Jerusalem District Court judge Avraham Rubin criticized the education ministry for banning the Parents Circle – Families Forum from operating in Israeli schools, despite not conducting a ‘proper factual examination of the allegations’ made against it by right-wing organizations
“The whole world has to come and force Israel and Palestine to come to the table to talk, because we cannot go on killing each other.” Robi Damelin, whose son was killed by a Palestinian sniper, calls for an end to bloodshed in the Israel-Hamas war.
In the city of Haifa, in northwest Israel, the sounds of Arabic, Hebrew and Russian chatter fill the streets. In the Arab-Christian neighbourhood of Wadi Nisnas lies Beit Hagefen, an Arab-Jewish cultural centre set in gleaming white stone.
Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan — they are two fathers, Palestinian and Israeli respectively, who at different times lost a daughter, still a child
An interview with two fathers, a Palestinian and an Israeli, who both lost daughters in the conflict in the Holy Land, were able to meet the Pope.
Pope Francis meets with friends Bassam Aramin, who is Palestinian, and Rami Elhanan, who is Israeli, at the Vatican prior to his general audience on March 27, 2024. Both are fathers who have lost daughters amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
Two bereaved fathers, one an Israeli Jew and one a Palestinian Muslim, speak to Vatican News about their meeting with Pope Francis, who thanked them for their witness of fraternity.
Pope Francis shares an embrace with an Israeli and a Palestinian, each of whom lost a daughter, saying the two men “look beyond the enmity of war” and are now friends.
Pope Francis offered his solidarity Wednesday to Catholics in Israel and the Palestinian territories ahead of Easter, after meeting Jewish and Muslim bereaved fathers campaigning for peace.
Amid recent health concerns, pontiff praises Bassam Aramin, Rami Elhanan for the ‘friendship of two men who care about each other’ and seek peace instead of war
During one of these visits in 2017, a colleague invited Takac to go to the joint Israeli Palestinian memorial ceremony, which is held around the end of Ramadan and on the eve of Israel’s Independence Day in May each year to mourn those lost during conflict.
As director of International Relations for The Parents Circle-Families Forum, which has offices in Beit Jala on the West Bank and in Israel, Damelin has traveled to the US twice, as well as London and Italy, since the war in Gaza began.
Today, we speak with families who are striving for peace and reconciliation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite facing personal hardships, they hold onto hope for positive change on both sides.
Colum McCann’s novel ‘Apeirogon,’ about the extraordinary friendship between bereaved Israeli and Palestinian fathers, is now out in Hebrew. The author isn’t sure if this is a case of bad timing or exactly the right moment for his book to be read by Israelis
As negotiators discuss a possible cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, the Parents Circle Family Forum, a nonprofit organization made of Israelis and Palestinians who have lost loved ones in previous conflicts, sees reconciliation as the only way forward once hostilities cease. Keith Lane has more.
About two dozen students, faculty and staff gather in Newcomb Hall Tuesday to hear from a Palestinian father and an Israeli mother who have both lost loved ones to violence in the Middle East. They are part of a group urging dialogue as a path to peace.
Parents Circle-Families Forum, Taghyeer, and Standing Together are explicitly working to create the political will to end the occupation and create a way for the Palestinians and the Israelis to live together in dignity and equality.
Bassam Aramin, Palestinian, and Rami Elhanan, Israeli, are members of The Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF), families whose lives have been upended due to tragedy. However, instead of giving into hate, each member has worked to understand and listen to the other side. They have become friends and advocate
In the midst of the chaos, efforts are growing to promote peace and shared security between Israel and Hamas. Organizations such as Oasis for Peace, the Parents Circle-Families Forum, Hand in Hand, and the Palestine-Israel Journal are working towards reconciliation and dialogue. These groups, which have been around for years,
The terrible war initiated in October 2023 between Israel and Hamas was the result of the failure of leaders in both camps to construct a mutually acceptable peace. Yet, the horrors of this war can be an impetus to put an end to such violence. People from both sides must
This week, the Haifa municipality canceled an event marking the book launch of the Hebrew translation of “Apeirogon” by Colum McCann. The book is based on my story and that of my brother in bereavement, Bassam Aramin.
In 2007, I moderated a panel at the Nobel Women’s Initiative Conference on Women, Peace, and the Middle East. The panel was made up of two Palestinian women and two Israeli women, and the topic was empathy. Two of the panelists had lost children and family members in the conflict
Beit Hagefen, an Arab-Jewish cultural center in Haifa, is threatened by silencing and infringement of freedom of expression. The city’s legal adviser sent a letter Sunday to Beit Hagefen, requesting that he convene the center’s board for an emergency meeting over a book launch for the Hebrew translation of “Apeirogon:
Residents have expressed their opposition to the upcoming event, which is scheduled to launch the Hebrew translation of the book that recounts the story of a friendship between two bereaved fathers, one Israeli and the other Palestinian
On Jan. 25, Georgetown hosted a dialogue between an Israeli mother and a Palestinian brother who both lost family members in the long-standing conflict and are working to build peace and reconciliation between Israeli and Palestinian communities.
