A CALL FOR CALM

dwkerr93
Dec 16, 2025
2 min read

The devastating attack on the Jewish community at Bondi beach last Sunday will leave more than an indelible stain on their memory. Our Jewish friends again will experience the festering hatred that for centuries, erupts, creating persistent fear and trauma.

For many of us, we cannot conceive the depths of hatred that motivate such premeditated carnage as we witnessed at Bondi.

Our response is critical. It is not a time for violent retribution. The need is for calm. Justice must be served. A time for each of us to reflect on our own attitudes and biases.

Do you know the story of Bassam and Rami? Bassam, a Palestinian living in the West Bank had his daughter brutally wrenched from his family, killed by a rubber bullet fired from the gun of an IDF soldier. The nightmare for Rami, a Jew, was the murder of his young daughter by a Palestinian suicide bomber. Their story is preserved in Colum McCann’s book ‘Apeirogon’.

They are united in their grief and now tour the world with their message of hope.

Their plea for peace commences with the challenge of choosing calm. Creating conversation, listening, hearing, understanding, empathising, accepting and choosing peace. Their plea is:

“You can teach yourself how to listen.

Only after you listen to the others’ pain can you expect the other to listen to your pain.”

“When they listen to us, we try to listen to them.”

“There will be no freedom for Palestinians without security for Israelis and there will be no security for Israelis without freedom for Palestinians.”

“If you are pro-Israel, it’s not going to help.

If you are pro-Palestinian only, it’s not going to help us.

You need to be pro-justice.

Why do you need to only support one side?

Both of us will continue to exist and will not disappear.”

The unrestrained immediate emotional reaction to join one side against the other only perpetuates conflict. The need is to value and hold both equally, to create a safe space for conversation, facilitating the possibility of peace.

It's not an easy decision, but it will make a profound difference.

Healing from hatred is possible. Rami and Bassam are living proof.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd8uO5ciJAM

Click on the link belowto see their moving presentation in June 2023 Melbourne