A Gaza Doctor’s Journey on the Road to Peace

Over the past 60 years millions and millions of words have been written abut the conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians. The net result of most of those words has been to perpetuate the conflict. Yet if we focus on one story, a very personal story, of one man, truly dedicated to healing and to peace, we learn a great deal more. In January of 2009, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish experienced something that would destroy most men. Something that would unleash the worst of human impulses. Dr. Abeelaish was a rarity, a Gazan, who was at home among Israelis. That is until Israeli shells recklessly killed three of his daughters and his nieces. Yet he transcended that, and in so doing perhaps became a symbol of the humanity of man and for the hope that still, to this day, drives people to seek peace. He writes about his experiences in his memoir I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity. My conversation with Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish: