Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice & the Environment
Former Israeli soldier Shai Eluk and former Palestinian fighter Osama Elewat related their personal stories of transformation from violence to non violence to the audience at Belmont/Watertown United Methodist Church.
{The following piece was submitted by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment.}
On April 28, Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment was delighted to host an event with members of the organization Combatants for Peace, which is dedicated to ending the Israeli Occupation and the cycle of violence in the Middle East.
Former Israeli soldier Shai Eluk and former Palestinian fighter Osama Elewat related their personal stories of transformation from violence to non-violence to the audience at Belmont/Watertown United Methodist Church.
While serving as a soldier in the Gaza strip and the West Bank, Shai encountered brutal treatment of innocent Palestinians and refused to continue to serve in the West Bank. Osama’s family was exiled to Jordan when the state of Israel was established in 1948, and subsequently returned to Israel. As a young child he was harassed by Israeli soldiers while walking to school, then later witnessed cruel treatment of his compatriots. He became a fighter, but after witnessing the killing of a friend, decided he had to find another way.
Both men described how they could never have imagined that respect and friendship with “the enemy” was possible until joining Combatants for Peace.
The audience in Belmont responded with warmth and admiration for their courage in the face of accusations of disloyalty in their homelands. Participants applauded in agreement when one woman said, “To us, you are heroes.” To learn more about this inspiring organization, go to http://cfpeace.org
For more information about Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment, visit http://watertowncitizens.org or https://www.facebook.com/WatertownCitizensPJE/ or email: watertowncitizens@gmail.com