The Seventh Annual Sol Kanee lecture on Peace and Justice, held at the University of Manitoba on Nov. 2, was presented by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Gazan physician, peace advocate and nominee for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.

The lecture was arranged by the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice of St. Paul’s
College, a centre dedicated to fostering global peace and justice through research and education.
Abuelaish’s address, entitled “Forgiveness as a Pathway in the Journey of Peace,” was fueled by personal tragedy.

On Jan. 16, 2009, Dr. Abuelaish suffered a devastating loss when three of his daughters were killed by an Israeli mortar attack on his house in the Jabalia Refugee Camp of Gaza.

However, the doctor spoke words of hope, respect and reconciliation, rather than revenge.

“Hate and revenge are a disease. I am a doctor who treats to heal, not to spread sickness,” he said. Despite his anguish, Abuelaish said, “hope can never be destroyed, only strengthened.”

Abuelaish specialized in gynecology at the Soroko Hospital in Israel and at the University of London. He also completed a master’s degree in health systems from Harvard University, before returning to Gaza to treat the local community.

Fluent in English, Hebrew and Arabic, Abuelaish was frequently interviewed by Israeli television, and treated patients in Israeli hospitals. With “one foot in Gaza, and one foot in Israel,” Abuelaish said he strives for co-existence.

“Doctors are messengers for peace, and can act as a bridge between the peoples,” he said.
Israel’s attack on Gaza, initiated in response to rockets fired into the state, came to a halt on Jan. 18, 2009 when a long-awaited cease fire was finally declared.

In the final days of the Gaza War, an Israeli tank approached the house of Abuelaish and fired, shattering the house.

The attack killed three of Dr. Abuelaish’s eight children; 14-year old Aya, 15-year old Mayar and 21-year old Bissan, as well as his 17-year old niece Noor.

Moments after the shelling occurred, friend and journalist Shlomi Eldar received a call from Abuelaish. The call was broadcasted live and his pleas for help were heard in living rooms across the globe.

“The hurt that doesn’t kill you will strengthen you more than before.” He continued, “Life is like a bicycle. To keep balanced, we must keep moving. I will keep moving forward, more determined and with more strength.”

Abuelaish advocated his belief in a better tomorrow, “I lost three beautiful daughters, but I am blessed with five children and the future.”

He continued, “I truly believe that this tragedy was for some good. Every war has its symbol. Now that my daughters are gone, they are the symbol of this war — a positive symbol that can strengthen the thought that one day we will reach peace.”

He wept as he spoke of his eldest daughter Bissan, considered a “soldier for peace,” who was sent to New Mexico to attend a “Creativity for Peace” camp. Upon her return she said, “We think as enemies because we live on opposite sides and never meet. But now I see we are all the same; we are all human beings.”

Abuelaish is consumed with the hope that the death of his family “will be the last mistake”.

“We all make mistakes, and must learn to forgive,” he said. “Forgiveness helps you move away from the past and opens the door to a future that should not repeat the mistakes of the past.”

Abuelaish reminded his audience that violence only works to strengthen animosity and spread bloodshed and hate, while widening the gap between Palestinians and Israelis. “Hatred is a toxin,” he said.

From his personal experience, Abuelaish said he has realized the importance of communicating with one another and expressing each other’s pains in order to learn to respect one another, live in collaboration and “achieve a dignity that is equal.”

An international foundation is being created, in honor of his three daughters, to serve as a legacy that aims to provide “education and health access to women and girls in Gaza and the Middle East to support their leadership development.”

Abuelaish is also writing a book entitled The Gazan Doctor.

His speech presented his belief in the best of humankind. “We need to love. The change starts within. We need to discover the humanness inside each and every one of us.” He continued,

“Justice is one of the main needs of human kind. For justice to be achieved, you need action — positive action.”

“What is peace? The word is overused. Peace is not a destination, but a journey. We must equip ourselves with the right engines for this journey — engines of love, healing and above all, forgiveness.”

Abuelaish is currently an associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.