (PCFF) is a grassroots organization of Palestinian and Israeli families who have lost immediate family members due to the conflict. The PCFF operates under the principle that a process of reconciliation is a prer ...

, which featured Israelis and Palestinians who were suffering from loss of family members due to the conflict. He would later become strongly associated with the Forum.

Activism

Abu Sarah has been described as being both a Palestinian peace activist, and a Palestinian patriot and nationalist. To illustrate the impact of the death toll as a result of the

Second Intifada The Second Intifada ( ar, الانتفاضة الثانية, ; he, האינתיפאדה השנייה, ), also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada ( ar, انتفاضة الأقصى, label=none, '), was a major Palestinian uprising against Israel. ...

, Abu Sarah helped arrange for 1,200 coffins (the number of casualties on both sides) draped with Israeli and Palestinian flags to be displayed in

Rabin Square Rabin is a Hebrew surname. It originates from the Hebrew word ''rav'' meaning Rabbi, or from the name of the specific Rabbi Abin. The most well known bearer of the name was Yitzhak Rabin, prime minister of Israel and Nobel Peace prize Laureate. ...

. The authorities mostly scuttled the event, but it was later successfully carried out in front of the

Headquarters of the United Nations zh, 联合国总部大楼french: Siège des Nations uniesrussian: Штаб-квартира Организации Объединённых Наций es, Sede de las Naciones Unidas , image = Midtown Manhattan Skyline 004.jpg , im ...

in New York City. He was instrumental in initiating a free telephone line for Israelis and Palestinians to communicate with each other and to leave voice mails, amounting to 500,000 calls in total. The program was later expanded through the internet. He has appeared at over 1000 school venues on behalf of the Families Forum, lecturing to 30,000 people. Later as a

TED fellow TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...

, he has lectured at venues in the United States and around the world.Staff. (22 April 2016
"How Can Tourism Promote Peace in The Middle East?"
''npr''. Retrieved 3 June 2019 Abu Sarah is a former co-executive director of the

Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution The Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution (CRDC) is an arm of George Mason University's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. CRDC engages in practice, education, and research concerning peace-bu ...

, an arm of

George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...

School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution (formerly known as the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution or S-CAR) is a constituent college of George Mason University based near Washington, D.C., United States, sp ...

. He coordinated the group's work in Islamic countries such as Afghanistan and Syria.

Professional career

Journalism

Abu Sarah hosted ''Changing Directions'', a program broadcast on the

All for Peace All for Peace ( he, רדיו כל השלום; ar, راديو صوت السلام) was a joint Israeli-Palestinian East Jerusalem based radio station that transmitted from Ramallah in the Palestinian territories. It was founded in 2004 with the sta ...

radio station. The format revolved around interviews of members of the Bereaved Families Forum, and sought to find out how the respondents changed their outlook to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a result of experiencing tragedies. The station was shut down by the Israeli government in November 2011. As a

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

Explorer, Abu Sarah hosted the 4-part web series documentary ''Conflict Zone'' in 2013, featuring perspectives from both sides of the conflict. He has written columns for ''The New York Times'', ''Haaretz'', ''The Jerusalem Post'', ''The Washington Post'', ''+972 Magazine''Iraqi, Amjad (28 September 2018
"‘This is how you change the status quo’: Rethinking the Palestinian boycott of Jerusalem elections"
''+972 Magazine''. Retrieved 3 June 2019 and provided analysis on programs broadcast on ''CNN'', ''Fox News'' and ''al Jazeera''.

Tourism

After studying tourism management, Abu Sarah founded his own tour company. Through the course of this work he met

Marc Gopin Marc Gopin, scholar and practitioner, is the director of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution (CRDC), and James H. Laue Professor at the School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University Arlington ...

of George Mason University, who inspired him to turn the company into a

social entrepreneurship Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a wide range of o ...

. In 2009, Abu Sarah, together with business partner Scott Cooper, founded Mejdi, an enterprise that offers alternative tours for Jews, Muslims and Christians on both sides in the conflict zone. Each tour is dispatched with two tour guides, one Jewish and one Palestinian, with each giving his own historical perspective. The model was so successful that it spawned similar operations in Vietnam, Turkey, Colombia, Ireland and other places experiencing cultural conflict. The company partners with National Geographic Expeditions. Gopin helped get Abu Sarah his start in international conflict resolution work.

Political career

In 2018, Abu Sarah started a campaign to be the first Palestinian since 1944 to become elected

mayor of Jerusalem The Mayor of the City of Jerusalem is head of the executive branch of the political system in Jerusalem. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within Jerusal ...

. At first he planned to run together with his political adviser Gershon Baskin on a joint Israeli-Palestinian list, but this later changed to an all-Palestinian list called Al-Quds Lana (Jerusalem is Ours). The party did not hold large political rallies or public town halls due to fear of harassment from hardline community opponents, so instead they met with local committees, teacher's groups, students, and communities in closed door meetings. While some Palestinians gave their support, others called him a traitor, with some pelting Abu Sarah with eggs at a speech he gave outside

Jerusalem city hall Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. The

Palestine Liberation Organization The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ar, منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية, ') is a Palestinian nationalism, Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization founded in 1964 with the initial purpose of establ ...

has historically discouraged Palestinians from participating in Israeli elections because they claim it legitimises the occupation.Ashly, Jaclynn (15 September 2018
"Aziz Abu Sarah Wants to be Mayor of Jerusalem and is Suing Israel"
''Al Jazeera''. Retrieved 3 June 2019 The

Palestinian Authority The Palestinian National Authority (PA or PNA; ar, السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية '), commonly known as the Palestinian Authority and officially the State of Palestine,

had already appointed its own governor of Jerusalem, Adnan Gaith, who said "We tell Aziz Abu Sarah, if you want to become the mayor of Jerusalem, you should wait until Jerusalem becomes the capital of the Palestinian State. Israeli law forbids non citizens Palestinians from East Jerusalem such as Abu Sarah who are not Israeli citizens from running for office.Brennan, David (5 September 2018
"Palestinian Journalist Declares Jerusalem Mayoral Run: "We Will Stand For Our Right to Be Here'"
''Newsweek''. Retrieved 4 June 2019 He planned to sue to obtain this right in the

Supreme Court of Israel The Supreme Court (, ''Beit HaMishpat HaElyon''; ar, المحكمة العليا) is the Supreme court, highest court in Israel. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all other courts, and in some cases original jurisdiction. The Supreme C ...

. He asked, "If Israel really claims to be a democracy then how is it that 40 per cent of a city (the Palestinians) cannot hold the most important job?"Tlozek, Eric (27 September 2018
"'Some See me as a Hero or a Traitor': Palestinian Candidate Withdraws from Jerusalem Mayoral Race Amid Threats"
''Australian Broadcasting Corporation''. Retrieved 3 June 2018 On 25 September 2018, Abu Sarah dropped out of the race. He cited an Israeli threat to revoke his Jerusalem resident I.D. on the grounds that most of his time was being spent outside of Jerusalem, and with his tour company.Staff. (25 September 2018
"Palestinian Activist Drops Out of Jerusalem Mayoral Race"
''The Times of Israel''. Retrieved 3 June 2019 He was also concerned about opposition from Palestinian election-boycott activists who were "applying strong pressure on our candidates and their families" to end their campaign.

Personal life

Abu Sarah divides his time between Virginia and

Wadi al-Joz Wadi al-Joz ( ar, وادي الجوز; he, ואדי אל-ג'וז), also Wadi Joz, an abbreviation of "Valley of Josaphat" or Valley of the Walnuts, is a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, located at the head of the Kidron Valley, north o ...

, a neighborhood of East Jerusalem. He speaks Arabic, Hebrew and English fluently, and enjoys

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

Awards and recognition

* Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East from the

Institute of International Education The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a 501(c) organization which focuses on international student exchange and aid, foreign affairs, and international peace and security. IIE creates programs of study and training for students, educa ...

"Aziz Abu Sarah"
American Friends of Combatants for Peace. Retrieved 4 June 2019 * Solidar Silver Rose Award at the European Parliament * Eisenhower Medallion from

People to People International People to People International (PTPI) is a program established on September 11, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, as part of the United States Information Agency. After President Eisenhower left the office of President in 1961, he arranged t ...

* Eliav-Sartawi Award for Middle Eastern Journalism * Intercultural Innovation Award from the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and BMW Group * Listed in ''

The 500 Most Influential Muslims ''The 500 Most Influential Muslims'' (also known as ''The Muslim 500'') is an annual publication first published in 2009, which ranks the most influential Muslims in the world. The publication is compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies C ...

'', 2010—2018 * Recognized by United Nations Secretary General

Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...

for his work in global conflict resolution during his speech at the 5th World Forum of the

Alliance of Civilizations The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is an initiative that attempts to "galvanize international action against extremism" through the forging of international, intercultural dialogue, intercultural and interfaith dialogue, interre ...

initiative in February 2013.Staff
"National Geographic Learning Realizará en Argentina dos Conferencias Sobre Cómo la Educación Tiene el Poder de Resolver Conflictos, a Cargo del Reconocido Explorador de National Geographic y Colaborador de TED, Aziz Abu Sarah"
''America Learning Media'' (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 June 2019

Books and publications

* Clark, Kelly J.; Abu Sarah, Aziz; Kreimer, Nancy F. (2018)
''Strangers, Neighbors, Friends: Muslim-Christian-Jewish Reflections on Compassion and Peace''
Cascade Books * Abu Sarah, Aziz
Column roll
''+972 Magazine''

References

External links

Conflict Zone
National Geographic Series, YouTube
For More Tolerance, We Need More...Tourism?
TED talk by Aziz Abu Sarah

"Revolutionizing Education: Building Peace in a Divided World" - Alianza Cultural Uruguay - Estados Unidos.

From Revenge to Reconciliation - Nat Geo Live, YouTube

"From Extremism to Inclusion" - The 4th IPCRI forum for 2016

NGL presents Voices with Aziz Abu Sarah

Interview with Aziz Abu Sarah - TESOL COLOMBIA

UN Vienna Global Forum 2013 recognizes peace activist Aziz Abu Sara

Aziz Abu Sarah: How can travel change the world {{DEFAULTSORT:Abu Sarah, Aziz 1980 births 21st-century Palestinian writers Fatah members Nonviolence advocates Palestinian Arab nationalists Palestinian company founders Palestinian documentary filmmakers Palestinian expatriates in the United States Palestinian Muslim activists Palestinian Muslim pacifists Palestinian opinion journalists Palestinian political writers Palestinian politicians Palestinian social commentators Palestinian translators Politicians from Jerusalem Tour guides Writers from Jerusalem Living people