While the Middle East boils with conflict, a conquest for peace between the Israelis and the Iranians has invaded the cyber world.

A new Facebook page titled “Love and Peace” has become a virtual gathering place where both Iranians and Israelis disregard any animosity and unite against violence.  Created five months ago by Israeli husband and wife Ronny Edry and Michal Tamir as a part of the “Israel Loves Iran” movement, the Love and Peace page has since racked up over eight thousand likes. Followers who “like” the page on Facebook demonstrate their support through inspirational posts and pictures.

Edry acknowledges that at first glance the anti-war campaign may seem unrealistic and even childish. However, having experienced the war first hand, Edry says he recognizes the harsh reality of the war while still maintaining hope for peace.

“You know, I’m not that naive,” Edry said on National Public Radio in March of this year. “I sound naive and the posters are really, you know, with the heart and everything and it sounds really childish, but I’m 41. I was a soldier in the army. I was a paratrooper, actually, and I see wars. I know how it looks from the ground, so there is a threat. I am not stupid, but maybe there is another way of dealing with this threat.”

Since he first created the page, Israelis and Palestinians alike have joined Edry in his anti-war campaign. Edry hopes that together, citizens of the world can search for peaceful alternatives to war through the Love and Peace page.

 “It’s an invitation to people all around the world that we don’t have to hate, we don’t have to fight,” said Samaneh Ataei, an Iranian-born St. Louis University freshman. “We can accept each other’s differences and focus on the common fact that we are all human and we can all make peace together.”

Ataei, a strong supporter of the Love and Peace campaign, moved to the United States from her homeland of Iran at age 12. Since moving here, she has worked to eliminate racial and religious barriers by forming friendships that defy the disparities between American and Iranian culture, creating what she calls “the best of both worlds.”

 “I have many friends who are Jewish or Israeli,” Ataei said. “My Iranian roots even help me become closer to them because of the similarities we find in each other’s cultures, whether it’s sharing a plate of hummus and pita, or our dreams to travel all over the Middle East and visit the Dead Sea.”

Similarly, Parkway North High School freshman Shira Aviv, an Israeli-American teen, was inspired by the peace efforts of the Love and Peace page. Both agree that local teens should join in on this peace campaign by liking the Love and Peace page and witnessing the power of united action.

“I love the efforts and I support them 100 percent,” Shira said. “There are the amazing people who will be part of it, and there are those who won’t listen. … But we have to hope for the best and hope we can make a difference.”