JERUSALEM: Jerusalem-born Palestinian photojournalist Muhammed Muheisen photographed the funeral of an Israeli soldier during the Second Lebanon War. In one of his photos, soldiers – who may normally appear to the Palestinians as brutish and heartless – were pictured crying and hugging as they mourned the loss of a friend. Muheisen was taken aback by people s responses to the photo. He said that the soldiers sensitivity touched Palestinians who saw the photo, and that the Israelis found it hard to believe that a Palestinian had taken a photo so sensitive to Israelis suffering.
Muheisen s photo was discussed at one of 12 workshops that were part of a project called Frames of Reality , a joint initiative of the Peres Center for Peace and Local Testimony – an organization that runs a yearly photojournalism competition and exhibition.
Twice a month for six months, 18 Israeli and Palestinian photojournalists participated in meetings designed not only to foster professional development, but also to encourage dialogue between members of the Israeli and Palestinian media.
The Frames of Reality participants included nine Israelis, eight Palestinians and one American, all experienced professional photojournalists working for news agencies, newspapers or magazines. An additional three participants from Gaza took part on-line.
The project meetings were held in Beit Jalla, which – according to Project Manager from the Peres Center for Peace Ziv Stahl – was the only area both Israelis and Palestinians could enter without a permit. This gave [the project] a mutual quality, because it is a place that doesn t belong to anyone, no one has to go through a checkpoint to get there and everyone has to make an effort, he observed.
International and local industry professionals presented lectures about photojournalism in this region and war journalism in general.
The project s first workshop focused mainly on professional aspects of photojournalism. But as social barriers fell away, the photographers began to communicate on a more personal level, discussing their families and experiences. Heated discussions broke out when some of the photographers asked for feedback, especially on images that carried political messages.
Many of the Israelis were used to seeing both sides of the conflict. But there was tension between the Palestinians and Israelis when discussing some of the work, Israeli photojournalist Tess Scheflan told Metro. There were arguments and people got [to a point where] they had to take a break, she said.
Palestinian photojournalist Alaa Badarneh got particularly fired up over an Israeli photo that, in his opinion, presented residents of a West Bank settlement as heroic. Badarneh and the photographer debated the photo s meaning and the political issues it reflected. We [talked] about the daily lives of our people, about the future of our children. As photographers, as people who work in the media, how we can send a message of peace, Badarneh said.
Even before joining Frames of Reality, Scheflan was acquainted with Palestinian photographers. She wanted to get to know both her Palestinian and Israeli colleagues on a more personal level. Scheflan pointed out that unlike publications, where editors and graphic designers choose which photos to publish, It was interesting to see what people really want to work on and want to show [about the conflict].
Another Israeli, Yuval Tebol, saw this project as an opportunity to advance the peace process. Peace begins with people sharing, helping each other and holding discussions, he said. The experience was enriching and fulfilling from a professional and personal perspective: to see the points of view of colleague photographers from the other side, how they look and what they see. He added that such exposure broadened his outlook on the conflict and, therefore, the spectrum of his work.
Frames of Reality allowed Tebol to meet photographers whose work he had seen and admired. I knew of Muhammed Muheisen and his work. When we met at the workshop there was an immediate connection. Even now, we re good friends and we talk on the phone and e-mail [one another].
Badarneh says he did not join Frames of Reality with the intention of forming friendships with Israeli photojournalists. He was already acquainted with Israelis through the European Pressphoto Agency. I went to these meetings to tell the story of the daily life and suffering of our people, said Badarneh. I wanted to understand Israelis opinions.
Scheflan grew very close to Eman Mohammed, one of the Gaza photojournalists who took part in Frames of Reality over the Internet. Though they have never met in person, the young women now talk daily. Mohammed even helped Scheflan choose her wedding dress. Scheflan believes very strongly in Mohammed s work and is sure the young photographer will have a successful career. Scheflan said that Just getting to know Eman was worth participating in the workshops.
During the 2008-2009 Israel-Gaza conflict, Israeli photographers had limited access to the war zone. Scheflan said that her relationship with Mohammed has led her to unpublished photos from Gaza photographers, which gave her insight on how things really looked in the places she hadn t been able to reach, let alone photograph.
An exhibition of selected photos by 18 of the participants, first held in Jaffa in fall 2008, is now on display for New York audiences at the Ana Tzarev Gallery. The exhibition, which marked the end of the project s first year, displays images that document both everyday life and news events. The works selected from each photographer show his or her creative process throughout the project.
While Frames of Reality was founded to create a dialogue of companionship and peace, the subject matter of the photographs revolves around ongoing conflict. Stahl asserted that photos of the conflict and the ways in which people cope highlight the humanity of both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.
Scheflan pointed out that the photographers are not trying to present peaceful images because, at this stage, there is no peaceful reality. What you do see, she explained, is cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians who worked together.
Stahl hopes that the next project will find a host somewhere in the Palestinian territories. In the meantime, the current project is now in New York. He says the main point of taking the project to New York is to show how life in this region looks, the good and bad. The photos show everyday life, the conflict and its results. The other [objective] is to show something that Israelis and Palestinians did together. It sends a message of hope.
Aimee Neistatwrites for the Jerusalem Post. This is an abridged version of an article that originally appeared in the Jerusalem Post and is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) with permission from the Jerusalem Post.
