As protests grow in the West Bank over the death of a Palestinian inside an Israeli prison, we speak to a pair of Israeli and Palestinian fathers who’ve responded to personal tragedies with activism for peace. Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan united after the killings of their daughters — Aramin’s at the hands of an Israeli officer and Elhanan’s in a Palestinian suicide bombing. Once dedicated fighters for their respective causes, they have since renounced violence and become leading voices for peace. Their stories are told in the new documentary film, “Within the Eye of the Storm.” With talk of a third intifada potentially breaking out in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Aramin and Elhanan join us to discuss their shared journey and why they believe both Israelis and Palestinians should join a non-violent uprising against the Israeli occupation. [Transcript to come. Check back soon.]

GUESTS:

Bassam Aramin, Former Fatah fighter, now a peace activist with Combatants for Peace. Spent seven years in an Israeli prison. His 10-year-old daughter, Abir, was killed on January 16, 2007, when an Israeli Border Police jeep fired rubber bullets in a school zone. Bassam Aramin is featured in the new documentary called, “Within the Eye of the Storm.”

Rami Elhanan, Former Israeli Reserve Soldier turned peace activist with Combatants for Peace. He is a leading member of “Parents Circle-Families Forum,” an organization for those who lost children in conflict but nevertheless want peace. His 14-year-old daughter, Smadar, was killed in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem in September 1997. Rami Elhanan is featured in the new documentary called, “Within the Eye of the Storm.”

http://www.democracynow.org/2013/2/26/united_by_loss_israeli_palestinian_dads