‘They told us we are going to host children of terrorists’
The voices of doom have been warning for months that Cyprus risks being caught up in the Israeli-Palestinian inferno and a looming war in the wider Middle East, but for just over a week earlier this month, the island became a small beacon of hope for a group of psychologically scarred kids desperate to escape that conflict and understand the ‘enemy’.
“What gives us hope is seeing children and teenagers going home after the camp wanting to talk to their families and their friends about their experience, about what they learned while talking to the other side. That alone is worth fighting for.”
These powerful words from Tamar Shamir, co-director of the Parents Circle Youth Summer Camp, encapsulate the essence of an organisation that has spent years fostering dialogue and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.
The Parents Circle, also known as the Parents Circle-Families Forum (PCFF), is a unique initiative bringing together bereaved families from both sides in the conflict. These are families who have lost loved ones to the violence that has plagued the region for decades, yet they choose to channel their grief into a mission for peace.
Since its inception 20 years ago, the Parents Circle has been dedicated to creating opportunities for young Israelis and Palestinians to meet, share their stories, and begin the difficult process of healing.
Among its many initiatives, the annual summer camp stands out as a vital space for young people from both communities to engage in conversations that would be nearly impossible in their everyday lives.
Normally held in either Israel or Palestine, the camp provides a rare chance for participants to step out of the charged and often hostile environments they live in and into a space where dialogue is the focus.
“During the summer camp, children have the chance to speak freely about the conflict, about their issues, about their families. The two communities get to know each other,” Tamar told the Cyprus Mail, stressing the importance of the experience.
However, the 2024 summer camp was different from any previous one. In the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel’s sustained military response in Gaza, it was impossible to hold the camp in its usual locations.
For the first time, the Parents Circle chose Cyprus as the venue.
This decision was not made lightly. The logistics of moving 20 Israeli and 20 Palestinian children and young adults, along with 30 staff members, to a foreign country were challenging.
Flights had to be arranged from Tel Aviv for the Israeli participants and from Amman in Jordan for the Palestinians. Despite these difficulties, the camp took place from July 29 to August 6 in Troodos, offering a much-needed respite from the turmoil back home.
“It really was amazing, it was like magic! We spent nine days altogether, camped in Troodos. We also went to the beach. Everyone benefitted from it,” Tamar said.
She added that the surrounding environment, far removed from the tensions in Israel and Palestine, allowed the participants to open up in ways that might not have been possible in their home countries.
“The camp’s impact is profound, especially in a region where such initiatives are often met with hostility,” Tamar said, recounting the resistance the organisation constantly faces back in Israel, where she was summoned to the Knesset to justify the camp’s existence.
“They told us we are going to host children of terrorists. Hearing such things was just awful, especially when you’re trying to pass on a message of peace, not of conflict,” she said.
The camp in Cyprus was not just a temporary escape, but also a significant achievement in a year marked by unprecedented challenges.
Despite the success, Tamar is realistic about the future, noting the financial and logistical difficulties that hosting the camp abroad entails.
“I really wish we could do it again, but it was really complicated and expensive,” she admitted.
As an NGO relying solely on donations, the Parents Circle faces constant struggles to fund its initiatives. The cost of organising flights and accommodation for nearly 70 people in a foreign country was immense, making it unlikely that the camp could be held in Cyprus again.
Yet, according to Tamar, the importance of these camps cannot be overstated, as they offer a rare opportunity for young people to challenge the narratives they have been raised with and to see each other as human beings rather than enemies.
“For example, in just a week, Israeli children learn that Palestinians are not just terrorists, as they hear all the time. They are people, human beings, just like them,” Tamar explained, adding that her realisation is at the heart of the Parents Circle’s mission and is what drives the organisation to continue its work despite the obstacles.
In a region where the cycle of violence seems never-ending, the Parents Circle represents a glimmer of hope. The friendships formed at these camps often endure long after the participants return home, providing a foundation for future peace efforts.
“Most times, the children and teenagers who take part in the camp actually remain friends even after it finishes. They keep in touch throughout the years and that is the most important thing we can achieve as an organisation,” Tamar said.
As the region faces one of its most challenging periods in recent history, the work of the Parents Circle is more critical than ever. The voices of the young people who have attended these camps, who return home with a new perspective and a desire to share their experiences, offer a small but significant counter to the prevailing narratives of hate and division.
For Tamar and all those involved in the Parents Circle, the commitment to peace remains unwavering.
As Tamar so aptly put it, the conversations that start at these camps are “worth fighting for”, because they plant the seeds for a future where understanding, rather than conflict, might finally take root.
Unfortunately, the Palestinian representative of Parents Circle could not be reached for comment.