Laura Shaz
Israel/USA

“We have the choice to plant seeds of understanding and a hope for justice.  We choose whether we want to live in a cloud of chaos or a dream of peace.”
This is the third installment in a three-part series.  Read Part I and Part II.

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Goni, Yuval, Fadwa and Faras,* four dialogue group participants from Israel and the Palestinian territories, returned home, feeling strong, knowledgeable, and eager to take their new dreams into action.  They came back as leaders, with a clear mission to continue the struggle for justice and to …

Laura Shaz
Israel/USA

“I met fun, life-loving people, not like what I’m used to from the Occupation setting.  I was used to meeting Palestinians while I was in uniform.  I had never seen a Palestinian smile before. ” – Yuval, an Israeli

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To check out part one of this series, click here.  Or here for part three.

Dialogue sessions open the door to a new reality, giving victims in Israel and the Palestinian territories a chance to discover the humanity in one another, something that seemed inconceivable before.  Faras, Goni, Fadwa and Yuval continue …

Laura Shaz
Israel/USA

“In general, people here consider meeting Israelis as kind of betrayal.  I believed that any kind of contact or talking with Israelis was like betraying my country and ignoring the long history of suffering of my people,” said Faras, a Palestinian.  
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Every moment is an opportunity for change.  What can you do to be the change in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict?  In intimate interviews with Faras, Goni, Fadwa and Yuval,* four dialogue-group participants, I chronicle the real and honest transformations of these women and men from victims of a war between East and …

 Mati Milstein

“The Israeli army has long ago formulated a standard response to men throwing rocks, but at this moment it remains pretty much helpless when facing strong and vocal nonviolent women.”
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Connection Point Manager Yasmina Mrabet interviewed photojournalist Mati Milstein about his current project: Palestine: Women First, curated by Saher Saman.  His responses are below.
What inspired you to begin photographing Palestinian women activists?
I first started photographing the activists during the March 15, 2011 Palestinian unity rallies in Ramallah, which called for reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. At that time, the only …