Two months into war, a Palestinian doctor and an Israeli activist's son unite in calls for peace
CTV
After two months of war, a Palestinian doctor and the son of an Israeli activist, are united in a common call for peace.
The conflict zone may be half a world away, but Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish is living it every day in his Toronto home.
"The whole of my (life) is suffering," said Abuelaish in a one-on-one interview with CTV National News Correspondent Heather Butts.
The Palestinian Canadian, consumed by the devastation in his community and loss of family members, says, "I expect the worst."
"Every morning when I hold my cellphone, I expect something happening to my brothers or sisters. And it's not even about my close relatives, it's about my people there with whom I was raised," Abuelaish continued.
Born and raised in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, he became the first Palestinian doctor to get a staff position at an Israeli hospital, where he promoted equality.
A proponent of peace between Palestinians and Israelis, Abuelaish has dedicated his life's work to healing and using health as a means for reconciliation.
None of his efforts though have spared him from tragedy. In 2009, he lost three daughters and a niece when an Israeli strike hit his Gaza home – the devastation continuing in the recent conflict, with more than 20 members of his extended family killed.
