The Ambassador, the Bishop and the Would-be Car Bomber

So the official delegation part of my time in Palestine has only been happening for 48 hours but it's been quite an awesome two days. The opportunities to witness and observe incredible efforts for peace amidst such a terrible ongoing conflict and to meet amazing people, Palestinian, Israeli and internationals, has already been powerful.

As an example, yesterday we had lunch with the former Palestinian Ambassador to Paris, (and prior to that Minister in the Palestinian Authority), a former Bishop of Cornwall (now here as a peace worker), a couple of significant authors as well as a mix of Palestinian peace activists doing amazing work and international peace workers/observers.

Then an incredibly profound session where two team members from an agency called ‘Combatants for Peace’ came and spoke with us for a solid couple of hours. This is a group made up of former Palestinian fighters and former Israeli Defence Force members who have come together against the occupation. Their membership is made up of Palestinians who have taken part in the armed struggle (and almost all have spent time in Israeli prisons for this), and Israelis who have served in the military. An amazing concept and incredible to hear of people from both sides previously indoctrinated in their story to hate, fight and kill who have now put down arms and are seeking to work together nonviolently.

Wa’el spoke with eloquence and honesty about his involvement in the Palestinian armed struggle, his incarceration and his reluctance to ever trust an Israeli, let alone someone who had served in the Israeli Defence Force. And yet, he is now a passionate believer in nonviolence and involved in this movement which has over 300 former Palestinian fighters and over 150 former Israeli soldiers; all working together to end the occupation and live in peace.

Tamar was a gracious and moving speaker too who gave her side of growing up in a proudly Jewish military family, but who had gradually shifted to the left, and now virtually runs the organization out of her home.

There are many profound stories here in Palestine, but I hadn’t expected so easily to come across former enemies – literally willing and trained to kill each other – sitting in a room talking about working together in practical ways for peace. Not only that, but that there are hundreds of such people gathering regularly… a sign of hope amidst so much conflict and pain.