Published: January 31, 2006
Meet Two Mothers, One Arab, One Israeli, Join Forces to Fight for Peace
Photo: TIP |
Photo: TIP |
Nonie Darwish (left) grew up in Gaza, the daughter of a "martyr" who organized and carried out operations to destroy Israel. She was encouraged to avenge his death by killing Jews.
Miri Eisen (right) recently completed service as an Israeli Defense Forces colonel where she was at the forefront of defending her people.
The women are touring the US and extend a lunch invitation in six cities from February 8th to 15th. The cities are Washington, DC, New York, NY, River Edge, NJ, Atlanta, GA, San Jose, CA and San Francisco, CA.
Both women are mothers of three children, and both share a common hope: a peaceful future where children can live free of violence and some day imagine a better tomorrow.
Miri and Nonie want something different for Palestinian youth: a new way of life in which children are taught to aspire to become doctors, farmers, businesspeople and teachers, not suicide bombers. They also want something different for Israeli youth: a future free of a need to serve at checkpoints, fences or in defensive operations - and a life free of terror.
Nonie and Miri will be traveling together to talk about the need to end the culture of hate that Palestinian children learn as part of daily life - ranging from singing songs at school about destroying Israel and learning from textbooks that deny Israel's existence to watching children's cartoons that glorify and encourage them to become suicide bombers.
Despite new Palestinian leadership, more than 300 schools in Palestinian areas are named after suicide bombers. Soccer fields and public areas also bear the names of so-called "shahids" - including a public square in Gaza named after Nonie's own father.
At a time when the president of Iran is calling to "wipe Israel off the map" and other governments in the region are using hatred of Israel as a way to divert attention from the lack of freedoms and opportunities in their countries, Nonie and Miri speak out for a better future for Arabs in the region - one which offers common sense ideas that can help Israelis and Palestinians live in peace.
Television commercials featuring Nonie Darwish will air in the tour cities. Click here to view the ad online and look for it on CNN, MSNBC and FOX News in the cities below.
Click here here to RSVP.
For more information, please contact Meagan Buren at 202-857-6644 or meaganb@theisraelproject.org
Source: The Israel Project
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