Article content At last, a voice of peace amid the hate. I read daily of more slaughter on both sides. Hate breeds violence and wars.
But amid the destruction, violence and hateful rhetoric one Gazan doctor works for peace. He is not alone. There are other voices for peace among Israelis and Palestinians.
This column is about Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish. I welcome a story from any Israeli working for peace.
Abueleish’s book I Shall Not Hate” came after his three daughters were killed 16 years ago by an Israeli shell. He is dedicated to bettering the suffering of his people and believes that our common need for health care can overcome hate. “There is enough hate between Palestinians and Israelis; I will show by my medical skills in Gazan and Israeli hospitals that medicine crosses borders.
” He is one of few Palestinians permitted to work in Israeli hospitals, and the first granted residency in an Israeli hospital. He’s built bridges to top medical doctors and clinics in Israel and treats Jewish patients exactly like he would Palestinians. He quotes, “Dr.
Albert Schweitzer, famed for his work with Africans, awakened us to less privileged suffering people. Florence Nightingale demonstrated the humanitarian role of medical care.” Israelis and Palestinians occupy the same land, and he asks, “Why do we treat patients equally inside hospitals, then once they step outside, they are treated differently?” Two peoples cannot coexist in peace when one side holds all the pow.
