Saturday, March 05, 2011

I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity

I just came across a review of this book , although I have not read the book the story is too good not to share.

Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish is a Palestinian doctor, a man who dedicated his life to peace and medicine. He lost three daughters in the Israeli attack on Gaza in January 2009. An Israeli tank opened fire on their house, claiming that gun shots came from their building or nearby. A frantic phone call made by the doctor to a friend in Israel, Shlomi Eldar, a journalist who relayed the conversation on live television, took the story to the world. The anchor called on the Israeli Defense Forces to allow ambulances to get to the doctor’s family.

No ambulances ever reached Dr. Abuelaish’s home, which was surrounded by Israeli tanks. He and the surviving members of his family walked a quarter of a mile carrying the dead and wounded through the streets.

Amazingly, though shaken, this did not alter his philosophy. He now lives in Canada and travels widely, speaking to promote his vision.

An interview with Dr Abuelaish is available here, more on the story here.

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