While the conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to hardened positions on both sides… There ARE voices calling for reconciliation and peace… even from some who’ve endured the most heartbreaking losses.

They both played their part in the violence that has shaped their lives. They are both bereaved fathers, of young daughters. Somehow, against the odds, both have resisted the urge for vengeance. Rami Elhanan, an Israeli, and Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian, were once united by their anger and grief.

While the world focuses on the human tragedy of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, there are hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals actively working to build peace.

Start at 49:58 : There’s a group called Parents Circle Families Forum that brings together members from the Jewish and Palestinian communities to preach reconciliation.

The Parents Circle is the club nobody wants to belong to. Rami Elhanan and Bassam Aramin, co-directors of the club, advocate for peace between Israelis and Palestinians after both lost their young daughters to the violence that has embroiled their region for decades.

Over the last decade, I have participated in several Israeli-Palestinian activities. The most meaningful project was initiated by the Parents’ Circle, an organization of bereaved Israelis and Palestinians who lost a family member due to the conflict.

Two Israeli and Palestinian fathers explained why they call each other “brothers” as they spoke to Victoria Derbyshire on Sunday, 29 October, as the Israel-Hamas conflict continued.

My heart is broken open, both for the victims and survivors in Israel, and the victims and survivors in Gaza. How to carry the pain? My broken heart may mend knowing there are Israeli and Palestinian groups looking beyond the decades of bloodshed, to a society based on understanding, respect, and equality.

Since his parents, Bilha and Yaakobi, and his best friend were killed in their homes by Hamas attackers who raided southern Israel on Oct. 7, Moaz Inon has not had a moment to grieve. He is consumed with a mission, he says: to stop a war and send a message of peace.

Before we bemoan our challenges, it’s worth noting the difficulties faced by teachers in Palestine and Israel. Whatever the curriculum says, children bear the brunt of sirens and rockets, schools demolished, children detained or killed.