Tag: Israel, Peace & Reconciliation
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Ali Abu Awwad, a Palestinian Non-violent Peace Activist
“Let there be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me.” Jill Jackson-Miller and Sy Miller Ali Abu Awwad, is a Palestinian non-violent Peace activist. Surprised? Yes, we usually hear about Palestinians that are violent and believe Israelis and Jews are less than human. I was so excited recently when I listened…
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Israel, the UAE and Bahrain―Is this Peace? Who Are They?
I was excited last time writing my article “United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel are New Peace Partners―L’Chaim!” Now Bahrain has joined the party too. The Peace agreements called the “Abraham Accords” were just signed between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, and brokered by the United States. They were called the Abraham Accords because of the…
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Israeli and Palestinian Women Build Peace Using Photography to See the “Other”
I hope you are staying safe, wearing masks, washing your hands, and not feeling too isolated. I know for me it feels like we are living in a Twilight Zone episode and I did not like watching those back then, let alone living in one. There is something that does not feel quite real about…
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An American Pastor Builds Bridges of Peace between Israelis and Palestinians
With the passing of John Lewis, great men are on my mind and I thought that this was a good time to speak about some of them that I know and respect deeply. In May I wrote an update on my favorite Peacemakers in Israel, Roots/Shorashim/Judur. I first met Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger and Ali Abu…
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A Love Letter to Israel on our Sixth Anniversary
Happy Sixth Year Anniversary Israel! This is a very personal anniversary between you and me. You may not remember me, but I’ll never forget you! Being Jewish, keeping you in my thoughts would have been true even before our fateful trip. As we Jews say in Psalm 137, “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let…
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A Solution for the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?
I’m not kidding, this is another organization in Israel called A Land for All movement, working on Peace (last time I wrote about Anahnu) between the Israelis and Palestinians. Somehow, with all the talk of impending annexation, I felt like I had to quickly write about Peace activists in Israel before another probable stumbling block…
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Israelis and Palestinians: Peace Cannot be Achieved Without First Addressing Their Humanity Part II
Israelis and Palestinians: A Shared Prosperity Israelis and Palestinians sharing prosperity, doesn’t that sound great? The violence would be over and families could live safely, if only. Well that is what one Peace activist group, Anahnu is trying to achieve. The path I am sure will be exceedingly difficult. Not because of the goal―who would…
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Israelis and Palestinians: Peace Cannot be Achieved Without First Addressing Their Humanity Part I
The world finally is waking up to the realization of the pervasive scourge of racism and its negative impact on society. Asking the victim, rather than the perpetrator seems to have yielded more honest results. Finally, it appears that significant action to address the problem is beginning. Unfortunately, after years of hatred there are elements…
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A Jew’s Painful Look at The Nakba
“Whatever the price of peace will be, is much cheaper than the price of war.” Ali Abu Awwad Israel just celebrated Yom Ha’Atzmaut, their Independence Day, when Israel became a state for the Jewish people. They’ve been a nation for 72 years. For Israelis and Jews, we rejoice. However, this same occasion is cause…
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There’s Hope! Palestinians and Israelis Can Get Along
Is it a miracle? Fake news? No, it’s true. People who know me, have heard me speak or have read my book, “BLASTED from COMPLACENCY: A Journey from Terror to Transformation in Israel,” know that the impact of being human targets while on a family vacation in Israel, led me to want to work on…
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Celebrating Yom Ha’Atzmaut—Israel Independence Day
Today is Yom Ha’Atzmaut, which is Israel Independence Day. Whether this is cause for celebration or suffering is a matter of perception—whose side are you on? It’s complicated. The Palestinians call the day, “The Naqba” (The Catastrophe). For Jews and especially Israelis, since 1948 Israel Independence Day is a hard-earned, happy day. Jews throughout the…
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Abbas is Being Dragged to the Peace Table—Will it Work?
I was excited at the thought of a Peace plan being announced. (You might notice that I capitalize Peace—to me it’s so important that we should). So far the best that can be said about the result of its existence is that at least it got Abbas to come to a table that he is…
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Whoohoo! The New Face of www.PennySTee.com is up! And Israel’s Winners of TIME magazine’s Top 100 Inventions is in…
No, I didn’t get a facelift, but my website did. Hmmm, should I have? Probably, would look “fresher” and modern like a colleague described my website. Mirrors aren’t our friends after sixty, or are they? Anyone living that long has been through some stuff and the more evolved can be proud of their accomplishments, if…
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May You Be Blessed with a Peace-filled Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving! As the year is ending, many of us take time to think about our life. How we are grateful for family and friends (family we choose), having a roof over our heads, the freedom to worship as we want—the list goes on and on—the fact that we have so many gifts to be…
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May You Have a Peace-filled Year! Lucy Aharish Shows Her Way By Living Her Truth…
I’d like to wish everyone Happy New Year and G’mar Fatima Tova (May You Be Sealed in the Book of Life)! As you know, since our unique, terror-laden trip in Israel, the subject of my book, “Blasted from Complacency” a Journey from Terror to Transformation in Israel,” Peace (I capitalize Peace because it’s so important)…