[Our report of the megiddo project in 1999, appeared in the
Washtenaw
Jewish News, June/July/August
1999]

The megiddo peace project is a local global art for peace action,
focused annually on Earth Day, 
April 22, at the archeological site of armageddon,  tel Megiddo,
in
Israel, a peace for all the wars in the world.

This year our mission was bracketed by participation in the World
Bank/International Monetary 
Fund demonstrations in Washington, in April, before "we left
egypt on
our way to the promised
land," and again in Washington on our return at the "million mom
march"
for gun control 
protection of the children.  

On earth day, in  Israel,  we had a ritual rededication of the
Megiddo
site, "transforming 
Armageddon," a circle by the peace pole, a prayer in  different
voices,
"may peace prevail on 
earth," a washing together,  sharing stories, and walking the
stations
of the Megiddo site:  
considering  "security" at the city gates, "food and seeds" at
the grain
silo,  "land sharing" from King Solomon's columns,  "privilege"
at the
tomb of royalty , "water" at the water tunnel,  and
"post-patriarchal partnership" at the old  Canaanite temple
"high-place"  

The art project advanced: a "dove of peace" was unveiled, the
first
picture painted expressly for 
the Megiddo project.  We saw an extraordinary  exhibit of art for
peace
at Givat Haviva,  more than 
1000 post card size images of peace, by artists all over Israel
and
internationally.  Contributions
are still being received.  We are trying to arrange for this
exhibit to
travel to our area next year.  
We also visited  "the art gallery" in Umm-el Fahm where Yoko Ono
exhibited last year,  and from 
which one of the artists exhibited in Ann Arbor last year as part
of the
"identity, thought and vision"
show..

We spent a few days on 2 occasions in the palestinian Israeli
town of
Umm el Fahm.  Learning 
more about the needs of education and peace.  an educational
assistance 
foundation,. "Qandeel/
candle,"  is being formed , for which we hope to host an Ann
Arbor
support group.

We also saw massive building on Har Homa/Jabal Abu Ghneim.  For
people
like us who thought 
settlement building had stopped under the new government, we got
an
eyeful.  Also house 
demolitions have begun again in Jerusalem, 3 houses in the time
we were
there.  The most amazing 
thing to see was the system of "by-pass roads" encircling
Bethlehem,
separating Arab villages 
from  their lands,  joining settlements in integrated blocks.
United
States taxpayers pay for this 
road  system,  which was agreed to as temporary roads to expedite
Israeli redeployments and
withdrawals, but has been built  as a permanent matrix of
control:  19
roads throughout the 
occupied territories. We are editing our video for presentation.
People
who haven't seen it 
won't believe it.

We also met peace seekers all over the country.  We have begun to
form
an advisory committee for
next year's conference and concert program and to recruit a
staff.  

The key unresolved question is, according to one observer from
the House
of Hope peace Center at 
Shfar-am,  "do Israelis want to live with Arabs?"  The rift on
this
question in Israel is covered up 
under the mantel of "One Israel,"  the Jewish people,  and the
mythic
history.  We saw many 
coexisting faces of  Israeli society.  The state of Israeli
coalition
politics reflects this pluralism, and 
there is a whole new generation coming up, not yet counted.

We got  good pictures of the various of the peace movements,  the
first
Israeli green event, 
 Jewish-Sufi communication,  Christian liberation community and
reactions  from within the papal 
mission  to the visit of the pope.  We witnessed  progressive
Judaism,
and  interfaith activities in a 
beautiful Havdalah service.  We got reports on  human rights
activities
and of women's movement 
efforts to engage  militarism,  nuclear weapons, globalization,
Mordechai Vanunu,  and also  Jewish fundamentalism. 

We visited again Har Eitan and saw the struggle over the land
between a
healing center for peace and 
a military memorial for all Israel's wars.  The rainbow family
shared
food there and made music late 
into the night  

The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom is having
its
next international congress in
Jerusalem, in July/August 2001.  We met with the Palestinian and
Israeli
sections of WILPF, and 
began organizing for a us delegation to the congress.

We are organizing  proto-type Megiddo peace meeting to be held in
Ann
Arbor in the Fall, October 12, 2000

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