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[Cancelled] A Crack in the Wall: Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan

When

Event Status

This event will no longer be proceeding as planned due to travel complications. All ticketholders have been contacted regarding a refund. We hope to reschedule the event in 2023.

About

‘When they see us [together], this puts the first crack in the wall. A little light comes in. No one can listen to us and remain the same.’ – Rami Elhanan

Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan represent two worlds torn apart. Aramin is a Palestinian academic who spent seven years in an Israeli jail for his role in the Palestinian resistance. Elhanan is an Israeli graphic designer who served in the Israeli Army as a young man.

On the first day of the school year in 1997, Elhanan’s daughter, Smadar, was killed by two Palestinian suicide bombers. In 2007, Aramin’s 10-year-old daughter, Abir, was killed by Israeli border police in front of her school.

United by this shared grief, these two unlikely friends have devoted their lives to building peace between Palestinians and Israelis. Their quest to overcome hatred, reconcile and ultimately heal from unimaginable loss carries inspiration and hope in a time of unprecedented polarisation.

Their moving story has been shared around the world, and was the inspiration for Colum McCann’s Booker-Prize-longlisted novel Apeirogon. Now, for the first time, the pair will appear together in Australia for a very special Fifth Estate event, hosted by Sally Warhaft.

Join Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan as they share their powerful story of loss, forgiveness and peace.

Presented in partnership with Plus61J Media

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible

Accessible toilets available

You can learn more about the Wheeler Centre’s accessibility policies here. Please notify us of all access requirements when booking online so we can assist you with your visit. If you require further information, please contact reception on 03 9094 7800 or ticketing@wheelercentre.com.

The Fifth Estate

For in-depth insider analysis of current affairs, it doesn’t get any better than The Fifth Estate.

This long-running series is a mainstay of the Wheeler Centre’s programme, and of public conversation in Melbourne. Our in-house news anchor Sally Warhaft hosts guests from the world of politics, culture, journalism and international relations to dissect pressing questions of policy, power and public affairs. It’s a chance to give complex local and global issues the thoughtful discussion they deserve.

 

The Fifth Estate

Featuring

Bassam Aramin

Bassam Aramin was sent to Israeli prison as a 17-year-old for his role in the Palestinian resistance. He spent seven years there, and eventually started questioning the value of armed resistance. Several years after his release, he co-founded ‘Combatants for Peace’. He has refused to pic... Read more

Rami Elhanan

Rami Elhanan is a 7th generation Jerusalemite graphic designer. He identifies himself as a Jew, an Israeli, and before everything else, a human being. On the first day of the school year in 1997, Rami’s daughter, Smadar, was killed by two Palestinian suicide bombers who murdered 5 people that ... Read more

Sally Warhaft

Sally Warhaft is a Melbourne broadcaster, anthropologist and writer. She is the host of The Fifth Estate, the Wheeler Centre’s live series focusing on journalism, politics, media, and international relations, and The Leap Year, a Wheeler Centre podcast about Australians’ lives in the fog of ... Read more

Location

The Wheeler Centre

176 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000

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The Wheeler Centre acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Centre stands. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their Elders, past and present, as the custodians of the world’s oldest continuous living culture.