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Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies: Selfies that promote peace

As the Gaza conflict intensifies, Arabs and Jews across the globe have taken to social media to express their desire for peace and reconciliation via the hashtag #JewsAndArabsRefuseToBeEnemies

Lebanese-American journalist Sulome Anderson tweets a selfie of her kissing and her Jewish boyfriend. (Image: @SulomeAnderson)
Lebanese-American journalist Sulome Anderson tweets a selfie of her kissing her Jewish boyfriend. (Image: @SulomeAnderson)

As the Gaza conflict intensifies, Arabs and Jews across the globe have taken to social media to express their desire for peace and reconciliation via the hashtag #JewsAndArabsRefuseToBeEnemies.

At the centre of the online campaign is Arab-American journalist Sulome Anderson, who tweeted a photo of herself kissing her Jewish boyfriend, Jeremy.

The photo has been retweeted more than 1,780 times. 

Ms Anderson, who is half-Lebanese, wrote on NYmag.com: "Last week we were on vacation and, at the suggestion of a journalist friend, added a photo of us together in support of what was then a little-known initiative called Jews and Arabs Refuse to be Enemies.

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"That image of me kissing my boyfriend has become the face of a rapidly growing internet campaign."

Despite their political differences, Ms Anderson said the conflict has brought the couple closer.

"As the region exploded into war, we started to come closer together in our opinions given the fact that we both share critical values: respect and concern for human life.

"I’m not saying we reach a consensus on everything now. But we do agree on something: This isn’t just about politics. This is about people."

Other Arabs and Jews have also joined in, sharing photos and selfies on social media using the hashtag #JewsAndArabsRefuseToBeEnemies


2 min read

Published

Updated

By Lin Taylor

Source: World News Australia


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