A roadmap for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. By 2030. Hope was sown last night at the Pastoral Tourism Conference in Tortolì. After all, that's the slogan for this 2025 edition: "Seeking Hope." A fraternal embrace between Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli Maoz Inon opened the diocesan event. Proof that peace is not impossible. They are both peace activists and entrepreneurs. Both have suffered heavy losses. They buried loved ones and friends because of a 70-year-old conflict, fueled by hatred and revenge. How can an Israeli and a Palestinian achieve peace? They explained this yesterday at the Caritas amphitheater to a packed, emotional and impressed audience. Not a single chair was empty; in fact, the organization had to add more.
The theme
The Pastoral Program sponsored by the Dioceses of Lanusei and Nuoro, organized and strongly supported by Bishop Antonello Mura, on this nineteenth evening, once again touched on highly topical issues with a universal perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon shared their stories in a beautiful and insightful interview conducted by Avvenire journalist Lucia Capuzzi. They spoke of how they chose reconciliation and rejected revenge. They believed intensely in a better future, but also in the search for shared values, and how they are not alone. They also spoke of a coalition of Israeli and Palestinian citizens, a pacifist movement determined to create a path to hope and peace. The Stories: Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah shared his terrible story, the loss of his older brother Tayseer during the first Intifada. After a long personal journey, he realized that hatred was only enslaving him and chose the path of peace. Israeli Maoz Inon lost both his parents, Bilha and Yakovi, on October 7th in the Hamas attack on Israel. Their stories intertwine after the message of condolences he received from Aziz. They become not friends but brothers, as they say.
The question
What can we do for peace? "We need everyone to amplify our voices: families, friends, there is a peace movement in Israel and Palestine," said Maoz. "We are not unique, we are not alone, there are many people like us. Who believe in equality, justice, reconciliation, security, and we need to amplify our voices, give ourselves legitimacy, a platform to tell our stories. Just like this. Give legitimacy to peace. Peace is not a political issue, it has to do with humanity. Each of you can do something for peace, anywhere." Aziz recounted having been in many war zones, the scene of genocide and massacres: in Colombia, South Africa, Rwanda, Ireland, Vietnam, and what he learned is that "if the world looks on and does nothing, as happened in Cambodia, where a quarter of the population was murdered, we all have a role, each of us has the power, actions, money, and decisions to support those who stop this atrocity and hold our governments accountable. Italy is an important country, and the more important it is, the more responsibility it has. So," he urged, "talk to your political decision-makers and ask them to take courageous action, not just make useless declarations. What happens in Gaza won't stay in Gaza; it has repercussions on the entire world; it's changing the vision of what we're willing to accept."
