Day Two – Shefar'am

On the road again! Today we visited Elias Jabbour at the House of Hope International Peace Center in Shefar'am. Elias told us about his hope for peace as a Christian peacemaker who practices Sulha – the Palestinian form of reconciliation. As an elder in his village, Elias is called upon to join other elders from the Jewish, Muslim, and Druze communities as mediators. When an incident that could lead to more violence occurs, such elders go to the families of both parties and beg to allow them to make Sulha. They then negotiate with each family, attempting to bring about some negotiated peace that will end the cycle of violence. In the case of a killing, it could cost the family many thousands of dollars in compensation. When an agreement is found, both families come together and shake hands, and then they eat a meal, and when the coffee is served the peace has been made and both families cannot bring this old conflict back into the future. Because a just peace has been brought about, the vast majority of the Sulhas are not broken, especially because such an act would bring shame to the whole family.

Elias has a warm and buoyant personality that inspires one to be a peacemaker, without taking sides, and working with others to see such peace become a reality.