Jemil Metti’s “Operation Olive Tree.” is a fictional exploration of peace in the Middle East. Two talented high school students: an Israeli girl and a Palestinian boy. Their passion for opera grows into a friendship and a dream to sing for peace. However, they are frequently haunted by cultural prejudices and family mistrusts related to decades of warfare over territory and religion. Eventually, as adults, the two students find themselves back where they started, but in a place they could never have imagined.
Amnon Ben-Yehuda’s award winning “Healing the Wounds of War: My Personal Journey.” After joining the Haganah Underground and then the shock troop Palmach along with his childhood friends during Israel’s War Of Independence in April 1948, the Author miraculously survived a serious shot to the head. He ultimately recovered physically but remained limited with his right hand. The twenty-two men killed in that battle were buried at the battle site in a common grave that has become a national monument for the heroes. Ben-Yehuda suffered in secret from his emotional wounds of war until finally he reached out for counseling that turned his life around. He wrote this book not as an autobiography but as a journey through one veteran’s inner soul, seeking to inspire others in situations like his to finally find peace of mind. 2019 CIPA EVVY AWARD