Unheard Voices of the Middle East

If Israelis, Palestinians and Lebanese Want to Live in Peace, Why Aren't Leaders Making Compromises to End the Conflict?


TAMPA, FL -- (MARKET WIRE) -- December 11, 2006 -- "If we do not change the current Israeli government and its ideology of a Greater Israel at all costs, Israel will become morally polluted and give impetus to a greater increase in fanatic elements in the Middle East." (Hanna, Israeli peace activist)

"Palestinians must come to acknowledge Jewish fears and their need for security, while Israelis must recognize that the only authentic security for them is through justice for the Palestinians." (Father Ateek, Canon, St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem)

These are the voices of people who struggle, on a daily basis, to survive the Middle East conflict. American author Cathy Sultan moved to Beirut in 1969 with her Lebanese Christian husband and two small children. Sultan and her family survived the first eight years of Lebanon's civil war until they were forced to leave Beirut in 1983. The experience left her with a mind-broadening education about the realities of Middle East politics which she depicts in her 2005 memoir "A Beirut Heart: One Woman's War" (Scarletta Press).

While Sultan travels frequently to Lebanon, she has also expanded her expertise to include the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. In March 2002, she traveled to Jerusalem and the West Bank to better understand the human realities of life in this war zone. Her journey resulted in "Israeli and Palestinian Voices: A Dialogue with Both Sides" (Scarletta Press), a book which peels away the preconceived ideas about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to clearly show the thinking on all sides. Sultan's book is a collection of interviews which include Palestinians in refugee camps, Israeli soldiers, rabbis, teenagers, teachers, businessmen and peace activists -- all to help Americans understand the complexities of this conflict.

Sultan sits on the Executive Board of the National Peace Foundation where she directs Middle East educational projects. In February, NPF will once again co-sponsor with Partners for Peace the Mid-West tour of "Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared Vision." These tours bring one Muslim, one Jew and one Christian to the US to share their experiences and hopes for a just peace.

You can learn more about Cathy Sultan at www.cathysultan.com.

Journalists, request a free copy of the book for review.

Contact Information: Contact: Rachel Damien rachel@event-management.com 727-443-7115 ext. 204