Re: “A vital voice has been left out of statements about Gaza” [April 28, Opinion]:
Maxima Patashnik’s comment in Alex Fryer’s column stayed with me: “the Jewish community asks, ‘that their lived experiences and their voices be central to adopting positions.’ ”
As a Jewish woman who has spent considerable time in Israel — six extended visits, with one visit lasting over 10 months — I keep thinking how my “lived experiences” have been so different from the more mainstream Jewish experiences.
While in Israel, I reached out to Jewish Israelis, and Muslim and Christian Palestinians, on varied occasions to converse with them candidly and respectfully about their thoughts regarding the ongoing conflict between both peoples. I have been invited into the homes of both my Palestinian and Jewish Israeli friends for delicious, home-cooked dinners; I have sat and talked with them in their yards and in cafes; I have ridden in their cars; and played with their children.
All my friends want the same things — to enjoy their lives in dignity, security and peace while living in Israel/Palestine, which both sides call their home. By warmly talking with people perceived as “the other,” tensions melt — even with disagreements — and paths to peace become possible.
Annette Peizer, Seattle