Miko's Story

In memory of my niece, Smadar
Smadar, my niece was murdered by a Palestinian suicide bomber in Jerusalem. At her funeral, there was a large, diverse gathering including family and friends, military leaders, Jewish settlers from the West Bank, and Palestinians who were friendly with my father, her grandfather.

I recently received a gift from my sister Nurit. It is the notebook of her daughter Smadar, who was murdered by a Palestinian suicide bomber in Jerusalem. But this is not just any notebook, it is her Arabic notebook. Smadar took great pride at being an excellent student in Arabic and the notebook has her beautifully written Arabic and Hebrew side by side. Even at 13 years of age she already had a deep conviction relating to dialogue and peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The next time anyone wants to say that one side is more right than the other in this mad conflict, think of this story. The next time anyone thinks of vengeance, think of a 13 year old Israeli girl that may have been a great peacemaker.

I came across an interview conducted with my father, the late Matti Peled. He was the Israeli General turned peace activist. The interview was conducted by the Israeli paper Yediot Aharonot on the occasion of his 70th birthday and his fight against cancer. While still in uniform he advised in 1968 to make an immediate peace with the Palestinian people by allowing them an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza. Here are a few choice points from the interview (this was 1994):

The reporter made some reference to the fact that he had paid a heavy personal price for voicing opinions that were sacrilegious at the time about the need for a Palestinian State and negotiations with the PLO. Here is his reply: “..you want to hear about courage and sacrifice, I will tell you: see how many Palestinians lost their lives because they met with us and still they continue: Issam Sartawi, Said Hamami, and others who were less known that were involved in dialogue with Israelis. And still people ask me where is their “Peace Now,” they are all Peace Now, they are being murdered and still they meet with us.” And about the peace process: “In my opinion the government has no intentions to allow the peace process to end with a Palestinian State. I am convinced they will destroy this at any cost...they are all dancing around King Hussein as though he was some hero and they humiliate Arafat....Hussein agreed to make peace with Israel for the sum of $1 billion he received from the US, and this is a peace that will serve him well anyway. Arafat who does not have the resources and the political power of Hussein was far more courageous when he went forward for a peace with Israel even when the end result was not clear..they continuously violate the Oslo Peace Accords and by doing so they undermine Arafat's authority” and it goes on and on. This was in 1994 ! He ends the interview with the following statement: “I would like to see the Palestinians building their own state...Then we will have a real peace with popular (Arab) support. And this is what I wish us all, real peace.”

He died from cancer about 6 months after this interview. For him and for all those who tried and are still trying, we must refuse to be enemies.
--Miko