Aref Dajani Male Washington, DC United States: Like

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Aref Dajani and Imad malka are now friends

Jul 5, 2011

Muhammed Ismail and Aref Dajani are now friends

Mar 19, 2011

Aref Dajani is attending an event

Fundraising in Washington, DC at Goergetown, Washington, DC

March 1, 2011 from 7pm to 9:30pm

MEPEACE needs your support now more than ever to continue working for peace.Eyal Raviv will be in Washington DC in February and March to promote and fundraise for MEPEACE. On Tuesday, March 1, we will host a fundraiser to celebrate MEPEACE's work for peace and looking forward together. Please let me know if you might participate or help.Please support our efforts:1. Contribute - see more info at:…See More

Feb 27, 2011

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Aref Dajani and izida duranovic are now friends

Oct 5, 2010

Aref Dajani might attend an event

Online Peace Talks - Oct 10 at MEPEACE Chat (http://www.mepeace.org/chat)

October 10, 2010 from 8pm to 9:30pm

Event link: http://www.mepeace.org/events/online-peace-talks-oct-10Hello, Shalom, Salaam Peacemakers!MEPEACE.org is proud to invite you to our 13th Online Peace Talks event due to be held next Sunday. For all who haven't yet joined any of our past Online Peace Talks: As it is one of the most important aims of MEPEACE.org to work on extended dialogue on site, we have launched the Online Peace Talks to establish an open space…See More

Oct 5, 2010

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Aref Dajani and Lisbeth are now friends

Apr 11, 2010

Shmuel Yerushalmi left a comment for Aref Dajani

"A Zochrot collaborate with all naqba's organisations. Example with organisations of refugees from Jafa, from Birem, from Deir-Yassin, and other. Here a link to site: http://www.zochrot.org/index.php?lang=english"

Apr 7, 2010

Aref Dajani left a comment for Shmuel Yerushalmi

"Actually, Beit Dajan is closer to Jaffa, which predated Tel Aviv by millenia. I have never heard of Zochrot. With which Palestinian Nakba organization do they collaborate?"

Apr 7, 2010

Profile Information

My personal story:: Palestinian-American born in Washington, DC, son of orange growers. Grew up in a Jewish community. Met my first Holocaust survivor, complete with blue numbers on wrist, at the age of five. Grew up hearing competing narratives. Became active in diaspora dialogue, leading to professional engagements promoting peace and reconciliation. Not the cold peace of Egypt and Jordan, but a warm peace where our peoples live and thrive together.

My #1 advocacy: right of return for Palestinians to make aliyah to all of Historic Palestine. The Jewish character of Israel will be preserved because the Jewish character of Israel is in fact the Arab character of Palestine. We are far more alike than different. Nothing tastes better to Israeli Jews than hot, fresh pita purchased on Shabbat from Arab bakers in Jaffa! What was most culturally different between our peoples -- the yiddishkeit -- is quickly fading into obscurity, even in Diaspora. As is said so often, Jews settle into the West Bank aka "Judea and Samaria" to experience "the Real Israel".

In other words, the Real Palestine.

Why I want peace:: I want to reactivate my family's orange business, which thrived for at least several centuries in our ancestral village of Beit Dajan, now called Bet Dagan. My Palestinian family had excellent relations with our Jewish neighbors, only to be violently ethnically cleansed in February 1948. As a community, we Palestinians do not define ourselves by religion, nationalism, or even language because of our widespread Diaspora. Instead, we define ourselves by very small, intimate spaces we call Home.

Case in point: talk to anyone who comes from El Bireh, adjacent to Ramallah. They are the self-proclaimed Paris of the Middle East and Center of the Universe. At least their universe! :O)

There are two large branches of the Dajani family, each with a Home: Beit Dajan and Jerusalem. As I come from the Beit Dajan branch of the family, I want to live nowhere else. I have no interest in uprooting anyone, just a healthy plot of land where the best oranges in the world will grow again.

Oranges are a symbol and source of national pride for both Palestinians and Israelis. It's a shanda (Yiddish for "sin and a shame") that Israel so eagerly uproots agriculture with Caterpillar bulldozers in favor of concrete apartment blocks and urban sprawl. We will preserve the beauty of our sacred, holy land only if we reconcile and build a cleaner, greener world together.

Interests and activities:: Performing opera, B-rated science fiction, low-stress bowling, and backyard volleyball

Something you didn't know about me:: Downstage center, stripteased to my skivvies while singing a Mozart aria

Favorite website:: http://www.igc.org

How I found mepeace.org:: Len and Libby Traubman of San Mateo, California, USA

What I want to achieve here:: Connection to a brighter world.

Do you promise to respect others and our guidelines and not spam?: Yes

Comment Wall (28 comments)

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At 11:23pm on April 7, 2010, Shmuel Yerushalmi said…: A Zochrot collaborate with all naqba's organisations. Example with organisations of refugees from Jafa, from Birem, from Deir-Yassin, and other. Here a link to site:

http://www.zochrot.org/index.php?lang=english

At 11:06pm on April 7, 2010, Shmuel Yerushalmi said…: Walla, I visited in Beith-Dagan. This near Tel-Aviv. Say me, you have any contact with organisation Zochrot, that make very serios and deep researches on subject of Palestinian Naqba? If you want, I can to contact you with Eitan Bronshtain - the director of this place.

At 6:36pm on April 7, 2010, Shmuel Yerushalmi said…: What, you are from family of refugees? Say me, from wich place exactly your family?

At 7:05pm on April 6, 2010, Shmuel Yerushalmi said…: Walla, this interesting. Say me, you think to visit in Israel?

At 1:09pm on April 6, 2010, Shmuel Yerushalmi said…: What, ukrainian company fly between USA to Israel?

At 4:52pm on September 24, 2009, Hayyim Feldman said…: Thanks for your friendship invitation, Aref; sorry to take so long responding. I haven't been coming here much lately.
In the late 1970s my Palestiian landlord in Chicago was named Dajani. I never thought to connect it with Bet Dagan until now. I wish I could remember his first name. He and his family were very kind to me.

At 12:21pm on August 28, 2009, Wael_ said…: Salam Aref,
we Palestinian are knocking the doors of the new human history and will open them. Our cause is the navel of life and peace.
So glad to meet you!
Thanks for adding ~
Wael

At 11:04pm on August 26, 2009, Steven Kaplan said…: Hi Aref,

Tried to reply earlier, but think I misfired. Anna lit into me last night about contacting you so I knew about her intention to get on here (in fact, im helping her upload photos). Your story is fascinating, hope we can continue to correspond!

Steve