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.
Webinar recording available Her Voice, Our Future International Women’s Day Webinar March 7, 2024 Watch PCFF Women’s Day video Join us for a special International Women’s Day webinar with Israeli, Palestinian, and international women changemakers. Bushra Awad – bereaved mother, Forum memberAyelet Harel – bereaved sister, Forum member, PCFF Board memberHuda Abuarqoub – UN Advisor … Continue reading [WEBINAR] Her Voice, Our Future
تسجيل الويبينار متاح شاهد فيديو يوم المرأة صوت النساء – إسرائيليات وفلسطينيات من أجل التغييريتشرف منتدى العائلات الثكلى الإسرائيلي الفلسطيني بدعوتكم للقاء بمناسبة يوم المرأة العالمي: 7.3 الخميس الساعة 20:00 عبر زووم الموجهة: هاموتال غوري– ناشطة سلام نسويةبشرى عوض– ام ثاكلة وعضوة في منتدى العائلاتأيليت هارئيل– اخت ثاكلة، عضوة، وعضوة هيئة ادارية في منتدى العائلاتهدى … Continue reading [WEBINAR] Her Voice, Our Future
צפו בוובינר https://youtu.be/I-8dAQ6nkSY תרגום לעברית: נטע חזן צפו בסרטון יום האישה קול הנשים – ישראליות ופלסטיניות למען שינויפורום המשפחות השכולות הישראלי-פלסטיני מזמין למפגש בסימן יום האישה הבינלאומי: יום חמישי 7.3 20:00 זום מנחה, חמוטל גורי – פעילת שלום פמיניסטיתבושרה עוואד – אם שכולה, חברת הפורוםאילת הראל – אחות שכולה, חברת הפורום וחברת הוועד המנהלהודא אבו … Continue reading [WEBINAR] Her Voice, Our Future
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 constantly for solidarity and peace … Continue reading “I was 47 the first time I met Palestinians as human beings” | RTL Today
by Robi DamelinBereaved Israeli motherParents Circle – Families Forum February 12, 2024 The people of the book have spoken. The anvil poised to come down on a novel of two men and their daughters divided by history, united in grief. The name of this novel by the world renowned Irish author Colum McCann is Apeirogon: … Continue reading “An abomination to be stopped at any price?” by Robi Damelin
We, the Parents Circle, along with over 35 other civil society and human rights organizations, call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and demand the immediate release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. An immediate ceasefire will prevent further loss of civilian lives and facilitate access to vital aid for Gaza to … Continue reading Ceasefire Now
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, have seen a surge in … Continue reading A Glimmer of Hope Amidst Chaos: Emerging Social Order in the Israel-Hamas Conflict | BNN
I am Kholoud Houshiya and I live in the village of Al Yamun near Jenin. Originally my family is from Haifa. I wasn’t able to experience childhood due to the occupation, which forcibly displaced my family to Jenin under oppression and humiliation.
Later, I married and I gave birth to my first child, whom I named Mohammed. I raised him with all my love and effort.
Mohammed was a young man who loved life dearly, and he loved me even more. He was both my son and my friend, thanks to our close bond.
Mohamad was 23 years old. He worked in Israel and helped his father.
On January 2, 2024 Mohamed took a picture of the Israeli army tearing down my neighbor’s house. The army thought otherwise and they shot him. Just because he was Palestinian.
I always dreamed of seeing my son as a groom, just like any mother. But now, I am left with him buried in my garden. I had hoped to see him, his wife, and his children in my house, but now, every day, I look at his grave from the window in my room.
My message to the world is this: Enough. Enough killing, enough injustice, enough destruction, enough oppression. Enough violence on both sides.
It is not easy for a mother to recount the story of her son’s death—the pain is indescribable. I cannot bear the loss of another child. This is why we must raise the voice of the mothers for a better future for all children and young generations – Palestinians and Israelis.
I am Hala Al-Bukhari, living in Jerusalem.
My daughter, my sister and her large family, children and grandchildren live in Gaza. Despite the distance, before the war, I used to communicate with them daily, checking on their health via video call.
On the morning of October 7th, my son told me to watch TV to see what was happening in southern Israel. From that day, fear has overwhelmed my heart.
Then came the morning of October 18th, bringing the harsh news: My sister’s house was bombed, and she, her husband, her children, and grandchildren were in the house—33 innocent lives lost in this horrific massacre. Since then, my fear for my daughter has grown. I have pleaded with human rights organizations, seeking any means to get her out of the hell of war and the horror of the massacres. Eventually we succeeded to get my daughter out of Gaza.
With every word I write, I struggle to express the extent of my pain. Our hearts bleed with grief for those we have lost and continue to lose. Our sorrow is profound, and our souls yearn for the peace we all dream of.
Let us all live in peace and build a better future for our children. War brings only destruction and ruin to everyone involved, whether Palestinian or Israeli. It is always the innocent people who suffer the most.
I am Liat Atzili from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
My partner, Aviv and I built a life and a family in Nir Oz. We were an inseparable part of this little community, which fulfilled our aspirations and needs. Mine as an educator, and Aviv’s as a farmer and an artist.
On October 7th, our kibbutz was attacked, conquered, and destroyed by Hamas. A quarter of the residents were either killed or kidnapped, including me. The time I spent as a hostage in Gaza was of complete despair, unending fear for my friends and family, and long days. I was nervous that I wouldn’t survive.
After 54 days in captivity, I was returned home. The following day, my family and I were told that Aviv was killed on October 7th. Aviv had hundreds of friends, he traveled and created, and made the most of every opportunity; he truly loved life.In his final year, Aviv fulfilled many dreams, the greatest being to share his art publicly. While managing the kibbutz’s agricultural garage, he painted on tractor parts and scrap metal, blending his love for metals and the Negev fields into his creations. Our children looked up to him and I feel like I had the greatest privilege to share my life with him.
I always believed that war is not our destiny, and that any conflict, including ours, can be solved. This war has proven to me beyond a doubt that we cannot continue fighting, that we have no right to impose the continued suffering of war on future generations on either side. I am ready today, more than ever, to do everything in my power so that our children can live here in peace and security.
I am Mazen from Bethlehem. Many of my family members live in Beit Lahiya, Gaza. They lived in a beautiful house and went on about their lives, despite the siege.
It all stopped on October 10, 2024, when, my uncle, his three sons, and his son-in-law were outside near the house. Israeli aircraft targeted them with bombardment and gunfire. My aunt managed to bring their bodies into the house. With trembling hands, she was forced to gather what remained of them, unable for over a week to lay her husband and three sons to rest.
I cannot believe that so many of my family are dead, and that I cannot go there to help them and cry with them.
The depth of pain in Gaza is beyond description and cannot be fathomed by the human mind. How much longer will this hatred on both sides continue? How much longer will we endure this nightmare? All the Palestinian people desire is a dignified life free from occupation—a fundamental right, just like that of any other people in the world.
The suffering will not cease until we collectively seek pathways to peace and understanding. Revenge will not forge a shared future; we must strive to find common ground and solidarity. Let us unite for a brighter future for the generations to come, and let us raise our voices for peace, so that together we may end this cycle of violence and finally live in safety and harmony.
