[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 30 (Thursday, March 17, 1994)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [Congressional Record: March 17, 1994] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] ALI YEHIE ADIB: A LIVING BRIDGE OF UNDERSTANDING ______ HON. TOM LANTOS of california in the house of representatives Thursday, March 17, 1994 Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a man who used his life to labor patiently in building a grassroots infrastructure for peace in the Middle East. Ali Yehie Adib, an Israeli Arab, born in the year Israel declared its nationhood, feels that there is no conflict in his combined identity. He is passionately committed to pluralism and the respectful coexistence of neighbors in this long troubled region. Ali Yehie Adib was born in 1947 in Kfar Kara, an Israeli Arab village, the oldest of eight children of a family of farmers. Upon completing high school in Kfar Kara, Mr. Ali Adib developed a deep attachment to Jerusalem--its alleyways, its neighborhoods, and its people. He enjoyed the colorful international and interfaith spirit of the city. Mr. Ali Adib returned to his village as a teacher of history and citizenship at his former high school. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he dedicated himself to promoting opportunities for bringing Jewish and Arab children together. Immediately after the Six-Day War, the language school Ulpan Akiva pioneered a project to teach spoken Arabic as a pathway to dialog. In order to maintain his own roots, Ali still devotes at least 2 days a week to teaching in his own village. Being an Israeli citizen, Mr. Ali Adib feels that there is a total harmony in his combined identity as an Israeli Arab. He sees himself as a living, natural bridge, linking Arabs to the Jewish community and culture and Jews to the pluralism of Israeli society. One of the high points in his life was being accorded the honor of being the first Arab to light a torch in the annual ceremony which marks the beginning of the Independence Day celebrations in Jerusalem. That particular year, 1984, was designated the ``Year of the Unity of Israel,'' celebrating the pluralistic nature of the country and its peoples. Ulpan Akiva is considered a microcosm of the world. The goal of Ulpan Akiva is to teach the language of the region and use the ability to communicate in each other's language as a tool to help break down barriers. The students of Mr. Ali Adib's Arab language school, including President Herzog, Members of Parliament, professors and many other individuals in highly respected positions, have taken their lessons to heart and have become part of that new understanding upon which agreements such as the dramatic Israeli-Palestinian Peace Accords have a chance to be translated into reality. In 1993, Ulpan Akiva was nominated for the second consecutive year for the Nobel Peace Prize and, also in 1993, Mrs. Shulamith Katznelson, the founder and director, and Mr. Ali Yehie were awarded the Coexistence Prize by the Jewish Arab Institute of Bet Berl for their lifetime commitment to promoting understanding between Jews and Arabs. As peace in the Middle East appears closer, the work of Mr. Ali Yehie becomes daily more important. The model he provides with his life and the lessons he teaches his students provides a framework for the future. Ali Yehie is among those unsung heroes who have devoted their lives to creating peace, one person at a time. ____________________