Episode 9:
Lean on Me
The Parents Circle – Families Forum: Finding the Path to Reconciliation
Thursday, APRIL 30th 1PM ET
Yigal and Arab are bereaved brothers, both having lost a sister due to the violent conflict. Their loss and pain led them to fight for justice and reconciliation – together. We’ll hear about their unlikely friendship, their own transformation, and the work of The Parents Circle – Families Forum.
Guest Speakers:
Arab Aramin
Arab Aramin was born in Jerusalem. He is 21 years old. In 2007, on the 17th of January, Abir, his beloved sister, was shot dead by an Israeli soldier in front of her school which is in Anata, East Jerusalem. Abir was killed for no reason. Or maybe there was a reason. Abir was a Palestinian. After Abir was killed, Arab tried to avenge her death. He started throwing stones at soldiers who stood at the checkpoint outside his house. After a while his father, a peace activist himself, discovered he was throwing stones and persuaded him to stop. He told Arab that revenge only brings more revenge, blood only brings more blood and that he is not ready to lose another child. Arab’s heartfelt conversation with his father helped him develop a more positive outlet for his anger and led him to connect with The Parents Circle – Families Forum, where he has been an active member for many years.
Yigal Elhanan
Yigal was born and raised in Jerusalem, where he learned for the first time about the many mechanisms of segregation and oppression that are imposed on the people of this country. In Jerusalem, he also saw the violence and experienced the pain which are the inevitable results of this segregation.
The majority of his political activism was done through the Bereaved Palestinian- Israeli Family Forum and through Combatants for peace, where he first learned about the great strength that comes from joint Jewish-Palestinian education and human encounter.
Today, he lives in Tel Aviv and works on completing his MA in Middle Eastern studies, with the hope to continue and discover times and situations that allowed a life of partnership and solidarity between those we have grown used to seeing living apart. Yigal Currently works as Program Coordinator at Sadaka-Reut.
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