Former enemies find new way forward (from VFP convention)

uhc comment: I am limited to six paras & I cannot do justice to this piece.

Former enemies find new way forward
by Mike Ferner | Aug 22 2007 - 8:47am


St. Louis -- A young man from Palestine and another from Israel riveted 400 U.S. military veterans to their seats last week in this city on the Mississippi River. What captivated the audience was their recent decision to put down the guns they'd pointed at each other for years.

The two members of Combatants For Peace addressed the mid-August national convention of Veterans For Peace, a 7,000 - member organization dedicated to abolishing war.

~snip~

His thinking continued to change until eventually he was ready to attend a meeting of Combatants For Peace. "I was hesitant. Psychologically I wasn't ready to accept that I would actually meet one of the Israeli soldiers who had caused the struggle of the Palestinian people. Our first meeting was in secret with lookouts posted. I was so afraid. I asked myself 'what the hell am I doing meeting with an Israeli soldier? Just yesterday we were fighting!'"

Both parties to the meeting suspected an ambush and only after a while did the suspicion between Al-Haddar and his Israeli brothers-in-arms begin to lift. "Eventually I realized the Israeli was intelligent. We began by taking it a step at a time. Trust started. Now we have a very strong relationship."

"I know many people have lost hope in this life," the former fighter said, citing Palestinian unemployment of 70 percent and 12,000 Palestinians imprisoned. "But me and Combatants For Peace have not lost hope. I will never lose hope."

To a prolonged standing ovation the former fighter pleaded, "Do not leave me alone. We need your help. Stand by our side so the struggle will be against war and we will have security, peace and justice."


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