They call themselves Zeitouna – a group of six Jewish and six Palestinian women from Michigan who have been meeting twice a month for more than two years. The name is the Arabic word for olive tree and their motto is “refuse to be enemies.”
The safety of the group and their environment allowed the women to remain committed to each other in the face of October 7. and the war Who followed.
“You absorbed my pain, as I absorbed your pain. It’s important to have a space, a place where everyone is there with open arms,” said Wadad Abed, one of the group members, during a meeting.
Diane Blumson, another Zeitouna member, told CBS News: “It is possible, in a humanitarian way, to recognize the trauma of the other. And people have lost that ability right now. »
The women of Zeitouna are spreading this message far beyond the rooms where they gather, including on college campuses – many of which have become deeply polarized since the events of October 7.
At the University of Michigan, two students – one Palestinian and one Jewish – launched the Jewish-Arab Alliance more than a year ago to foster better relations between the two cultures.
“I grew up Jewish and the only time I met Arab students was in my Arabic class,” said co-founder Evan. Rotker. “I was wondering, ‘How can we bring Arab students and Jewish students together?’ And, and that’s kind of what put us on this path.”
Welly Altai, a student at the university, told CBS News that the “dehumanizing rhetoric” he saw online after Oct. 7 prompted him to join the group.
He later added: “I thought I wanted to find a club where I could actually interact with the people on the other side, because I hadn’t had the opportunity to interact with the people on the other side side.”
Another student told CBS News, “I think when you meet a group like Zeitouna, which has been around for so many years, I think it reassures you that these kinds of friendships can last forever,” he said. said one student.
For the Zeitounas, these students embody the mission they have worked on for decades.
“As a Holocaust survivor, this is what I learned: All human beings are the same,” said Zeitouna member Irene Butter. “And if only we could achieve that, then I think we could build a better world.”
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