BLOG: Israel – Palestine Peace: A Tale of Two Women

This was my second visit to Nablus. However, the first wasn't a visit as such. In 1991 I received a call from my brother in law urging me and mother to visit them. What is so urgent I asked?? Eiman is not very well and wants to see her mother, he replied. My sister Eiman married my cousin and moved to Nablus where he lives 12 years prior to that.

We couldn't go immediately. I was refused entry at first. We both needed much paper work and finally we were approved by the Israeli authorities after the mediation of the Red Cross. We were granted a visa based on the critical condition of my sister's health. My mother and I crossed the Allenby bridge from Jordan to Palestine. Less than hour drive, took us some 10 hours to arrive. We were received by many cousins and silence.

The only thing that was murmured in the car was by my mother: ‘'Eiman is dead I fear'', I didn't reply. Just held my breath.
Finally we arrived at Nablus after a long long journey. It was Monday. Eiman was in her bedroom that looked like a hospital room with the special bed, medical equipments, nurses and a doctor that visited her twice or 3 times a day. She was not in a coma but not very conscious. She recognized us. She asked about her little girls, I held them and they kissed and touched. Which was the first in months and the last for ever.

On Wednesday, my 32 years old sister died in my arms while eight months pregnant of a son she longed for. They were both buried and left five little girls behind. My sister died after losing one eye to a bullet when she was caught in fire exchange in the city of Nablus between the Palestinians and Israelis, after she dropped her kids to school. She developed other complications soon after. Her husband whom I visited last May never got over her death even after 20 years. But life goes on. Must go on when you have little kids to feed and raise under difficult circumstances.

My mother showed great strength that amazed me to the extend I thought she is not sad for the death of her daughter. But soon after we went back home, the event took its toll on her. Mom suffered heart attack. Then brain stroke. She eventually died 9 months later.

Vardit I met in an event in London, to promote peace, last May. She facilitated some of my visits to Israel/Palestine. She, too, lost her niece to a suicide bombing few years ago. She still cries when talking about her. She was the apple of her eye.
Vardit and I became friends so quick. We developed this warmth towards each other. She is Israeli Jewish, I am Muslim Palestinian. But so what? We both lost loved ones for politics and hatred. It is time for that to stop. We both appreciate the need for love and peace. And we both along many others working on it in this problematic holy land.

During my visit to the country, I participated in many initiative and events to promote co-existence and peace from grassroots. Vardit and I both are full of love and hope, but both are hated and looked at as traitors by some hard line Israelis and Palestinians. We both don't care. We both putting our life at risk to fulfill our mission of love and peace.

Vardit, Fatin, Kitty, Issam, Ruth, Marwa, Vaseem, Yasmeen, Eliahu, Rana, Eitan, Majda, Eidan and Ghadeer made my visit to the country memorable. I felt lucky to be exposed to both parties to share their challenges, and feel their pain, listen to their hopes and know their dreams.

In my future blogs I will share with you details of my recent visit to Palestine/Israel with its challenges and happy events. Watch this space.

Love and peace
Suhad

The photo attached is by Mahmoud Al Tamimi, 11. ‘'Art for Peace'' project for Jerusalem children in Jerusalem.