Rami and Bassam: Pope Francis shared our pain

By Francesca Sabatinelli and Joseph Tulloch

Rami Elhalan is a Jewish Israeli whose 13-year-old daughter, Smadar, was killed in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem in 1997.

Bassim Aramin, meanwhile, is a Palestinian Muslim whose 10-year-old daughter Abir was killed by an Israeli soldier outside her school in 2007.

The two men are now good friends and dedicated to defending peace in Israel and Palestine.

Earlier Wednesday, they met with Pope Francis before the weekly general audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall.

After the hearing, they described the meeting in an interview with Francesca Sabatinelli of Vatican News.

Meeting with the Pope

“I didn’t expect it to be so personal,” Mr. Elhalan said. “He hugged us and when we showed him the picture of the girls he almost cried. He was deeply touched… The whole encounter was so merciful, so human. We talked about the fact that I'm Jewish and he's Muslim and (the pope) is Christian, that we're all human and we can be brothers, and he asked us to pray for him. It was incredible.

“To be honest, it was a big surprise for us,” Mr. Aramin added. “We expected to shake his hand, but not that he would summon us for a private meeting. I was very inspired. It was very touching… I told him: It's like Jesus said, love your enemy. He (i.e. Elhalan) is my enemy and we love each other. We asked him to pray for a free Palestine and for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

The Pope's call for peace

In the interview, both fathers praised Pope Francis' efforts to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The Pope has called for a ceasefire in Gaza since October 27, 2023, longer than almost any other world leader.

“He is very courageous,” Mr. Aramin said, “and he is the only very clear voice speaking about peace and an end to these atrocities. We consider this meeting as the greatest possible respect for us; that he was able to listen to a very, very sad story and identify with our pain. We really respect him and we are really grateful for his attitude.

It is vital, Mr. Elhanan stressed, that voices in favor of peace continue to be heard.

“I am the son of a Holocaust survivor,” he emphasized. “Eighty years ago, when they took my grandparents to the kitchen, the free and civilized world stood aside, never lifting a finger. And today, as these atrocities occur in Gaza, the free and civilized world stands aside. Standing aside while a crime is being committed is also a crime. And we expect everyone – from the last person to the pope – not to stand aside. »

“The girls are behind us and push us forward”

The two men also explained how their daughters' memories encourage them to persevere in their work for peace.

Mr. Elhanan's daughter, Smadar, was fourteen years old when she was killed. “She was very beautiful,” he said. “She was an excellent student; she was a swimmer; she was a dancer; she played the piano. Everyone called her “The Princess” and I miss her a lot.

Speaking about his own daughter, Abir, who was killed when she was ten, Aramin suggested that “when we lose someone, we say he was the best, he was this, he was that.” (Abir) was a very ordinary girl. But she was my daughter.

“Your son or daughter,” he added, “is your heart. And you still feel your heart, so you still feel that pain. This is our motivation to continue what we do: our pain. We believe that Smadar and Abir are standing behind us, pushing us forward and urging us not to remain silent. »

“This,” Mr. Elhalan said, “is another way of using our pain. Pain gives you energy, nuclear energy. You can use it to bring people darkness, destruction, pain and death, or you can use it to bring light, warmth and hope. The girls are behind us and push us forward.

The prospect of peace

The bereaved fathers also stressed the importance of never giving up the fight for peace.

“We always say,” Mr. Aramin stressed, “that the Palestinians did not kill six million Israelis. And the Israelis have not yet killed seven million Palestinians. But there is a German ambassador in Tel Aviv and an Israeli ambassador in Berlin. After four years of the Holocaust, relations between Germany and Israel were fully restored. This means we can do it too.

“I feel like I’m changing people’s minds and hearts,” Mr. Elhalan said. “I feel that after each lecture, if there is just one child, Israeli or Palestinian, who nods their head in acceptance, I have saved a drop of blood. In Judaism, a drop of blood represents the whole world.