"Ladies and Gentlemen: His Excellency the Ambassador of Israel in Warsaw"
Rami Elhanan
Last Thursday evening, the Elhanan family was hosted at the home of the Aramin family, in Anata.A twenty minute ride from Motza, twenty light years away from Jerusalem.

Every right to question
Robi Damelin
To my fellow bereaved parents - especially those who filed their own report last week on the Second Lebanon War: Do you sense the rumblings in the ether hinting that we would do well to keep our noses out of political affairs? That efforts have been made to sideline your report, entitled "How the Courageous Fell"? We must not interfere with the running of the country, they say, just mourn our losses quietly and let the wisdom of Winograd and the other powers-that-be decide Israel's future. In return, the politicians will show up at the graves of our children on Memorial Day and offer endless platitudes about "understanding," pain and collective sacrifice.

Blogthoughts by Rabbi Brant RosenHome About Offering Reconciliation

Hevron
Robi Damelin
Each day we allow on the deserted ghost-town streets of Hevron, each cremated market place now a shell, each bicycle belonging to the Israeli settler children thrown into a courtyard claiming ownership and each insulting piece of graffiti scrawled on long closed shops, just serves to hammer another nail in the coffin of our collective morality.

Eschewing revenge, station
Daniel Estrin

When will it all end?
Gershon Baskin
An article from the Jerusalem Post

"Will two walk together, except they have agreed?" (Amos 3:3)
Jona Bargur

No more taking sides
Shira Herzog
A remarkable group of Israelis and Palestinians shows that victimhood is not exclusive, says SHIRA HERZOG.

Memories
Aaron Hirsh
Written after the PCFF, "Knowing is the Beginning", seminar.

A letter to the Forum members following "Knowing is the beginning" seminar.
Piera Edelman

A call for moderation
Aaron Barnea

Let our children live
Nurit Peled-Elhanan

Fresh lenses trained on ME conflict
Saeed Taji Farouky
A BBC NEWS article

A special letter and a lovely gesture to the BFF from Simona and Marco
Marco and Simona

A letter from Chani- a FBBF(UK) member
Chani
Dear friends, Since the beginning of this war, as I watch the terrible destruction and suffering that it causes, I am thinking of our group and have a strong wish to connect with all of you. I hope and pray that your loved ones are safe...

The Myth of Ethics/Morality in War
Aaziz Abu Sarah
Many of us grew up in communities where we were taught how to be moral and ethical. Although every community has its own understanding of what morality means, it is something that people are normally proud to have.

God's Dreams
Jonathan Wittenberg
I arrived at just the wrong time and became an embarrassed witness to a furious family quarrel. My friend's father lost his temper and, marching out of the house, slammed the door behind him with such force that the glass flew out and shattered across the floor. There followed a long silence, filled with fear. Then I heard the sound of weeping. My friend's mother was saying to her children between sobs, 'I didn't want it to be like this for you'. Though I was only ten or eleven at the time, I've never forgotten that scene.

To The Prime Ministers of Israel and Lebanon
Aaron Barnea
Dear Prime Ministers, Noam was my youngest son. In April 12, 1999, five days before being released from his army duties, an explosive activated by a Hizbollah fighter, killed him while carrying his duties as an explosive ordnance disposal expert, near the Beaufort, in Southern Lebanon.

No winners, just broken hearts
Robi Damelin
Listening to the rhetoric of this war reminds me of a sports tournament. We beat them by however many points, or they beat us by however many points. But it is not points we are talking about and there is no trophy. The points are human beings with families and loved ones fleeing their daily lives, sometimes succeeding and sometimes not.

"Families have been notified"
Jona Bargur
Saturday morning, fourth week of war, no name! Around Haifa shells have been dropped at dawn. Miracles occurred in the suburbs of Haifa. The obstinate home- front had learned to listen to the Home Front Command and spend the nights in the apartment's protected areas (APA).

New Conflict…Same Price
Aziz Abu Sarah
Today we have war and more war, as though the world were lacking bloodshed, as though the number of victims were not enough.

“The Determined Way to Reconciliation”
Boaz Kitain
It’s Saturday evening. We are sitting with friends on our balcony in Neve-Shalom and watching the sunset over the valley.

Who does this war serve?
Abdessalam Najjar
Human nature relates to situations of conflict as unnatural. We tend to develop various behavioral mechanisms to help us deal with the unnatural situation. There are simple and easy mechanisms, and there are complex and difficult ones.

Parents seek reconciliation
Eric Silver
Eric Silver listens to words of hope

Too used to death
Yona Bargur
Raad al-Batash,8, Mahmoud al-Batash, 15, and a third boy, Ahmed a-Susi, were killed in an air force strike in the Gaza Strip on March 6 that had targeted two wanted Islamic Jihad members.

The Last Good-Bye
Aharon Barnea

We Do Not Have The Right To Stay Silent
Ben Kfir
Speech made by our member, Ben Kfir at the memorial ceremony to the fallen soldiers of the Signal Corps

A Message of Hope
Ghazi Briegieth, 25 April 2004

United for Peace
By Mashka Litvak, March 2004

Speech to the Families Forum
Terje Roed-Larsen
If I ever need to look for a reason as to why I have spent nearly a decade working toward peace in the region – then I have to look no further than this courageous gathering.

Both Sides should Start Talking
By Roni Hirshenzon
A letter to the editor