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THIS WEEK
Neve Shalom - Wahat al Salam - Oasis of Peace UK
Judge Laurence Brass & Samah Salaime
Is peace still relevant? We say yes. Can lasting peace be achieved? Why has peace been elusive? How can individuals contribute to this
process? What about recent judicial changes?
About 40 K to the west of Jerusalem lies a quite remarkable settlement – the village of Neve Shalom Wahat al-Salam: the Oasis of Peace. Here Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews live together in equal numbers. Here, there is a primary school, where Arab and Jewish children from the Village and the outlying community attend in equal numbers.
The teaching is bi-lingual. Here is also the School for Peace, which runs programs for Jewish and Arab professionals, and students of all faiths and ages aimed at promoting understanding between the two communities. Against the background of turmoil and strife in the Middle East, the Village stands as a beacon of hope.
Laurence Brass is a retired Judge and currently chair of the NHS Disciplinary Panel. He's a former Councillor and Parliamentary Candidate in five General Elections and is now a policy advisor to the Liberal Democrats on Middle-Eastern affairs. Laurence previously held the position of Vice-President of
the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and is now a Patron of Faith Matters and a trustee of JCORE (Jewish Council for Racial Equality).
Samah Salaime is a member of Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom, A social worker, peace activist
and educator, Samah has been recognized for her years of leading the fight against gender-based violence. She founded Na’am Arab Women in the Center in 2009 to advance Arab women living in the mixed cities of Lod, Ramla and Jaffa and has been its director ever since. In 2013 - 2014, she was a fellow at the prestigious Mandel School for Educational Leadership. In January 2018, Samah was named one of the top ten most influential activists
in Israel by the daily Yedioth Aharonoth. Samah is a consistent contributor to Local Call/+972 Magazine, and is regularly called on by news media to speak on social issues in Israel. Samah was recently awarded a Rappaport Prize, and an award from The International Alliance for Women (TIAW), and she was elected to the Hebrew University Board of Governors.
