What a wonderful journey we have had in the last 11 months since Liat & I met at TED India last November. Thanks to Shamim helping me out with work and with TEDx Holy Land, I was able to juggle and to make TEDxHolyLand a reality with Liat and our team

And to see it all come to life yesterday with such an electrifying energy was breathtaking. It was a privilege and one of those rare and unique moments

It was worth the questioning, interrogation and the delay when we flew into Tel Aviv, the highs and lows throughout the journey, being blacklisted by BDS and the many other trials, tribulations and obstacles. Worth the exhaustion and setting time for almost a year focusing on getting this event and making it into a reality

We were a bundle of nerves and excitement the whole week leading to TEDx Holy Land full of anticipation and hope. Anything could have gone wrong

The energy in the room crackled; there was such good will and people were transported. It is hard to describe the vibe and the energy without being there to feel it in person

It was inspiring seeing a covered Palestinian woman sitting next to an Israeli man with a yamaka on his head and watching them both be moved by the speakers and by Leonie’s incredible talents when she performed

I could finally breath deeply when our first speaker came on stage and mesmerised the Palestinians, the Israelis and the Israeli Arabs all in one go as well as our guests from outside the region. That is when I relaxed and knew that the audience was engaged and drawn at many levels and I could see that they finally understood what we are trying to do

It was incredible to hear some of the Palestinian audience say that they are beginning to finally have a better understanding of what Israeli Arabs are all about and how for the first time all sides could see each other as human beings, who were inspired by our wonderful female speakers

Many of the Palestinians showed up without an RSVP and we did not know who they were. Three or four women who attended TEDx Holy Land had their heads covered and we wondered how they would react to our event. Like the rest of the audience they were transported by the talks and the energy and the vibe of the room and the good will was evident from all sides

Our TEDx Holy Land team was all female volunteers, with one man as part of our team. Our funders were 99% women lead by an incredible Palestinian woman who is remaining anonymous. Our speakers were all women. The audience was mixed with men, women from the region and from abroad with a few friends who came from Jordan for the event as well as friends who attended from abroad

It is a blessing to have experienced such a reaction and may it lead, in a small or not so small way, to so much more.

Hanan & Liat pray for divine inspiration a few minutes before TEDxHolyLand kicks off...

Before we landed a big round guy who looks just a little like an extra from Fiddler on the Roof started talking to me saying he is curious that I have worked on my computer throughout and what was I doing. His wife then popped into the conversation and they are both convinced that I was Israeli and wanted all my details.

Their faces did drop when I told them I was Palestinian. I think she wanted to cry.

They wanted to know why I was in the Holy Land and when I told them about TEDx Holy Land they both looked at me like I was insane and explained that there will never be peace in our life time unless the Messiah comes at the end and hopefully that will be soon. And to prove it he started quoting me from a book (I forgot the name of the book) proving that if it is in the book then it must be true!!

His wife then wanted to know the theme of TEDx Holy Land and when I told her it is about empowering women, she looked at me with such pity in her eyes telling as if to tell me why on earth would women need to be empowered!

He then demanded to know who my children were left with in London. I looked him in the eyes and was about to say “with my WIFE” and then I decided I can not be responsible for an emergency landing if he had a heart attack. By then the whole section of the plane was following the bizarre conversation as if it was a soap opera. His voice was as big as his body making sure even the captain could hear the conversation

So how did it end you might be thinking?

As any Jew and Palestinian would – by haggling! When he found out that we also have an online marketing company, he demanded that I send him an e-mail as he needs his web site optimised (for a very good price of course) and both he and his wife waited till I typed his e-mail properly to make sure I did it

He then told me he gets bags from China and prints them in the UK to which I said we need TEDx Holy Land gift bags (if affordable) and he assured me he will give us the best price

So as the Hassidic Jew and the Palestinians were ending the conversation haggling with each other, his wife decided that it was not fair that the Palestinians are allowed into East Jerusalem when the Jews can’t go to the West Bank. I tried to explain the situation, then I looked at her, at everyone around and decided, that for once in my life I should leave it be and I was too tired to start

I took a deep breath while they all looked at me and told them it was good to meet them and kept my mind focused on TEDx Holy Land

There seems to be some confusion and mistaken impressions regarding TEDxHolyland, we, the organizers of the event would like to attempt to clarify. First of all, TED, the organization that holds annual conferences in Long Beach, California and Oxford, England and is responsible for the diverse and thought provoking TED.com platform that brings conference lectures to the world at large via Internet, did not in fact start a program called TEDxHolyland. We tried to clearly spell this out in our website, but seem to have been misunderstood. TEDxHolyland is an independent organized TED event. This means that all content and the conference itself is our responsibility and does not represent the views or positions of TED. As a TEDx licensee from the TED organization we are bound to adhere to guidelines of use of the brand, sponsorship and the program structure. TEDxRamallah is likewise an Independent organized TED event.  Thus there should be a clear distinction between the organizers of TED and the organizers of TEDxHolyland. This response speaks only for the latter.

One of the features of TEDx events is that they may not be for profit events, but only vessels for ‘ideas worth spreading’ that will hopefully induce participants to take action and make the world a better place. It is this notion that gave the TEDxHolyland organizers impetus for the event. The organizers met in India and found a strong common ground as women, moderates and mothers who want a better world for their children. Certainly, ending the occupation and all violence in this area is one prelude to such better world.  The conference is not about normalization, but about an attempt to change the status quo. The conference has chosen to highlight women’s empowerment because it is a common issue for women the world over. Nothing will be whitewashed, but on the contrary, through exposure of accomplishments and challenges of women, dialogue will be sparked and perhaps better understanding and ultimately action.

The TEDxHolyLand Team.

I am back from Tel Aviv and recovering from the head spinning experience

It was an emotional roller coaster at many levels and in a good way from the minute I landed to leaving.

Of course everyone spoke to me in Hebrew as they thought I was a Sabra. TEDx Tel Aviv was so well organised and at par with the main TED conferences . What struck me most was the passion and the pride Israelis had in what they have achieved, the breadth of expertise and innovation from agriculture, science, high tech to all sorts of dimensions that are on par with world class leading companies and research and development

As a Palestinian, I was beyond nervous addressing 400 Israelis (I had a one minute talk) at TEDx Tel Aviv but the response was phenomenal and people kept approaching me throughout the day offering to help us with TEDx Holy Land which will take place in Jerusalem on the 28th of Oct (in case you can make it) at the American Colony Hotel

We had all sorts of meetings afterwards with potential female speakers from all sides and it is amazing how many wonderful and talented women there are from each side. We are focusing on empowering women and we had meetings in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem & Bethlehem.

My cousin  whisked us off in her car for meetings. Liat appreciated those frank & open discussions & views from the Palestinians and said she learnt a lot from them. And I helped Liat’s son with his Arabic homework as he has to study Arabic for 2 years.

Liat my amazing Israeli partner at Tedx Holy Land was beyond gracious, welcoming & supportive. I stayed at her house (probably the first time in the history that a Palestinian stays with an Israeli family) and we both feel we are ready for the next phase of getting TEDx Holy Land going. It is a complicated time & a complicated set up from all sides which has it challenges but challenges are a good thing

Hanan

With Liat at TedxTelAviv