Ibrahim Abu el-Hawa
Born (1942-12-24) December 24, 1942
Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine

Ibrahim Abu el-Hawa (born December 24, 1942)[1] is a Palestinian peace activist.

Early life and career

Abu el-Hawa's family, who are of Bedouin descent, lived on the Mount of Olives for 1400 years.[1] El-Hawa was born into a home built by his grandfather's grandfather.[1] As a child, hospitality was prized by his family, who frequently hosted strangers in their home.[1] His family worked as farmers, and as a child el-Hawa took care of the family cows.[1] In addition to Arabic, he also learned Russian from a local Russian church.[1]

Abu el-Hawa first traveled outside of Palestine after marrying his wife.[1] On their honeymoon, the couple visited Manhattan.[1]

Abu el-Hawa worked for Egged as a mechanic, and later as an engineer and cable-laying technician for Bezeq, where he worked for 27 years.[1][2][3] He retired in 1999.[1]

Hostel

After the Six-Day War in 1967, Abu el-Hawa's grandfather opened a hostel called the Peace House out of the family's home, in which guests were able to stay free of charge.[4] Abu el-Hawa has continued operating the Peace House, which is funded by donations.[1][4][5]

Unapproved construction fines

In 1995, he built a second house on his property to accommodate his family, leaving the main house for guests.[1] The second house hosted him and his wife, six of his children and their spouses, 25 grandchildren, and three adopted siblings.[1]

In 2008, needing more space, the family began construction to build two additional apartments in the structure.[4] In 2011, el-Hawa was charged with a NIS 2.5 million fine for unapproved construction on the building where he and his family live.[1] By 2014, a crowdfunding campaign had raised enough money for el-Hawa to pay off part of the fine, allowing him to avoid prison time.[6]

Activism

Abu el-Hawa has worked with multiple Jewish activists and coexistence organizations,[6] including Menachem Froman,[2][5] the Jerusalem Peacemakers, and The Abrahamic Reunion.[1]

Personal life

Abu el-Hawa has eight children, two of whom live in the United States with their five children.[1] The siblings moved to the United States in 1985 on student visas, and attended school in North Carolina.[3]

In 2011, el-Hawa suffered a stroke.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "The Beduin host on the Mount of Olives". The Jerusalem Post. 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  2. 1 2 Silverman, Anav (2014-03-11). "Muslim Sheikh Mourns Settler Rabbi". HuffPost. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  3. 1 2 Zohar, Gil Stern (2006-05-11). "A place to call home". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  4. 1 2 3 Deger, Allison (2015-01-06). "Jerusalem's interfaith 'Peace House' faced with Israeli demolition order". Mondoweiss. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  5. 1 2 Gosselin, Janie (2011-10-27). "La maison de la paix de Jérusalem". La Presse (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  6. 1 2 Maltz, Judy (31 December 2014). "Crowdfunding Campaign Spares Veteran Jerusalem Peace Activist a Stint in Jail". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
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