The Parents Circle: The Human Side of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

It takes immense strength to turn an enemy into a friend. Bassam Aramin and Robi Damelin will share their moving journeys across the Israeli-Palestinian divide and from loss to connection.

Aramin and Damelin are active members of and leaders in The Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) - a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization of over 600 families, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict. The PCFF has concluded that the process of reconciliation between nations is a prerequisite to achieving a sustainable 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. 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, no dibs be no no  n-violent end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and to Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. Bassam is the former Palestinian Co-director of the Parents Circle – Families Forum.

Robi Damelin’s son, David, was killed by a Palestinian sniper in 2002 while guarding a checkpoint near a settlement during his army reserve service. She speaks to Israelis, Palestinians, and audiences all over the world to demand that reconciliation be a part of any peace agreement. Robi was named a 2015 Woman of Impact by Women in the World.