Power of One: Ronny Edry Creates Israel ♥ Iran Image

By Rev. Jim Hetzer

An Israeli graphic designer overheard a conversation at a grocery in Tel Aviv between the owner and a customer. The owner said that soon Iran would send 10,000 missiles to rain down on Israel. The customer said it would be 10,000 missiles a day. The Israeli graphic designer is named Ronny Edry. He has heard this kind of story over and over for the last 10 years. He felt that he needed to do something to help the situation.

He put together an image of himself and his younger daughter with the caption Israel ♥ Iran. He posted it on Facebook.There have been millions of visits to the Israel ♥ Iran site

on Facebook, and now there is an Iran ♥ Israel site as well. A video that tells the complete story is here, and it is worth your time to listen. This is from a series of lectures by TED.com on You Tube.

There are people that have liked and commented on these sites from around the world; the U.S., China, Germany, Syria, Bulgaria, Canada, and many, many other places. This is a new dawn where individual people of the world are forging friendships and alliances in the face of the politicians. The Arab Spring movement is based upon open communications among the common people. The worldwide web is truly worldwide, and it provides an opportunity to make changes at the grassroots level.

The important part of the message is that one person can really and truly make a significant change in the world. This is very important. Many countries and people have a vested interest in making war. In the U.S., the 2011 export trade in war materials to foreign countries exceeded $66 billion dollars. Russia is number two in war material exports, and China is number three. There are people whose whole mission in life is to foster hatred against others as a means of obtaining and maintaining power or wealth.

The mutual fear of Israel and Iran is a destabilizing force that can ignite the Middle East and spread war across the globe. It should be noted that the number one area of U.S. arms sales in 2011 was the Middle East. The idea that Ronny Edry could start a meaningful peace movement with an idea and a picture of himself and his daughter that was posted on Facebook is wonderful.

Global Peace Movement Created 

While the leaders in Israel and Iran were posturing and threatening each other so that they could be reelected, Ronny Edry created a global peace movement. The second campaign is titled, “Not ready to die in your war.” When the people of Iran first posted their Iran ♥ Israel messages, they did it with hidden faces and no names. Now they are showing their names and faces with their message that they are not ready to die for a war to kill people that they are beginning to realize as fellow human beings.

We need to start a campaign in the U.S. that focuses on our humanity and reestablishes in the eyes of the world that we are not the aggressors trying to enforce our beliefs on everyone everywhere. This will not be easy. The top companies that are involved in selling war materials are not interested in creating peace. They are interested in profits.

The U.S. has lost several thousand soldiers in Iran and Afghanistan. The “collateral damage” in these wars has civilian casualties in the hundreds of thousands. One possible image to present is “The United States ♥ the world.” It is time for all of us to use the social media and our everyday conversations to make a stand for peace and harmony throughout the world.

The world press is paying attention to the work started by Ronny Edry, with articles in the New Yorker, Washington Post, New York Times, Stern, and broadcasts by the Chinese state television stations. Al Jazerra has covered this phenomenon, and that is a voice heard across the Arab nations. If there is ever to be a true global peace movement, it is going to have to been at the level of the people. History shows us that the world leaders are incapable of giving up their power to forge a bridge of mutual respect around the world.

Now more than ever, one person can make a difference using social communications of positive ideas. Do your part to bring about peace and understanding that can leverage our mutual respect for others into a truly different world. One last thought in the Cosmic Giggle category is that this story was posted on December 21, 2012. The Mayans had it right when they said this is the beginning of a new era for mankind.

Remember that you are one powerful person. Use that power to change the world. Φ

Rev. Jim Hetzer is minister of Columbus Spiritualist Temple. He has been a healer and reader for over twenty-five years.  He has found truth in many different religions over his years of study.  He is also the webmaster for www.christianspiritualisttemple.org.