Our mission is to raise awareness in the Netherlands to voices and activities from the grass-roots level, that are often left unheard or considered marginal. These are voices that refuse to accept the current reality as a given and that assert alternative ways of understanding and framing possibilities of resistance or change. We feel that most of the discussion in the Netherlands on what is often called the ’Israeli Palestinian conflict’ is a discussion about solutions with Dutch experts or Israeli and Palestinian politicians or other officials. We therefore see it as our mission to bring this discussion back to the ground, to let the people talk. Talk about the real consequences of nearly half a century of occupation for the people on both sides.
Our objectives are to change the Dutch public opinion and the Dutch foreign policy towards Israel – to make the Dutch more critical towards Israeli policies. We deliver our message as Israelis who support all the people who live in Israel/Palestine. Our background, motives and approach make it easier for audiences to avoid the customary separation between Israelis and Palestinians, between pro and anti. This last issue is becoming increasingly important as the discourse in the Netherlands on our country progressively changes to one of the two sides and we make an effort to emphasize an alternative to this dichotomy.
During the last eight years gate48 has organized: two film festivals in De Balie Amsterdam (one in cooperation with Democratie en Media), 5 academic symposia at the University of Amsterdam (one in cooperation with Democratie en Media), two series of screenings and discussion (a total of 10 meetings) in Utrecht and Den Haag, 7 screenings of documentaries with a discussion with experts/filmmakers, 35 public meetings in Amsterdam, Den Haag and Utrecht, an election debate for students in CREA with the parliamentarians Timmermans, Ten Broeke and Van Bommel, 3 demonstrations, 6 exhibitions in the Melkweg Amsterdam, Groningen, Utrecht and Maastricht, and 3 tours to Israel/Palestine. gate48 members also participated as speakers in more than 15 public meetings. We organized three presentations at the foreign affairs committee and a multitude of private meetings with individual MPs and policy makers.
gate48 has initiated the campaign for Palestinian children in Israeli detention and we have been leading it since 2011. Since then we managed to create a coalition of seven Dutch organizations (political and children rights) that is dedicated to further the issue of Palestinian children in Israeli detention with the Dutch public, media and politics. Today, as a direct outcome of our activities, we have managed to assemble support in the Dutch parliament (by raising questions and discussion) of CDA, CU, D66, PvdA, VVD, GL and SP. We have also significantly advanced this issue in the media. One of the main contributions to this campaign was the Dutch expert report (here) that was presented at the parliament in April 2014. The expert mission and report were a joint project of gate48 and Palestine Link.
If you are interested in more elaborate information about our activities look at our Public events, academic symposiums, film screenings, exhibitions, campaigns pages.
Remuneration policy
Board members of gate48 are volunteers and do not get any remuneration for their work other than expenses for their work for gate48.
gate48 employs 1 person on a professional base for 32 hours per week (0,8 fte).
You can find the gate48 3 year plan 2015-2017
Here you can find the gate48 financial accountability for 2012 2013 2014 2015