On May 9, 2026, a special meeting with representatives of the Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) took place at the House of University and Student Communities in Munich. About 80 guests attended the event, which was moderated by Thomas Prieto Peral.
The focus was on the personal stories of Laila al-Sheikh and Michal Halev, who both lost a child in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a moving conversation, they spoke about their journey through grief and loss, as well as their conscious decision to reject revenge and embrace dialogue and understanding.
Encounter Through Shared Pain
Laila al-Sheikh said, “Our tears are the same color.” As a Palestinian, she had long seen Israelis only as soldiers. That made her encounter with Michal all the more significant. She was particularly moved by the moment when an Israeli woman said to her, “I’m a woman, too. I can understand your pain.” Her message was clear: “God created us to love, not to kill one another.”
Michal Halev also shared her story with great candor. In moving words, she described the loss of her son and her decision not to let that pain turn into hatred: “When I heard that they had written his name on a missile—a missile intended to kill another mother’s child—I said, on behalf of my son and on my own behalf: We do not want revenge.”
Time and again, a tense silence fell over the room. Michal’s statement was also deeply moving: “Violence has shaped our country for generations. And it doesn’t work. That’s why I will continue to work for peace.”
Both speakers also issued an urgent appeal to politicians and churches in Germany: They said it is essential to continue discussing the conflict, to foster empathy and compassion, and to seek paths to peace, rather than continuing to rely on weapons. Peace begins where people listen to one another and recognize the humanity of the other person.
Dialogue, Appeal, and a Shared Vision for the Future
The event was part of a series of dialogues organized by Parents Circle Friends Deutschland e.V., which facilitated discussions and gatherings in several cities in southern Germany. We organized the Munich event in collaboration with Parents Circle Friends Deutschland e.V., the Petra Kelly Foundation, pax christi in the Archdiocese of Munich & Freising, and the Evangelical Migration Center in Munich.
The Parents Circle – Families Forum was founded in 1995 and brings together more than 800 Israeli and Palestinian families who have lost loved ones in the conflict. The meeting in Munich made it strikingly clear that genuine dialogue begins when people are willing to listen to one another and acknowledge each other’s perspectives.
In closing, Laila and Michal described how lonely and speechless they had felt for a long time after the loss of their children. As grieving mothers, they had felt as though they were completely alone with their pain. Sitting together today with people who listen to them, stand by them, and work alongside them for peace means the world to them. They expressed their heartfelt thanks to those present.
