This is a guest post from Children of Peace
Children of Peace is a charity which aims to promote friendship and reconciliation between Israeli and Palestinian children and their communities.
Recently, in partnership with Humans without Borders, Children of Peace hosted a memorable day at the seaside in Tel Aviv for sick and disabled Palestinian children. This was a huge logistical challenge – but also a great success.
Alona decided to follow last year’s game plan which was a very wise decision as everyone really enjoyed themselves and the day went very smoothly. She brought huge quantities of fruit and dozens of bottles of water. Lunch was prepared by the same Israeli Palestinian woman from Jaffa, Eliya, who cooked last year and it was really exceptional. We ordered 100 portions and nothing remained.
In our latest update you can also read Dalia al-Najjar’s Letter from Gaza. Here she describes the particular challenges faced by children with disabilities – her strongly felt views on this topic reflect her own personal experiences.
I have a sister and a brother with a sight disability and I can relate to the suffering they are facing everyday, and I still remember the names people used to call my sister in the school. I watched her brushing these bullying comments away and continue to rise, she’s now one of the rising talents of the student journalists. The environment of love and support my family provided for my sister and brother is rare in the community.
We are extremely grateful to our Goodwill Ambassador Paul Haines for his inspirational efforts on behalf of the charity on World Peace Day at Lincoln Cathedral. You can read about Paul Haines’ walk from Rome to Jerusalem, raising money for Children of Peace, here.
In the most recent Children of Peace interview Joan Ryan, Chair of Labour Friends of Israel, describes some of the experiences which have shaped her understanding of the region:
Obviously, meeting and listening to politicians, opinion-shapers and experts on both sides always helps to deepen your understanding of people’s motivations and their concerns. However, I think it’s the encounters I have had with ordinary Israelis and Palestinians which are probably the most memorable. I spoke with a woman whose town in Israel had come under attack in the 2014 war and was struck by the way she framed it: Hamas, not the Palestinian people, were the enemy and Hamas was the enemy of the Palestinian people, too.
I also went to a kibbutz and met a man who had been very badly injured in a rocket attack as he tried to shield his children. His wish for reconciliation and hatred of war and violence – all told us to under the shade of olive trees just metres from the Gaza border – was very memorable.
Finally, we are delighted to have received a letter of support from Prime Minister Theresa May.
