Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Dana Kursh expressed her hope for reconciliation between Israel and Palestine, similar to the peaceful coexistence she experienced during her childhood.
Speaking on DAILY TRIBUNE’s Pairfect, Kursh shared what it was like growing up in Israel. Describing her homeland through the lens of scripture, she recalled witnessing a “land of milk and honey,” where even the desert blossomed with flowers. Adding to her fond memories was her life among Arab neighbors, whom she warmly remembered.
“I know that we have experienced a vicious war inflicted on us by the Hamas terrorist organization in October 2023. But my childhood was very different,” she said, explaining that she grew up next to an Arab village where her neighbors fondly called her "Ibnat Musa" or 'daughter of Moses,' a reference to her father’s name, who spoke Arabic fluently, and worked hand in hand with Palestinians.
“It was a different reality,” Kursh recalled, adding that she sincerely prays for her 13-year-old son to experience the same kind of peaceful coexistence she once knew.
“God willing, at the end of the day, after this Hamas terrorist organization stops inflicting so much suffering on our people, we’ll be able to go back to the track of having peace in our region,” she said. “The Palestinian people, with whom we don't have to fight with, will decide their own fate," she added.
Kursh also showed the military necklace she wore every day during her five-year service as a captain in the Israeli Defense Forces. Now wearing it as a diplomat, she said she feels like a “soldier of peace.” The necklace bears an inscription in Hebrew that reads, “Our heart is with the hostages in Gaza,” serving as a constant reminder to keep praying for the 48 Israeli hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian groups.
She said she continues to pray for the reunification of those 48 Israelis, whether deceased or alive,with their families, especially as special Jewish holidays approach. “God willing, there will be reunification, and there will be peace,” she emphasized. “This Hamas terrorist organization, and other terrorist groups that are proxies of the Iranian regime, must stop inflicting so much pain and suffering on our nation.”