Silence peacemakers, silence humanity

For what seditious crimes against the state and bereaved families who do not agree with us are we accused? Is it the DNA of peacemakers which causes so much fear? Who are these subversive troublemakers who plot against the state? Perhaps we can alleviate some of the suspicion by explaining what it is that we do at The Parents Circle – Families Forum. Who we are, and what our vision for the future is.

But before that, let us ask the question of Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, who is so protective of certain families who have lost loved ones and must at all costs protect their feelings. Dear minister, we who are looking for a path to reconciliation – is the blood of our children killed in this never-ending conflict not as sacred as that of those you so powerfully defend? Are the tears that fall on our pillows at night a different color? Is the pain of loss less acute when it is tinged with a desire to find a way to protect our children, be they Israeli or Palestinian, from a violent future?

Let us assure you, we have no desire to find fault with anyone who is a part of the family of the bereaved, even though it is the desire of many to make us face each other like gladiators in a ring, cheered on by hungry spectators. Each person should be allowed to commemorate their loved ones in the manner they deem fit. No-one can understand this desperate need we have to never let our loved ones be forgotten. We are the consequences of this never-ending violence.

The eve of Remembrance Day is for us at The Parents Circle – Families Forum and our partners at Combatants For Peace an opportunity to remember why we are looking for a peaceful solution, and to bring hope to so many who find it difficult to see a solution to the cycle of violence. After all, we cannot solve the conflict on our own, we must have a partner. Can you, dear readers, imagine anything more powerful than two bereaved people, one Palestinian and one Israeli, telling their stories of loss and reconciliation? And more important, calling for an end to the violence, in one voice?

We invite all those who are hurt, who are in it for political gain, the defense minister, yes, and even the dean of students of Bar-Ilan University which refused entry to the parents’ circle, to join us at the ceremony and perhaps to be inspired with hope for a better future.

The author, a bereaved mother, is a member of and spokesperson for The Parents Circle-Families Forum.