How the deepest pain turns into brotherhood

How the deepest pain turns into brotherhood

Bassam Aramin from Palestine and Rami Elhanan from Israel both lost a child in the conflict. In conversation with Udi Levy about conflict, grief, brotherhood and peace.

Bassam Aramin lives in Jericho in the West Bank. At the age of 17, he was incarcerated and spent 7 years in an Israeli jail. He went on to study history and holds an MA in Holocaust studies from the University of Bradford, England. In 2005 Bassam was one of the founders of Combatants for Combatants for Peace along side with Rami's son Elik. He became a member of the Parents Circle in 2007 after losing his 10-year-old daughter Abir, who was killed by an Israeli border policeman in front of her school. Bassam devotes his time and energies to his conviction for a peaceful, non-violent end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine an o Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. Bassam was the Palestinian Co-director of the Parents Circle – Families Forum till Aug 2020.

Rami Elhanan is a 7th generation Jerusalemite on his mother's side. His father was an Auschwitz survivor. He is retired IDF soldier of 3 wars. He identifies himself as a Jew, an Israeli, and before everything else a human being. On the first day of the school year in 1997, Rami's 14 years daughter, Smadar, was killed by Palestinian suicide bombers in the center of Jerusalem. A year later, Rami joined the Parents Circle, and speaks before Israeli, Palestinian and International audiences. Rami was the Israeli Co-director of the Parents Circle – Families Forum till Aug 2020.