My name is Raanan Mallek, a coordinator of Slow Food in Israel.  I am honored to be here among the nations and especially honored to be able to have carried my flag as the representative when the President of Italy opened the event. 

I would like to thank the Lebanese speaker yesterday for his positive concentration on the very important Slow Food issues concerning his country, and not speaking about the horrible war that took place between our two nations.  I am proud to be part of a forum where enemies in the political world come together for a higher ideal.  I sincerely see Slow Food as being an avenue to continue on the path for Dar-El Salaam (House of Peace) in the Middle East. 

As a religious Jew, I have been trying for many years to bridge a path through holiness to our brother religion Islaam.  As a historian, I remember reading of the days in Andallusia and Egypt where our two religions flourished together in the Middle Ages.  Today we are here in Italy discussing food, and may very well be part of the historical process that will bring nations together.

Just as there are no borders between the countries of the EU today, so should there be no borders between Israel, Palestine and the rest of the neighbors of the Middle East.  If we unite in the Spirit we can open avenues of trade for all nations which will inspire prosperity of the highest order. 

To conclude, I would be honored to meet with any of the Muslim delegations (Iranian, Lebanese, Iraqi, etc.) who would like to begin a dialogue here in Turino.  Who knows, maybe it can be a seed that will sprout the Dar-El Salaam we have all been praying for.

In Fraternal Shalom and Salaam,
Raanan Mallek
Coordinator
Ela Valley Convivium
Israel

Hadas Lahav writes us from Galilee:

I am writing a small note just to update you about our situation.

On the 13th of July a Katusha rocket fell in Majd Al Krum, directly on the house of Samya Nasser, Sindyanna’s board member. Luckily she was tutoring in the summer camp and was not at home. Two members of the family were slightly injured. Her house was badly damaged. Two of our stuff members, including me, who live in Haifa decided to evacuate to safer places. Our warehouse in Kufur Kana was active but since the 19th, when rockets landed in Nazareth and killed two children we decided for the time being to close the warehouse and do the work we can from home, or from other safer places.

We hope this unnecessary and aggressive war will be finished soon, so we could go be back to our normal life.

Yours faithfully,

Hadas Lahav
Sindyanna of Galilee

For more information on the Galilee community of oil producers contact Séverine Petit, s DOT petit AT slowfood DOT com.