JERUSALEM | Thirty-five Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli Seeds of Peace Educators and their spouses spent January 29 in the southern West Bank visiting with Israeli and Palestinian peace activists at a center that engages Israelis and Palestinians in dialogue and at the Israeli settlement of Tekoa.
“We met people who do not lose their humanity, who emphatically say ‘no’ to violence,” said one of the Seeds of Peace Educators. “It was exciting. There is no doubt that the visit created new insights for many of us.”
Hadassah Fruman, the widow of Rabbi Menachem Fruman, hosted the Educators in her Tekoa home. Rabbi Fruman was well-known for his ties to Palestinian leaders like Yasser Arafat and Hamas co-founder Mahmoud Al-Zahar, and for being a proponent of inter-religious dialogue, believing that religious Israelis and Palestinians have a special role in making peace.
“Hadassah Fruman spoke powerfully and from the heart; she raised more questions than she answered,” said Daniel Moses, Director of Seeds of Peace Educator Programs.
The Educators then met with peace activist Ali Abu Awwad and members of his Roots Center, a space that engages Israeli and Palestinian community leaders in seeking a nonviolent solution to the conflict.
The Center is located at the Gush Etzion Junction, the scene of recent attacks, and has continued to bring together local Palestinians and Israelis despite the violence. Awwad is a recipient of a Seeds of Peace Educator grant, which helped to build his center.
Awwad shared his experiences growing up with a mother who was an anti-Occupation activist and who spent years in Israeli prisons.
“He spoke of how he also spent years in Israeli prison, how his brother was killed by Israeli soldiers, and how he has taken a painful path to where he is now as an activist fighting for a Palestinian state and for peace,” said Moses.
Awwad emphasized that Israelis are not his enemy. “My enemy is Israeli fear, which gets in the way of my freedom,” he said.
The Educators also heard from a Jewish member of the Roots Center and shared a meal with Center’s members, including the father of a Palestinian Seed.
For most of the participants, this was the first time in years, even decades, that they crossed the Green Line into the West Bank.
EDUCATORS IN WEST BANK PHOTOS
If ever there is to be peace, and there must be, the seeds must be planted now, for it takes time even for a well watered garden to grow.