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Alan
Slifka and Janet
Wallach
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Bob
and Jane Toll with Palestinian Seeds of
Peace graduate, Fadi
El Salameen
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On Monday,
May 16th, Seeds of Peace held its annual gala dinner for
over 500 guests that honored board members Helaine and Fred
Gould and
awarded CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Ami Ayalon and Sa'eb
Erekat with the John
P. Wallach Peacemaker Award. Ayalon was the former director of Israel's
Shin Bet and Commander of the Israeli Navy (ret.), and Erekat is the
Chief Palestinian Negotiator.
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Helaine
Gould and Sa'eb Erekat, Chief Palestinian Negotiator
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This year's gala, which took place at the Pierre Hotel in New York
City, raised over 1.2 million for the nonprofit organization Seeds
of Peace which, since 1993, has graduated over 2,500 teenagers from
four conflict regions from its internationally recognized leadership
program. Through its International Camp in Maine, its Center for Coexistence
in Jerusalem, international youth conferences, regional workshops,
educational opportunities, and adult educator program, Seeds of Peace
participants develop empathy, mutual respect, and self-confidence as
well as leadership, communication and negotiation skills - all critical
components necessary for peaceful coexistence.
International dignitaries and celebrities attended this year's Seeds
of Peace gala to show their support and hear the discussion and insight
that Blitzer, Ayalon and Erekat provided on the Middle East. The Prime
Minister of Egypt, Ahmed Nazif, as well as Israeli Ambassador Dan
Gillerman spoke during the VIP reception which was also attended by Ambassadors
from Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Yemen. The Permanent Observer
from the Mission of Palestine also attended as did representatives
from the League of Arab States.
Celebrities attending this year's event included Jerry Stiller, who
served as a host of the 2003 Seeds of Peace Gala and also served on
this year's Gala Celebrity Committee. |
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Ami
Ayalon speaks with Yemeni
Ambassador Abdulwahab Abdulla Al-Hajjri and David Avital
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Fred
Gould and Mort Olshan talk with a friend
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Gene
and Sue Mercy and Bob Toll talk with a friend
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Israeli
Ambassador Dan Gillerman and Egyptian Prime
Minister Ahmed Nazif
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Joel Gantcher and Pernilla Avital
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Tim
Wilson and Jacquie Wilson
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Rob
and Ornella Morrow with Gene Mercy, Jr.
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Ambassador
Al Asri Saeed Ahmed Al Dhahri, Aaron David Miller, and
H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi
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Jerry
Stiller keeping the guests, including CNN's Wolf Blitzer,
smiling
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Jeff
and Fred Gould
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