Aseel Assela

17 years old. Aseel leaves behind his parents and sister. Aseel lived in Arrabah inside Israel. In the past, Israeli authorities imprisoned his father, a shopkeeper, for eight years for security reasons. His mother is a social worker. He was a hard-working and mature young man. He succeeded in all his endeavors and was elected to represent his school in an exchange program in the USA. Aseel was enthralled by technology and enjoyed computers. He even developed his own web site. In 1997, Seeds of Peace, a coexistence program, selected him to be a member of a group that traveled abroad to represent the Arab minority in Israel. He served as the group's guide and active representative for the Middle East. He met Kofi Anan, Madeleine Albright, and once had a conversation with Mrs. H. Clinton. President Clinton presented Aseel with a special award for his activities in the Seeds of Peace program. He was a member of the group until he died. His father remembers how Aseel fervently believed in peace between the two nations.

When he was killed on October 10th, Aseel wore the green Seeds of Peace shirt. His mother shivered with fear when she realized her son wasn't by her side during the nearby clashes. She took a taxi to her brother's place where she saw throngs of young men running. Police started firing and throwing tear gas. She saw two young men being held by the shoulders and asked if either one of them was Aseel. Those carrying them denied it was he, but she recognized the green shirt that he wore. Aseel was transferred to Sakhnin, then to Naharia Hospital. When his mother heard he'd died, she collapsed in tears. Aseel's father recounted how Aseel and his friend Alaa Nassar were hiding in an olive grove, seeking cover, when suddenly Israel soldiers rushed towards them. They grabbed Aseel and beat him with the back of their guns, threw him to the ground and shot him in the neck from point-blank range.

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