19th Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Event Calls for an End to Violence

 By Nate Feldman

Today, the 19^th joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony was held.  The event was an initiative of Combatants for Peace, former soldiers that are calling for people to lay down their weapons, and the Parents Circle-Families Forum, a group of bereaved Israeli and Palestinian parents calling for an end to fighting between the two sides. 

There were Israeli and Palestinian speakers recalling the violence against both sides, from the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s ongoing war against Gaza.  Nevertheless, there were calls for an end to violence.  One Israeli mother who lost her son in the Hamas attack called for an end to revenge and fighting between the two sides.  A Palestinian woman talked about losing her brother and twenty members of her family in the current conflict.  Yet, she acknowledged that Israeli people had lost relatives as well. 

There was a musical performance by Yael Deckelbaum and Layan Hawila on guitar and oud titled “The Prayer for the Mothers,” which was sung in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.  The song talked about the desire of mothers who wanted peace. 

Activist helps keep the peace between Israeli Jews and Palestinians

 By Nate Feldman

The Israel21c website had an interesting profile of Mohammed Darawashe, the Director of Strategy at Givat Haviva's Center for Shared Society, an organization dedicated to building relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel.  

In an article titled Arab-Israeli conflict-resolution activist helps keep the peace by Elana Sharp, it is described how after the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, there were calls by the militant organization for Israel's Arab citizens to join the fight with them, but there were efforts by activists, such as Darawashe to help prevent a full-out war between Jews and Arabs throughout the country.  

One very important thing he helped spearhead was getting Jewish and Arab mayors to issue joint calls for peaceful relations between the two populations.  According to the article this led to a "collective decision by Arab citizens that what happened on October 7 does not represent (them)."  

In addition to this, the Givat Haviva center offered a place of refuge to 300 residents of Israel's south to escape the area of fighting for a couple of months.  

The article also mentions that Darawashe himself was personally connected to the October 7 tragedy.  His cousin, Ahed Darawashe, who worked as a paramedic, was killed by Hamas while attempting to assist attendees of the Suprnova music festival which was attacked.  

Coexistence Corner Shop at the Quakertown Farmer's Market

 By Nate Feldman

The Coexistence Corner Shop at the Quakertown Spring Craft Show

On Saturday, May 4, the Coexistence Corner Shop had a space at the Quakertown Farmer's Market Spring Craft Show.  The shop sells postcards and magazines.  

The postcards are of famous local places, such as Philadelphia and Valley Forge, as well as the "Coexistence" card which has a dove in the middle of the symbols of the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu faiths.   

The magazines included The Ghost and Goblin Gazette, a fictitious news report from a haunted town as well as the Coexistence Corner Magazine which has stories and a news report about what people from around the world like about pumpkins.

For more information about items from The Coexistence Corner Shop, contact nfeldman82@gmail.com.  

Leaders from Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam Hold Zoom Call

 By Nate Feldman

Nir Sharon and Samah Salaime, two individuals from the village of Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam, a place in Israel where both Jews and Palestinians live, held a zoom call on Monday with supporters of their town's mission.  The two are co-directors of the Neve Shalom Educational Institutions.  

Among things they discussed were an art gallery with works produced by Jews and Palestinians.  The artwork reflects the populations' feelings about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.