Bassam Aramin e Rami Elhanan they are two fathers, Palestinian and Israeli respectively, who at different times lost a daughter still a child. Abir, daughter of Bassam, was killed by an Israeli soldier at the age of ten, while leaving school, while Smadar, 14 years old and Rami’s daughter, lost her life due to a Palestinian suicide attack in the center of Jerusalem. “My daughter was full of joy and energy – says Rami – she swam, danced and played the piano and everyone called her princess.” “It was January 16, 2007 when a soldier hit my daughter from behind, she fell and two days later she died in the same hospital where she was born – says Bassam – the same hospital where Smadar, Rami’s daughter, was also born and lost her life ”.
To unite them the same pain and also the same belief: to have peace The Israeli occupation must end. For this Bassam and Rami, who are part of the association Parents’ Circle which aims to raise awareness of Israeli and Palestinian families who have lost a member due to the conflict, trying as much as possible to spread their message of peace through meetings in schools, events and appointments in various countries around the world. Their story is also told in the book Apeirogon by Colum McCann.
“Rami and Bassam met similar in pain – he says Luisa Morgantini, founder and president of Assopace Palestina, friend of both for many years – but not similar in condition and this is the important thing. Bassam lives under military occupation and talks about the harassment he suffered, the demolitions of houses, while obviously Rami does not experience this, but he understands the asymmetry of the conditions. For this reason, together they say, that this situation can only be resolved through the end of the Israeli military occupation.”
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