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Crisis in the Middle East
These years of turmoil in the Middle East have brought to the surface the historical depths of
hostility between Jews and Arabs living in Israel and Palestine. The international public
continues to ask itself why, in spite of efforts towards peace beginning with Oslo Accords, the
"Holy Land" continues to be wracked by such despair and violence.
Some facts to be considered:
1 - The Jewish population is a tiny minority among the mostly Arab Moslem population of the
Middle East.
2 - The existence of a non-Arab (moreover, a Jewish) State in the Middle-East, has never been
tolerated by the majority of surrounding Arab nations.
3 - Israel has been boycotted since its establishment in 1948 by the intellectual elites of Arab
countries, including Jordan and Egypt (countries that are at peace with Israel).
4 - Israel oppresses the Palestinian people in the territories occupied in 1967, when it
appropriated more than half of the West-Bank lands and built (against international law) more
than 120 settlements, with a population of almost 300,000 people.
5 - Inside Israel, Arab-Palestinians (almost 20% of the population) are discriminated against
and treated as second-class citizens. In general, they are mistreated by governmental
institutions and are almost always treated as suspect by police and officials.
6. In this region, fanatic Jewish and Moslem fundamentalists claim exclusive ownership over
sites that are holy for both religions.
What are the common elements shared by these facts? How can we understand and work
towards changing these behaviors that stem from so much hatred? Finally, what can be done
to insure a lasting peace? The answer is -
Education
Education
Education
Education for tolerance, human rights, human dignity and equal justice in a multi-cultural
society.
This is what we do in Friendship Village
Welcome to our site
Friendship Village
International Center of Education for Peace and Human Rights in a Multi-Cultural Society
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A Native American grandfather was talking to his grandson about how he felt after a tragedy.
He said, "I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one. The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one."
The grandson asked him, "Which wolf will win the fight in your heart?"
The grandfather answered, "The one I feed."
Home.
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