It sounds counterintuitive, but the Arab and Jewish children learning karate through a network of martial arts clubs called Budo for Peace, are also learning valuable lessons in how to get along.
Around 400 children participate in the 20 or so clubs throughout northern Israel.
“Our goal is to bring children who are in conflict areas to understand about respect, tolerance, non-violence, and break down the barriers of ignorance and fear,” says founder Danny Hakim, a sixth-degree black belt and a two-time Karate World Championships silver medalist.
Spread the Word
• Email this article to friends or colleagues
• Share this article on Facebook or Twitter
• Write about and link to this article on your blog
• Local relevancy? Send this article to your local press
Bringing conflicting populations together is a challenge, he admits, but Hakim believes his method leads to greater harmony among children from the two cultures. Parents report that interaction between the villages is growing.
Now interest in the clubs is growing from abroad.
Fighting for Israel's truth
We cover what makes life in Israel so special — it's people. A non-profit organization, ISRAEL21c's team of journalists are committed to telling stories that humanize Israelis and show their positive impact on our world. You can bring these stories to life by making a donation of $6/month.
