March 19, 2010

The Israeli tank shell crashed into the house in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp in Gaza just seconds after Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish finished talking with four of his daughters and his niece in their bedroom about the future.

Outside the room, he heard the shrieking sound of wood, glass and bricks shattering. Then he heard screams. The shell killed one of his daughters and his niece and seriously injured another daughter. Soon after, another shell smashed into the room, this time killing two more of his daughters.

"I felt our house moving. There was smoke and dust. When I went back in my daughters' room, I saw that their bodies were broken and that they had died drowning in a pool of blood," the physician and long-time peace activist told a group who gathered to hear him speak on Friday at the Christian Reformed Church office in Grand Rapids, MI.

Abuelaish was brought to the area to speak to various groups by Healing Children of Conflict, a Grand Rapids, MI, organization that has recently begun work to bring children injured in the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Gaza to West Michigan for specialized medical care.

Calvin College history professor Bert de Vries, one of the coordinators of Healing Children of Conflict, is accompanying Abulaish on his speaking engagements in the area. Also involved in HCC, among others, are Rev. Herman Keizer, retired director of Chaplaincy and Care Ministry for the Christian Reformed Church. Peter Vander Meulen, coordinator of the CRC's Office of Social Justice, is also involved. The program, however, is not formally affiliated with the CRC.

During his visit to the CRC office, Abulaish said the tank attack that killed three of his eight children occurred in the late afternoon of Jan. 16, 2009, four months after his wife had died of cancer.

The tank attack came during the most recent war between Israel and Hamas, the militant group which is in charge of Gaza. Israeli soldiers, accompanied by tanks and air power, went into Gaza following a months'-long series of rockets attacks that had been launched from Gaza into Israeli border towns, causing destruction and killing 30 people.

An important figure in Palestinian-Israeli relations for years, treating Palestinian and Israeli patients alike and promoting forgiveness and healing for peace, Abuelaish got on the telephone soon after the attack to call an Israeli reporter to describe, through sobs, what had just happened.

As he spoke, he pleaded for help, but he didn't speak words of retribution. Peace has been his message for many years, as he travelled from Gaza to work at a hospital in Israel. He had become known on both sides of the border for his views, among them that military might is not the answer to conflict.

The death of his daughters, he said, has left a scar deep inside of him that will never disappear. But even if had had the chance to stand face to face with the soldier who fired those shells, he would not let hate get the best of him. "We have to think of saving and not destroying. We need to work together to get rid of hate. Hatred is like poison," he said.

In the days after his daughters died, the obstetrician and gynecologist says he turned for comfort to God, who had a plan for him and equipped him with the strength and power to carry it out. The physician became even more ardent in pushing for peace in the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

"Peace is not a destination. It's a journey," Abuelaish told the group who had gathered at the CRC office. "Peace agreements and peace accords are the weakest ways to obtain peace. We need people to carry peace and stability in their hearts. Our enemy is our own ignorance. We need to see beyond the Apache helicopters and suicide bombers."

In the words of an Israeli colleague, quoted in a newspaper article, Abuelaish is "a magical, secret bridge between Israelis and Palestinians." An international foundation, inspired by the doctor's vision of peace and reconciliation, is being established, with headquarters in Toronto and Gaza. The foundation will develop programs promoting education, health and leadership for the women and girls throughout the Middle East.

Several weeks after the major fighting in last year's war ended, Abuelaish left Gaza with his remaining children to take a position as a professor of global health at the University of Toronto. From there, he continues his efforts for peace.

"Human life is most precious. We need to respect the human rights of people," he said. "This world needs action. Don't underestimate your own actions – a smile, touching a child, sharing your happiness with others… It all makes a difference. The circle of action can be enlarged."

Christian Reformed Church in North America