December 29, 2008
A Message from David Lehrer, Executive
Director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
Another cycle of violence
has erupted in the Middle East. It is
painful to watch the destruction and devastation on both sides of the border
while so many people throughout the region are yearning for peace and new
beginnings. Many of our staff, faculty,
students, and alumni are impacted by this current conflict or have friends and
family who are impacted by this situation.
Our prayers and thoughts are with all those whose lives are disrupted
and endangered.
The Arava Institute works to
help people from both sides of the conflict transcend their differences and
find a common bond through a mutual concern for the environment. Our mutual concerns,
however, do not stop with the environment. As human beings we are concerned
with all aspects of human welfare including; health, education, prosperity,
security, freedom and our children’s future.
While both sides are
currently engaged in the use of force to achieve their goals, it is my belief
that long term improvement in human welfare in the Middle East will only be
achieved through open dialogue between neighbors. I therefore hope and pray for a rapid return
to calm and wise leadership in Israel, Palestine and the international
community who will lead us back to the negotiating table.
The current crises
reinforces my own commitment to work for peace and to advance the Institute’s goal
of developing a new a generation of Middle East leaders that have the respect
and understanding to work together from a position of trust and empathy.
David Lehrer is the
Executive Director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies since
2001. David is an Israeli member of
Kibbutz Ketura in the southern Arava.
December 29, 2008
A Message from Dr.
Tareq Abu Hamed, Research Faculty Member at the Arava Institute for
Environmental Studies
Yesterday we had a short meeting with the
students to discuss the current situation. I saw the anger and the sadness in
their eyes. It is hard to act as a professional or even to think in such
situations. American, Israeli, Palestinian
and Jordanian students were crying. These
days, this is the only place in the world that you can see this happen. It is the only place that you can see
Israelis Jordanians and Palestinians in the same room. I am always saying that
the student who chooses to come to the Arava Institute is a special student.
They are here because they believe in what the Arava Institute believes.
Naturally, Israelis and Palestinians asked
why Israel/Hamas/Palestinians did this. I think that the question is not
important. The most important thing was that they asked this question each
other without blame. We are used to seeing
crying Palestinians and crying Israelis but we are not used to seeing them
crying together and hugging each other for the same reason.
After the meeting I went to the students’ campus. The situation there was unbelievable (for me). Israeli students were hugging the Palestinians and trying to share with them their sadness. Emotions were shared by all. This situation shows how important the Arava Institute’s mission to develop the region’s next generation of leaders.
Words are not enough to describe yesterday’s
picture. But after what I saw, if you asked me who am I, the answer would be: I
do not know, I am a human being. I am
very proud of the Arava Institute students and I want to congratulate the
Israeli students for their amazing empathy.
Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed is the Director of the
Arava Institute's Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation. Dr. Abu Hamed is a Palestinian from Tsur Baher
in East Jerusalem.