This week, Wahat al-Salam Neve Shalom held a two-day conference in partnership with GARIWO, dedicated to honoring the role of rescuers — ordinary people who choose to protect the lives and dignity of others in times of violence, even when it places themselves in danger or goes beyond any professional obligation.
The first day focused on understanding the nature and history of genocide, with powerful lectures by Professors Raef Zreik and Amos Goldberg. Participants also learned about genocides that have taken place in other parts of the world, including Rwanda, hearing testimony from Françoise Kankindi and reflecting on the human responsibility to resist hatred and dehumanization wherever they occur.
On the second day, a ceremony was held in the village’s Garden of Rescuers to honor Jewish Israeli and international activists working courageously to prevent settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The ceremony included speeches by Eldad Joffe, Chair of the Village Council, and Dyana Shaloufi Rizek, curator of the village’s art gallery.
In his remarks, Eldad spoke of the importance of choosing humanity in dark times, saying the gathering sought “to honor women and men who, in times of fear, hatred, indifference, and persecution, choose to recognize the humanity of others and act out of moral responsibility.”
At a time of deep division and pain, the conference reminded us that moral courage, solidarity, and the choice to stand alongside others are not abstract ideals — they are actions that save lives.
