Ziad Abed Sabateen, a resident of the village of Husan located between the Jewish settlement Tzur Hadassah and the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, is one of the most recognized and longtime Palestinian peace activists. For the last 18 years, he has been a relentless warrior for peace, leaving no stone unturned to persuade his friends, neighbors, fellow villagers, nearby residents and anyone else for that matter — Palestinians and Israelis alike — that there is no alternative but the road of peace.

Sabateen was a student of the late Rabbi Menachem Froman from the settlement Tekoa through whom he befriended his neighbors — the settlers in the Etzion settlement bloc. His ardent passion to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without violence rubbed off on them as well.

One night at the beginning of November, at around 2 a.m., Sabateen was rudely awakened by heavy pounding on the door and voices shouting "Open up, open up." When he opened the door, which was just shy of falling off its hinges, some 30 armed soldiers stormed in. According to him, they wanted to arrest his son Mohammed, claiming he had been throwing stones. Mohammed, 15, was taken from his bed in bewilderment. With a great deal of pleading, his father was able to convince the military commander of the unit that broke into the house to let his son get dressed before arresting him. Ever since that incident, he has been fighting for his son as well as for his own reputation, honor and the peace endeavors he has been pursuing for about two decades.

Sabateen is waging a three-pronged struggle: to get his son released from detention; to take care of his children who have been traumatized by the soldiers raiding their house with weapons drawn; and to convince his friends, neighbors and fellow villagers that he was not wrong to choose the path of peace.