My columns from Israel and the West Bank over the past few weeks have been depressing, reflecting my fear that we’re on a bloody, downward spiral that will make everything worse. So let me share what I saw as an ember of hope. I didn’t expect to find such a thing. On this trip I … Continue reading Meet the Champions of Nuance and Empathy We Need | The New York Times

For the past few weeks, I have been thinking about Rami Elhanan and Bassam Aramin. Rami is an Israeli graphic designer turned peace activist, Bassam Aramin an ex-political prisoner and academic turned peace activist.

More than 35 Jewish and Arab organisations on Monday issued a call for reaching a ceasefire, releasing the kidnapped hostages and promoting a political agreement that will guarantee safety, justice and freedom for the people in Gaza amid the raging Israel-Hamas war.

An open letter signed by the groups also called on Israel to curb the rampant settler violence in the West Bank and stop the persecution of Palestinian citizens of Israel and of those who express solidarity with the residents of Gaza and oppose the war

Robi Damelin and Bassam Aramin, who were united by the grief of losing a child, tell Christiane Amanpour why they are more committed than ever to a path to peace in the Middle East.

Palestinian Bassam Aramin and Israeli Rami Elhanan have each lost a daughter in the Middle East conflict. Instead of succumbing to bitterness, they have joined hands to work for peace. How did they manage to overcome hatred?

It is hard to find any light amid the intense violence and suffering being endured in Gaz and Israel by all civilians. There are some with long experience of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians who believe that calls for revenge only prolong the violence and that in a war, empathy and reconciliation are possible.

They’re from Israel and Gaza. A man whose parents died on Oct. 7 feels as if he is swimming in a sea of sorrow. A young man has a soldier’s bullet lodged in his spine. Yet they have not lost hope.

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.