At the time of the attack, doctors feared Avery would never speak again. His tongue was split in two. His jaw remains clamped shut. Today he joins us for a rare interview.

On Saturday an American peace activist whose face was ripped apart by Israeli machine-gun fire in the West Bank town of Jenin returned to his parents home in North Carolina.

25-year-old Brian Avery was met by about 60 friends and supporters at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Avery still has wires and rubber bands clamping shut his jaw. The Associated Press reported that Avery has already undergone three reconstructive surgeries to rebuild the bridge of his nose and eye sockets. And he faces more surgery to repair his face.

Avery told his supporters “As long as there’s this many people ready to support peace and justice in the world, we’re in good hands. I’m glad to be alive and that I’m going to keep meeting so many wonderful people.”

He was shot on April 5. Three weeks earlier Rachel Corrie, a fellow peace activist from the United States was killed by Israeli forces.

• Brian Avery, U.S. peace activist who was shot in the face by Israel forces in Jenin in April. He returned home on Saturday.