Israeli-American author Miko Peled to speak at Luther College on April 13

Israeli-American author Miko Peled to speak at Luther College April 13

Born the son of a famous Israeli general, Mike Peled grew up as a Jewish Zionist in Israel. Following the death of his niece at the hands of a Palestinian suicide bomber, Peled went through a process of self-discovery, questioning what he’d grown up believing about Israeli policy about Palestine.

Co-sponsored by the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement and the Coalition for Civil Freedoms, Peled will present a Q&A format-lecture “From Israeli Zionist to Palestinian Defender” at 7 p.m. Friday, April 13, in the Center for Faith and Life Recital Hall. He will discuss his two books, the autobiographical “The General’s Son” and his new book, “Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.” The lecture is open to the public with no charge for admission.

A Jewish Israeli, Peled is the grandson of a signatory to the Israeli Declaration of Independence and the son of a decorated army general who was a leader of the Six Day War. Peled also served in the Israeli army but came to have grave doubts about what he was fighting for. Following the death of his niece, Peled joined a support group for families on both sides of the conflict. Attending those meetings inspired Peled to work for Palestinian human rights.

Peled’s first book, “The General’s Son,” follows his journey from a member of the army to a peace activist and advocate for equal rights for all Palestinians and Israelis. His most recent work, “Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” tells of five Muslim Americans from the largest Muslim relief organization in the United States. Following Sept. 11, the leaders, who had raised funds for Palestinian relief efforts, were arrested and incarcerated. Peled takes a look at the case against the men, including both trials, the effects felt by their families and how the U.S. government responded to events post-9/11.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,050, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.