The animosity between the governments of Israel and Iran is significant.

Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei once compared Israel to a cancerous tumor which should be “cut-off.”  President MahmoudAhmadinejad has said Israel would be “eliminated,” and that the country has no roots in the Middle East.

Israel has drawn a line in the sand and is threatening preemptive action to prevent an Iranian nuclear capability.

Two people from their respective countries, however, are engaging in peer-to-peer diplomacy, putting aside  hostility.

About one year ago, RonnyEdry, a graphic designer and teacher from Israel, created and posted an image of himself on Facebook holding his daughter and waving an Israeli flag.  The caption read, “Iranians, we will never bomb your country. We love you.”

This one action started an online community, “Israel Loves Iran,” and has prompted responses from people in other conflict zones including, “Iran Loves Israel.” 

Iranian MajidNowrouzi was one of the first to respond in-kind to Edry’s Facebook post.  Both Edry and Nowrouzi and their families met for the first time yesterday, turning a virtual meeting into a face-to-face exchange.

They were our guests on "St. Louis on the Air:"

Edry is receiving the Euphrates Institute’s Visionary of the Year award and will deliver the keynote address at Principia College’s Public Affairs Conference on Friday night.

Euphrates Institiute's Visionary of the Year, Israeli Ronny Edry Delivers Keynote Address at Principia College's 64th Annual Public Affairs Conference

Friday, March 29, 2013
8:00 p.m.

Cox Auditorium, Prinicipia College, Elsah, Illinois

Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org.