| It is my conviction that the path toward resolving any conflict must begin with mutual recognition: acknowledging and accepting the existence of the other, and abandoning the will to annihilate them, are the initial steps in a process that should then lead to understanding the reasons and motivations of the parties involved. Therefore, insisting on knowledge is the only true alternative to the violent path of confrontation. But knowledge alone is not enough; empathy is also required — the ability to put oneself in the other’s shoes, to see the world from their perspective, to refrain from judgment, and to understand their feelings while keeping them distinct from one’s own.
The members of “The Parents Circle–Family Forum” know this well — an organization founded in 1995, made up of about 700 Israeli and Palestinian families who have lost close relatives as a result of the conflict. According to the PCFF, the reconciliation process is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable peace, and building mutual understanding and respect are the main tools that enable dialogue as an alternative to violence.
If they — parents, children, brothers and sisters mourning the death of a loved one caused by the “other” — are able to meet, speak, get to know one another, and work together, then surely everyone else can try as well, once it is understood that eternal confrontation will not bring the conflict to an end.
These reflections are not addressed to the protagonists of the conflict; not living there, I certainly have no authority to offer them guidance or suggestions. With my project, I address those who, in the rest of the world, take sides with only one party and struggle to grasp the complexity of the situation.
Having no historical, military, political, economic, or religious expertise, I simply do my work as an artist and offer my contribution to understanding.
I — an artist, a Jewish woman of the diaspora, granddaughter of grandparents burned by Nazi fury — wish to express the emotions, reflections, and impressions I have experienced in recent years through the works and projects I present here. These works speak of a personal experience and are therefore necessarily “partial.” I believe that by listening to and engaging with personal contributions, we can move forward in building the empathy that must replace violent confrontation. All personal contributions are welcome, provided they aim to deepen knowledge through the sharing of history and individual stories and feelings, so that historical memory may help open the path to dialogue.
Ariela Böhm
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