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The Guilfordian November 14,1997 Israelis and Arabs try to end tension ♦Yahezkel Landau visits campus and talks about the trials of growing up in Ramla BY ALLISON STRIZAK Staff Writer This story begins with one small Jewish family. The war had recently ended as they fled their native Romania for a new home land. It was the post World War II era and Europe was in shambles. The newly formed state of Israel was a safe haven for Jews after the war and was the destination of this small family. The small Jewish family made their new home in the town of Ramla, a town which had little to no inhabitants when the family settled in. The family noticed the ghost-town like feel of the place, as if it were once full of people and now it lay barren. Yet the small family moved right in and began their new life. They watched their children grow as they played be neath the big old lemon tree in the back yard and the years passed in piece as the small family enjoyed their new life. Our next story begins with one small Palestinian family, who once lived in the big town of Ramla. They had a little house with a big old lemon tree in the back and life was relatively peaceful. That was until the day the newly formed state of Israel found it necessary to evacuate the local Palestinian residents of Ramla. In one brief moment the small Palistinian family was torn from their home and their lemon tree. The father was thrown in jail and the mother with her children were deported from their native land forever. Ramla, which had one been home of 35,000 Palestinian residents, was now as barren as a ghost town. On a cold Wednesday evening in the small Moon room of Guil ford college, a collection of people gathered together to hear two men, Yahezkel Landau, a Jew and Michail Fanous, an Arab, speak to gether on the current Arab-Israeli tensions. Young and old alike lis tened in wonder as the two men sat very informally in front of the crowd and in soft kind voices told their stories. Yehezkel, the first one to speak, wove the tale of his wife Dalia for us. She was the little girl from the small Romanian family who lived in the house with the big old lemon tree. Yehezkel told the story of his wife and spoke of her in tender reference for it was she who was at the root of this meet ing. Dalia grew up in that little house in Ramla. She played under that lemon tree and now watched her own child play under that tree. Yet not all had been peaceful. Of the former 35,000 Palestinian resi dents of Ramla, only 900 remain. Ramla, once a bustling Palestinian community, was now filled with racism and hatred of its minority population. Yet the tensions in Ramla were merely a microcosm of the pain within the country. Yehezkel told us of the suf fering in Ramla and Michail told us of the mass amount of hatred that spewed from the city. Michial, an Arab, felt this hatred first-hand and informed us of how his people were "constantly being pushed down" as a result. It was this pain and hatred that caused Yehezkel's wife Dalia to make a change. The first step she took in doing this was to lo cate the small Palestinian family which used to inhabit the house and try to help mend old wounds. It was a small gesture but one Vandalism October 31, 2:00 p.m.: An off-campus person sufferedc in jury to her car while it was parked in the Ragan-Brown Fieldhouse lot. Someone had thrown a rock through the back window. No personal property was found to be missing from the vehicle. Disrespect for persons/ property November 1, 12:05 a.m.: Some residents of two suites in Bryan Hall were observed throw ing eggs at each'other. Some resi dents threw eggs from 3rd floor area and at the Bauman building. Residents of both suites have been recommended for Res Life board. News which Dalia had to perform. So the Landau's invited the small Palestinian family back to their former home in order to end some of the grief. The father, now a broken old man from years of pain, surveyed the grounds with eyes that could no longer see. He felt the stones that made up the structure; he walked around the home where he used to live and then made his way to the big old lemon tree. It was one of the only memories he could recall from those years. It was because of this reunion that he finally allowed the sea of pain within him free and sat underneath the lemon tree and cried. Before they left, Dalia and her husband fashioned a basket of lem ons for the old man to keep. They were told that whenever the father could not sleep, "he would pace the floor caressing the wither old lem ons in his hands in order to soothe his troubled mind." It was because of this meeting that Dalia realized how much pain was festering within her city. This is why she came up with the idea of Open Houfce. Open Hbuse is an organization dedicated to the peace process between the Pales- Security briefs Breaking and Entering November 1,1:45 a.m.: An off campus visitor reported parking his car in the Founders gravel lot then later observed a young male sitting in the driver's seat. When confronted, the unidentified male ran away with two car stereo speak ers. Guilford College Security and GPD responded to the scene and a report was filed with Greensboro Police Department. Reckless driving November 1, 2:00 a.m.: Secu rity received several reports of reckless driving on campus by uni dentified persons. Vehicle in ques tion was a Pontiac Bonneville with Alabama tags. Driver was observed driving at high rates of speed and swerving around on the roads on college property. tinian and Israeli inhabitants. The house with the big old lemon tree in the back was donated to the Arab community to estab lish the first daycare center of its kind. The home also doubles as a community center for Arab Israeli relations. The group established camps where children from both sides finally have the opportunity to interact as children. And fami lies from both sides have formed support groups for one another so that adults may also correspond. Yehezkel and Michail now travel the country to places like Guilford in order to prove that peace is possible. As Max Carter a member of the Guilford staff said in response to this movement, " this is a living example of, if it ex ists it is possible!". As a result of this movement toward fellowship, it seems the po larization between the two groups within this community are becom ing less charged. The men on the stage spoke to each other as friends rather than enemies. They have banded together to change the outcome on a small scale and it seems to be'working. This Story is one of people striving to find unity in a time of separation. Safety Tips •If your Smart Card does not work in a residence hall card reader please call the Security De partment and have your card in hand as we will need the last eight digits imprinted on the card above your name. If you fear that you have lost your card please contact the business office (x 2176) during normal business hours and after hours contact the Security office (x 2908). •Please be careful to keep your Smart Card on your person at all times. This card may have money on it and the owner should be mindful not to loan it out to any unauthorized person. •ATM tips: guard your PIN with extreme caution, any suspi cious activity around the ATM should be reported to Security. 5
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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