Reconciliation, not conflict

Read how the Bereaved Families Forum is responding to the violence

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The current fighting in Gaza and Israel

The renewed outbreak of violence between Israel and Hamas has been greeted with alarm around the world, and with calls for restraint from the United Nations. For the Palestinian and Israeli members of the Bereaved Families Forum, the fighting has reawakened painful memories of their own bereavement.

Last week the Israeli daily paper Yedioth Aharonoth published in its weekly 24 Hours section open letters from five bereaved mothers, all members of the Forum, to the newly bereaved Palestinian and Israeli mothers.

One Israeli mother, Tsurit Sarig, says: “This letter is written from the bottom of my heart, and from years of experience in the quagmire of bereavement, and is addressed to the bereaved mothers whose agony has joined the long list of their predecessors.

“The acts of hatred, incitement and above all the two horrible murders of the four youths, brought back great sadness as well as feelings of anger and confusion, which we first felt after my eldest son was killed. I am with you in your feelings of grief and shock.”

A Palestinian mother, Hanan Lubadeh from Nablus, whose 15-year-old son was killed in 1989, writes: “I've known Israeli bereaved mothers for many years. The mothers’ pain is similar, no matter if they are Israeli or Palestinian. It does not matter whether she is from Nablus, Shoafat, Rosh Pinah or Nof Ayalon. The pain is seared into us and will be with us forever.”

And Forum spokesperson Robi Damelin writes: “We understand that the pain of a mother losing a child is the same no matter where she comes from, what colour her skin is and to whom she prays at night. The tears falling on the pillow are the same colour. We cannot allow the violence to continue. Let us raise our voices together to stop this senseless killing. Stop the violence. Stop the horrific rhetoric. No one has the right to use our beloved children as pawns in a battle that can never be won.”

PC-FF has been holding a daily vigil for peace from 6.30 to 10pm every evening in the courtyard of the Tel-Aviv Cinematheque. The Peace Square will host activities that aim to promote peace and reconciliation between the two nations.

The PC-FF Facebook page “Crack in the Wall” – https://www.facebook.com/crackinthewall – is active in communicating members’ quotes and calls for the ending of violence and for the search for peace and reconciliation to be resumed.

Please support the Forum in its campaign for peace and reconciliation. It’s easy to make a credit card donation at www.justgiving.com/f-b-f-f/

Below: The vigil in Tel Aviv. The banners read "It won't stop until we talk."

A Fast for Life

To make a stand against the escalation of violence in Israel and Gaza, a group of Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Muslims, have decided to fast next Tuesday in support of peace and non-violence: a ‘choose life’ fast. (As well as falling during the Muslim month of Ramadan, Tuesday 15th July is 17th Tammuz in the Hebrew calendar, a fast which commemorates the events leading to the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.)

Yachad has invited members of the UK Jewish community to join the fast. As the fast comes to an end Yachad, in partnership with the UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, invites you to join us to watch the film “Two Sided Story”, produced by the Bereaved Families Forum, and at the end of the film screening to break the fast together (the fast concludes at dusk, 10.07pm in London).

The film follows a group of 27 Palestinians and Israelis who meet through a unique project called History through the Human Eye, devised by the Forum – bereaved Palestinians and Israelis who have renounced violence and campaign for reconciliation between their communities. The film offers glimmers of hope for a brighter future.

“Two Sided Story” will be shown at 8pm on Tuesday 15th July at JW3, the new Jewish community centre at 341-351 Finchley Road, London NW3 6ET. There is no charge for admission but the room only holds 45 people so please book your seat in advance via the Yachad website –
http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1767&ea.campaign.id=30232

Garden party raises £4,000

The FBFF garden party on 15th June raised more than £4,000 to support the campaign for peace and reconciliation. Warm thanks to everyone who attended, donated or helped with the preparations – and especially to Judith Elkan, who kindly allowed us to use her lovely garden.

Other relevant links:

www.huffingtonpost.com/robi-damelin/cry-for-sanity_b_5575118.html
www.haaretz.com/mobile/1.601993?v=62ABA294FA80C561495CE22021968EA5