I drew this picture as part of a poster exchange project in which my mother and I participated when I was in grammar school. At the time I was a child without the life experience to apply to the understanding of what was going on in the MIddle East. Now I'm aware of more details regarding the political and social situation; however I still can't imagine any motivation Palestinians and Israelis may have to continue treating one another as they do. I hope the message of this project is received well by those involved and affected directly by the violence between cultures in the MIddle East----and elsewhere as we recognize the peaceful co-existence of world cultures as a positive and attainable goal.

Jesse Yeslow Finn, Hopington Massachusetts USA

Jesse created this image when he was nine years old. In 1989 and 1990 it was the subject of a controversy at Jerusalem City Hall.

"Police drop case over lapel pins", by Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post Reporter, February 1990

Jerusalem police have dropped the case against two city councillors and four members of the left-wing protest movement, Women in Black, who had been questioned for wearing symbols bearing the Israeli and Palestinian flags.

The police had prepared charges against Deputy Mayor Ornan Yekutieli for violating the Prevention of Terrorism Act last October by wearing the pin at a municipal reception honouring Prime Minister Yizhak Shamir.

"We decided that wearing a symbol which shows both flags is not an expression of identification with the PLO," said Justice Ministry spokeswoman Etty Eshed.

She added, though, that the decision referred only to the specific five cm by five cm pin worn by the six people questioned in this case. "The district attorney's office did not discuss the legality of the Palestinian flag in general," she said.