Many saw this as a positive step, following efforts by other members of the Arab community to reach out to the Jewish community and improve relations between the two groups. Such efforts include the establishment of a small Holocaust museum in Nazareth, and the visit of 260 Israeli Arab and Jewish clerics, municipal leaders and educators to Auschwitz in May 2003, led by Bishop Emile Shoufani. Shoufani’s visit sparked controversy, and Barakeh, head of Hadash, one of the largest Arab parties, has now added more fuel to the fire with his decision. Almost half of the responses in the media have been negative – and many are due to political rivalries – with most of the opposition centering on the visit itself, its meaning, timing and framework.

Barakeh’s announcement has not yet ignited similar debate among Israeli Jews. A few extreme right-wing groups have called upon him not to travel, claiming that a Palestinian has no place in a formal Israeli parliamentary visit to such a symbolic place, and demanding that the Knesset speaker ban Barakeh’s participation.

However, Barakeh, who comes from a Palestinian family that was forced to flee from the village of Safuriya, can offer a possible bridge between the Jewish and Palestinian narratives. Safuriya was destroyed by Jewish forces in 1948, and today (Moshav) Tzippori stands on its ruins. Barakeh says that we need not compare the Holocaust with the Palestinians’ tragic history, but he believes Arabs and Jews must understand the significance the events have for each population. He is taking a courageous step toward helping both sides confront traditional stereotypical conceptions of each other. A photo of Barakeh looking at the remnants of the place where so many Jews were murdered, and his expressions of empathy, should have a touching impact on Jewish souls.

The Jewish public often sees Arab MKs as representatives of the enemy and blames them for exploiting and increasing the tension between the two communities. The Jews may see Arab politicians as provocative representatives of the Palestinians, while believing that the legislators should focus solely on their own domestic and civil-rights concerns, rather than broader regional issues. In fact, Arab lawmakers do spend the majority of their time on internal matters, even if this is not reflected in the Hebrew media.

The country’s Arab citizens are probably split down the middle regarding Barakeh’s trip, but many of those who oppose it have suggested that it is too soon to show empathy for Israel’s Jews, as they are responsible for continued discrimination and marginalization of the country’s Arabs, not to mention the ongoing oppression of their Palestinian brethren in the occupied territories.

Others see Barakeh’s participation in a parliamentary delegation as problematic because they fear it may be seen as signaling acceptance of the Jewish narrative, and thus strengthening the argument that the Jews – not the Palestinians – are the victims of history. Some Arabs believe that empathetic gestures should be made by Israel’s majority, not by its minority, and that such a step by an Arab politician should be a “prize” given to the Jews only after they have demonstrated understanding of and offered equality to Arab citizens.

My sympathies, however, are with those who argue that the responsibility for building a shared society lays not only on the shoulders of the Jews, but also upon those of the people who have the most to gain from a more equitable society: the Arab minority in Israel. We should take responsibility for our destiny and not wait until the Jews decide what to do with us.

At the same time, we need to challenge stereotypes. The Arab citizen should not be viewed by Jews solely through security or political lenses, but also as a human being who can empathize with his fellow citizens, as a person with an open mind and heart, and as an intellectual who asks difficult questions not only of the “other,” but also of himself.

Barakeh’s decision is therefore not only courageous, but also a smart political move, one with the potential to help change social, political and national discourse about the status of the Arabs in Israel. Today, Arab MKs are not considered legitimate partners for a government coalition. Maybe that taboo can be broken. Maybe now, Barakeh and his Arab peers in the Knesset will gain more legitimacy and access to the Hebrew media. Maybe now, Arab MKs will start talking to the Jewish community, and maybe that community will begin to listen.

Have a safe trip, Mohammed Barakeh, and may you return with renewed strength. Your job is now more meaningful than ever: You are on the front line of dialogue, and not of an argument with the Jewish community. It is a dialogue that has been lacking since the shooting of 13 Arab citizens by Israeli police during the clashes of October 2000. We now remain with the question of who will be your partner in this tango on the Jewish side, and how many within the Arab community will support your move.

Mohammad Darawshe is the co-executive director of the Abraham Fund Initiatives (abrahamfund.org).