by Yuval Rahamim
Bereaved members and Israeli co-Director
Parents Circle – Families Forum
December 22, 2022
In the wake of the harassing protests against our peaceful activities in Israeli high schools, I sent an open letter to Israeli students.
Here’s what I wrote…
You may have heard that the Parents Circle brings family members of terrorists to your class. This simply is not true. The truth is that you will meet Ya’qub a-Rabi, who was driving home with his wife, Aisha and their daughter. A young settler threw a stone at them which killed Aisha. Ya’qub, who was left to raise their eight children, will tell you how much he loved Aisha and even though she was murdered by an Israeli, he longs for peace with Israel.
You will meet Arab Aramin, whose 10-year-old sister, Abir, was shot by an Israeli Border Police officer as she was leaving school. She died three days later. Abir’s family will talk to you about their commitment to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
You will also meet Israelis, who lost their parents, sons, sisters and brothers in wars and terror attacks. When I was eight years old, my father was killed on the second day of the Six-Day War before his company even crossed the Green Line. In my youth I sought revenge against any Arab. Today I’m the co-director of this organization.
When you become a soldier, you will encounter the reality beyond the Green Line. You will be taught that the Palestinians, whom you do not know, are the enemy. But the “so-called enemy”, is a human being , and they want to live in peace, freedom and dignity. And with this enemy we must make peace, because peace can only be made between enemies.
At our Dialogue Meeting, you will be able to ask your difficult questions and get answers from the people who paid the highest price to the conflict. You can voice your opinions and beliefs without fear. We have been coming to Israeli and Palestinian schools for twenty years. We have met hundreds of thousands of students. Not everyone agrees with us, not everyone is sympathetic, but most will testify that the meeting was enriching, engaging, enlightening, and most of all, generated hope.
Objections and concerns about our program come from people who have never participated; they want to prevent you from getting to know all the sides of the story. Yes, the story is complicated. It might shake some of the beliefs and narratives you grew up with. In the end, your opinions and values should be based on your own independent thoughts. We invite you to listen.
Can you help us continue our Dialogue Meeting program in schools across Israel?
Support Peace Education Programs for Youth
To donate by check, please mail to:
American Friends of the Parents Circle
4 E 95th St 5C
New York, NY 10128
To donate by check, please mail to:
American Friends of the Parents Circle
4 E 95th St 5C
New York, NY 10128