Abraham's Children
(San Jose Mercury-News, 15 November 1997)
" . . . Tonight the dialogue group, which has 30 members altogether, is sponsoring a sold-out dinner a the Clarion Hotel in Millbrae. More than 420 people -- almost all Palestinians and Jews --are expected to attend the affair, also sponsored by the Palestinian American Congress and the Jewish Community Relations Council. Organizers claim it will be the leargest Jewish-Palestinian event ever held in the United States . . . "

Hundreds of Jews, Palestinians get taste of unity here
(Jewish Bulletin of Northern California, 21 November 1997)
"One table held two Israeli Jews, a Palestinian Muslim, an Israeli-American Jew, two Palestinian-American Muslims, an American Jew and two Quakers. Symbols of peace were everywhere. A large banner with a photo of a borderless, bluish-green globe hung on one wall. Table centerpieces consisted of white paper doves and real olive branches. Name tags included phrases in English, Hebrew and Arabic. Touted as the largest event of its kind ever in the United States, about 420 people -- including 225 Jews and 150 Palestinians -- attended "Building a Common Future" in Millbrae on Saturday night. "It's time we...see each other as equals. We are the children of Abraham -- Palestinians and Jews," Elias Botto, one of the organizers, told the participants seated for dinner at the Clarion Hotel."

Grassroots ties bolster peace talks, Mideast envoy says
(Jewish Bulletin of Northern California, 21 November 1997)
"'What this group represents is what the peace process is all about,' Ross said. 'Peace has to connect people. It has to build bonds between people . . . For me, this is a conflict with a human face. I know too many people who have experienced pain . . . It's not possible for me to treat this conflict in theoretical terms.' In fact, he said the lack of 'people-to people' connections is one of the Oslo pace process' shortcomings. Ross announced that a committee assigned to create such programs between Israelis and Palestinians at the grassroots level will resume meeting at the end of this month."

To Build a Common Future
(The Christian Science Monitor, 21 November 1997)
"As a Jewish dentist and a Palestinian businesswoman, we've learned a lot about reconciliation in our five-year-old Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue group. We know the process isn't easy. But after 65 meetings, we've moved from fear to trust, from alienation to cooperation. And if we can do it, others can too."

Jews, Palestinians gather together
(San Mateo Weekly, 22 November 1997)
"Last Saturday evening 420 people attended the San Mateo County Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group dinner at the Clarion Hotel . . . [Ambassador Dennis Ross] attended a breakfast meeting Monday morning at the Clarion organized by the San Mateo organization . . . and reflected on the need to revive the people-to-people part of the peace process . . . Ross said that the more organizations like this one all over the world . . . the easier it will be for the peace process to succeed."

Another Step in the Public Peace Process
(Timeline, March/April 1998)