This blog article is a translation of Yonatan Rabinowitz’s opinion editorial חבריי לא איבדו בני משפחה לסכסוך כדי שח”כים יתבריינו עליהם, published on Haaretz on June 19, 2023
My name is Yonatan Rabinowitz. I am an alumni of the Parents Circle – Families Forum’s Summer Camp for Peace and its year-round program. Fortunately, I am not a member of a bereaved family. I participate in the PCFF’s summer camp in one of the few spots reserved for non-bereaved participants because my family and I believe in the peace the PCFF promotes and in its goal to stop the bloodshed on both sides.
At the summer camps, we meet as 25 Israelis and 25 Palestinians, boys and girls. Most of the participants are members of bereaved families. Most of us come in with many fears and much hope. In the camp, we learn to get to know the other side, learn to argue, disagree, fight, and reconcile. We learn to see the other side as it really is – human. We live together, sleep, sing, overcome the language barrier, dance, and share jokes.
After all the efforts we make, the pain and tears, to build a better reality for ourselves and our future children, little siblings, family members, and our people - we receive one slap in the face after another, threats to our lives and our enterprise.
When I’m at camp or at the year-long meetings, I feel at home.
When I look at my friends at camp, who lost a close family member to the bloody conflict that we, as teenagers, were born into, I am happy that they have a place to channel their pain.
After all the efforts we make, the pain and tears, to build a better reality for ourselves and our future children, younger siblings, family members, and our people – we receive one slap in the face after another, threats to our lives and our enterprise.
Today [at the Knesset] we heard insults like “You are a sick and dangerous woman” and “We will blow up your camp”. After the swearing, chaos, and shouting, the committee chairman even threatened to exclude participants from the discussion.
I was excited to come to the Knesset debate with my father, to see democracy in action, and maybe even participate in the debate myself. Instead, I saw what turns out to be the true face of the State of Israel.
I didn’t see a discussion conducted… I saw how hatred comes out of people’s eyes. I saw how anger turns them red; I saw a lack of restraint, lack of control, lack of maturity, lack of thought, and threats, or in their words, “promises”.
I saw an attempt to control the way Israeli citizens think…[and] I felt angry at the fact that hatred has penetrated so deeply into the country, and that there are people in the Knesset with whom it is absolutely impossible to hold a discussion.
I felt that the bereavement of my friends is a "second-class bereavement" because it is channeled for peace and coexistence and not for the continuation of hatred and bloodshed.
This is an attack on each and every person in the State of Israel, whose opinion is declared invalid in the eyes of the government.
I felt that my friends’ bereavement is treated as a “second-class bereavement” because it is channeled for peace and coexistence and not for the continuation of hatred and bloodshed.
I felt angry that peace and reconciliation have become despicable words in the eyes of the State, and are uttered mockingly by MKs. An attack on the most natural and humane thing there is. I feel anger that humanity has become despicable in the eyes of the State. I will continue to fight unjust things because I refuse to be a bystander.
Yonatan is an Israeli high school student and an alumni of our 2022 Youth Summer Camp. He will also be participating in this year’s camp.