KANSAS CITY, Mo. — More than 50 countries were represented at Kansas City's Ethnic Enrichment Festival over the weekend, including first-time participation from Palestinians alongside an Israeli booth.
"I think it's very important for Kansas City to champion something like this that brings so many different people together," said Lizzy Naughton, an Ethnic Enrichment Festival patron.
Kansas City Palestinians operated their first booth at this year's festival, offering visitors traditional body art and cuisine.
"The Palestinian story is best told by the Palestinian people," said Samantha Salem, Palestine Commissioner for the Ethnic Enrichment Commission.
For Salem, a native of Gaza, the experience was bittersweet as her family remains caught in the crossfire of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
"It is really bittersweet right for me, I'm here feeding people when I can't even feed my own family," Salem said.
Across the way at the Israeli booth, Sam Nachum emphasized that the weekend wasn't about politics but about cultural representation.
"You make the people here happy with the type of thing that you bring them and make it in peace," Nachum said.
For Palestinian immigrant Fay Issawi, her culture's acceptance in Kansas City represents the harmony she sought when she arrived 30 years ago.
"Freedom," Issawi said. "I cannot imagine one day this was going to happen, and it happened right now. American people got know who Palestinian people are."
As these two cultures shared their stories side by side, they demonstrated a lesson in humanity while furthering their quest for peace.
"When you get to know a people, it starts changing your mind," Salem said.
Nachum echoed similar sentiments, "Nobody chose to be born. Nobody chose to be born Israeli or Palestinian but we're here. If you respect God, the creator, you should love his creature."
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