Holy Land Peacemakers

Photo by Jim Stipe/CRS

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Mazen is Palestinian; Rami is Israeli. Like thousands of people in the Holy Land, they have both lost loved ones to violence. Separately, they came to a support group for grieving Palestinians and Israelis. They became active in the group, traveling to Israeli high schools to discuss the conflict. They also became close friends. "The very sight of an Israeli and a Palestinian stepping into a classroom, calling each other brother, not fighting each other, not trying to compare the size of the pain, not trying to say who started what and who's to blame, is a shock for the students," says Rami.

"Some people look at us in a very negative way. They think we're crazy, that sorrow has made us lose our judgment."

Real dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians is key, they say. "The other side--all of us have paid a big price for this conflict," says Mazen. "If we have paid this high price, and can sit and talk and listen and make dialogue, all Palestinians and Israelis can do it."

The Holy Land suffers from a continuing cycle of provocation and response. Amid the conflict, Catholic Relief Services works to help people live in dignity and to persevere in raising families with faith and hope.

Campaign for Peace in the Holy Land

In 2009, this peacebuilding project will help 2,750 people at a total cost of $87,000.