Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight. I’m Rebekah Schipper.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
In January 2007 Bassam Aramin’s ten year old daughter died. She received a serious head injury outside of her school in the Palestinian West Bank. Palestinian young people had been throwing stones at Israeli policemen. The police fought back. They fired rubber bullets and tear gas over the crowd of students. Bassam’s innocent daughter found herself in the middle of the fighting. Something hit her head, and she died.
Voice 2
If you were Bassam what would you do? Would you seek revenge? Would you want to hurt the person who killed your daughter? What do you think Bassam did? His answer may surprise you. Today’s Spotlight is on Combatants for Peace.
Voice 1
For many years there has been conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis. It is a very complex conflict, one that is hard to solve. Much of the conflict is a struggle over land. And some of the conflict has to do with religion and politics. Parents teach their children about the conflict. So, children grow up hating other children. It is a cycle, a seemingly unending conflict.
Voice 2
When Bassam Aramin was a young man he became a Palestinian soldier. He joined the conflict. At that time he believed that military force was the only way to gain Palestinian rights. But, Israeli soldiers caught Bassam carrying a weapon. They discovered that he was part of an illegal military group. So, they put him in jail for seven [7] years.
Voice 1
While in jail, Bassam thought a lot about his life. He thought a lot about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. And he came to this opinion,
Voice 3
“I finally understood that there was no military solution to this conflict. It just meant that more Palestinian and Israelis would die.”
Voice 2
After leaving jail Bassam decided to change his life. Instead of adding to the conflict, he decided to work for peace. And in 2005 he helped start a group called Combatants for Peace. Bassam and the group members want a peaceful end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Voice 1
Combatants for Peace is a very interesting group. The group members are either Palestinian or Israeli former soldiers. They are individuals who have decided that violence is not the answer. The group has about three hundred members. Half are Palestinian and half are Israeli. This is how the group describes themselves:
Voice 3
“Together, Palenstinians and Israelis started the ‘Combatants for Peace’ movement. All have been involved in the cycle of violence, Israelis as soldiers in the Israeli army, and Palestinians as part of the violent struggle for Palestinian freedom. After carrying weapons for so many years, and having seen one another only through our weapon’s sights, we have decided to put down our guns, and fight for peace.”
Voice 2
‘Combatants for Peace’ believe that they can end the violence. But they can only end it by working together. The members refuse to take part in any activity that causes other people to die. They do not use violent weapons. Instead they use communication. Communicating lets the members learn about each other. They learn about each side of the conflict. And they try to find answers to the conflict together.
Voice 1
Members of Combatants for Peace have very specific goals. First, they teach both Palestinian and Israeli citizens about the hopes and suffering of the other side. They create groups of people from both sides. These people are willing to talk together and learn from each other.
Voice 2
Second, they educate people about peace and reconciliation, or coming together. They teach people non-violent ways to deal with conflict.
Voice 1
And third, they put political pressure on both governments. They ask each government to work for peace instead of continuing the conflict.
Voice 2
Members understand that it can be frightening to come together with an enemy. So, they can understand that some Palestinian and Israeli citizens are afraid to join in their work. But, the group hopes that their lives can serve as an example to other Palestinians and Israelis. The group members were able to defeat their fear. And now they work together without fear.
Voice 1
Each member of Combatants for Peace has an emotion-filled story. Chen Alon is an Israeli. He was a Major in the army. He killed many Palestinians. One day he destroyed a home in a village. As he watched the people in the village, he saw many young children. The children made Chen remember his own daughter. Chen said,
Voice 5
“After seeing the Palestinian girls...in the village...it hit me hard that these girls are no different than my own daughter. It was then that I decided that I would no longer take part in this conflict, no matter what price I would have to pay.”
Voice 2
Chen is now a member of Combatants for Peace. He still feels sad when he thinks about the Palestinian members of the group. He remembers trying to kill Palestinians. He often wonders if he ever tried to kill someone from Combatants for Peace when they were still enemies. He regrets his actions very much. But Chen also feels hope for the future.
Voice 1
So, what about Bassam? At the beginning of this program we said that his own daughter died in the conflict. The death of an innocent child is always very tragic. What would you do if it were your child? What do you think Bassam did?
Voice 2
Well, first, Bassam found care and encouragement from the members of Combatants for Peace. The Israeli members have offered Bassam, a Palestinian, a lot of help.
Voice 3
“They stayed with me all the time in the hospital. They called every day to see that I was alright. I saw them crying, they were crying about my daughter.”
Voice 1
And second, Bassam says that he will not let this incident stop him from working for peace. He is very sad. But he knows that continued violence on his part will not bring peace. Bassam said,
Voice 3
“I want my daughter to be the last victim. I will still be working for peace through my suffering. ...It will be very, very difficult. But we must protect the lives of children and innocent citizens. For my children, I want them to know another life. I do not want them to live the same miserable, violent life as I have led.”
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