He is coexisting with Palestinians and he is proud of it. It means something to him. There are, of course, many limitations. Seeds of Peace now has a full-time coordinator in Jerusalem whose responsibilities include helping our graduates publish a monthly newspaper, The Olive Branch, and arranging as many reunions, in homes and schools, as possible. But the lack of funds for a more ambitious follow-up program is a major handicap.
Many youngsters feel abandoned when they return home.
If I had time, I would have stopped and talked to the guy. It hurt to see someone say that, but I should expect it when some people are extremists. The computer era, however, has helped these youngsters maintain a virtual community after they return home. More importantly, the Internet allows our graduates to share their deepest feelings as they did at camp, in the immediate aftermath of terrorist incidents and other acts aimed at destroying the peace process. But where e-mail communication can easily take place across borders, arranging reunions in the region is much harder.