Speakers and Presenters
Bassam Aramin was recently awarded the 2007 Eliav-Sartawi Award for Middle Eastern Journalism by Search for Common Ground in NY and the Bremen Peace Award, in Germany. Born in a Palestinian village near Hebron, he is a former member of Fatah who served a 7 year prison sentence after being arrested at age 17 for helping to plan an armed attack against Israeli soldiers. As he has written in the Jewish Daily Forward, "But as I served out my sentence, I talked with many of my guards. I learned about the Jewish people’s history. I learned about the Holocaust. And eventually I came to understand: On both sides, we have been made instruments of war. On both sides, there is pain, and grieving, and endless loss." Mr. Aramin, 39, married and had 6 children, including his late daughter Abir. Besides being a founding member of Combatants for Peace, he heads the Al Quds Association for Democracy and Dialogue in Jerusalem and is a director at the Palestine National Archives in Ramallah.
Yonatan Shapira, 35, was a Captain in the Israeli Air Force reserves and a founding member of the Israel Air Force’s Black Hawk squadron. He served as a regular in the Air Force until 1999 where he flew primarily as a rescue helicopter pilot, completing well over 100 missions, including missions in Lebanon. In September 2003, Yonatan, along with 26 other Air Force pilots, signed a declaration refusing to participate in attacks in the Occupied Palestinian Territories because of the belief that these attacks are illegal, immoral and do not serve the security of Israel. He then was dismissed from the Israeli Air Force by the Air Force commander, General Dan Halutz. In addition to being active in anti-occupation groups, Yonatan is a founding member of Combatants for Peace. As an activist and a speaker, he has been invited to address audiences at universities in the US, Europe and Israel and in synagogues, churches and mosques, the British, French and European Parliaments, and the United Nations. Currently he is working to complete a Master's Degree under the auspices of The European Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. In addition to his work as a pilot, he volunteered for "SELA," the Israeli Crisis Management Center (an organization dedicated to aiding immigrants and victims of terrorism) and also for "Etgarim - Challenges" as a sailing instructor for people with disabilities. Yonatan is also a musician and recently has released his first recording.
Elik Elhanan is a founding member of Combatants for Peace. He is familiar with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict both as a fighter and as a victim: from 1995 to 1998 he served as a soldier in an IDF combat unit. In 1997 his sister was killed by a Palestinian suicide bombing in Jerusalem. “I have seen the damage the violence can cause,” he says. “I decided not to take part in that cycle anymore, and to work for peace through dialogue and joint activities with other Palestinians who think like me.” Elik believes that those who are dedicated to peace, social justice and equality—be they Israelis or Palestinians must separate themselves from those who profit from or believe in violence as a way of life. Elik is 30 years old and lives in Jerusalem. He is currently earning his Ph.D. in Middle East Studies at Columbia University.
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