Can I Reconcile with the Man who Killed my Son?

For the global mission of the Catholic Church reconciliation and healing in war torn areas, in the violence that surrounds us in so many ways is not only possible but a mandate of the Church’s mission. The gospel imperative of love of enemies and forgiving more times than we would wish to, often leaves us baffled. How is this even possible. Yet with God, all things are possible. Here is a moving story of a Jewish mother who does exactly this overwhelming act of love. Join the Xaverian Missionaries in this most needed mission in the world today.

Robi, an Israeli mother, ponders the possibility of meeting her son David’s killer, and can’t help wonder how honest she is with herself in her quest for reconciliation. Can a person who stole the life of a women’s child ever truly be forgiven? Is the dialogue between perpetrators and victims the key to ending the bloody never ending Israeli/Palestinian conflict? And can a glimmer of hope come from a place of unbearable pain? Recognizing the humanity in the other must be a recipe for ending the cycle of violence.

Robi was born in South Africa and immigrated to Israel in 1967. Her son was killed by a Palestinian sniper. The first thing she said to the officers who came to give her the dreaded news of her son’s death was “you may not kill anybody in the name of my child”.

After the loss of her son, Robi joined the Parents Circle — families forum an organization made up of more than 600 Palestinian and Israeli families who have each lost an immediate family member to the conflict. She is the spokesperson for the organization and is in charge of International Relations.

The Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) is a joint Palestinian Israeli organization of over 600 families, all of whom have lost a close family member as a result of the prolonged conflict. Joint activities have shown that the reconciliation between individuals and nations is possible and it is this insight that they are trying to pass on to both sides of the conflict. Moreover, the PCFF has concluded that the process of reconciliation between nations is a prerequisite to achieving a sustainable peace. The organization thus utilizes all resources available in education, public meetings and the media, to spread these ideas.