Open Letter from Dr David Toorawa, Lead Commission Member for Israel-Palestine
Dear Friends,
Some of you may have caught the interview today on BBC Radio 4 “Broadcasting House ” with Paddy O’Connell, where two friends from an Israeli village spoke about the madness which has overtaken two peoples yet again.
One was an Israeli Jew, the other an Israeli Palestinian. The village is Oasis of Peace ( Neve Shalom / Wahat al Salam).
I was privileged to visit and stay at Neve Shalom in 2013 in order to explore why a Catholic priest, Fr Bruno Hussar, should wish to found a community where Jews & Arabs could live in peace. He did so on land donated by the Trappist monastery of Latroun, a magical place. The story is likewise magical, but not accomplished without a great deal of prayer & hard work.
It was a revelation to sit in English classes for the children of both “communities” , where they were taught by a teacher moving with equal facility from Hebrew to Arabic to English.
The atmosphere at Neve Shalom needs replication throughout the Holy Land. Fr Bruno’s vision has yet to be tried beyond the original village….
Fr Bruno, who died in 1996, is buried in the village, overlooking the Ayalon valley . Also – see Joshua 10.v 12
Please take some time to visit the Oasis of Peace website and “Broadcasting House”….. the interview was circa 0930hrs
What we do | British Friends Of Neve Shalom – Wahat Al-Salam (oasisofpeace.org.uk)
History | British Friends Of Neve Shalom – Wahat Al-Salam (oasisofpeace.org.uk)
Diocese of Westminster Justice and Peace Commission 