Projects that work to foster peaceful and productive co-existence between Israelis and Arabs
) fall into various categories.
Israeli-Arab co-existence projects
McGill Middle East Program for Civil Society and Peace Building
A project developed under the Montreal Consortium for Human Rights Advocacy Training, in 1997 the McGill Middle East Program
(MMEP) launched a number of store-front, community run, rights-based community practice (RBCP) centres to strengthen the poorest, most underprivileged communities in Jordan, Israel and Palestine. A select group of fellows from the three regions take part in year-long Canadian fellowship program, which incorporates a Masters of Social Work at McGill University
with intensive peace building sessions between the fellows. Today, over 50 fellows have participated, returning to open and run 8 centres of the RBCP model to assist and empower over 110,000 mideast residents per year. With this success, plans are currently being developed to increase the program's capacity tenfold. More details of the program can be found here
Community Advocate Mentor Program - Middle East
Initiated in the Spring of 2007, the Community Advocate Mentor Program - Middle East is a five-year project of the International women's democracy center
dedicated to facilitating dialogue and bolstering the diplomatic skills of Israeli and Palestinian women leaders in the community and government.
CAMP-ME targets women leaders with demonstrated backgrounds in peace and co-existence initiatives and brings them to Washington, DC where they share hotel rooms for their two-week program on Capitol Hill. There are several objectives of the program. Most importantly, CAMP-ME creates an environment removed from the conflict zone to foster dialogue and understanding between Israelis and Palestinians. CAMP-ME also provides valuable training for the women leaders to promote their agendas at home as well as giving US Congressional Members first-hand access to those who live in the conflict. The bi-partisan Congressional team for CAMP-ME has been led by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy.
The Valley of Peace initiative
is an official joint effort of the Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian governments. However, it constitutes a co-existence project, as it is mainly designed to foster efforts in the private sector, once governments provide the initial investment and facilities.
Founded in 1993, Peace Settlers focuses on promoting a real, pragmatic dialogue between Jewish, Arab, Christian and other minority residents of The Land. With the understanding that a political solution to the Israel-Arab problem is not possible, the organization strives to make people understand that we are obligated to act first and foremost as human beings towards one another and seek accommodations which will enable people of all religions and nations live together in peace and respect towards the others' civil/civilian rights. The organization promotes the sanctity of life as one of the basic tenets of belief and action that should be common to all people of the earth.
The movement was not as active after the Second Intifada made meetings between Israelis and Palestinians all but impossible. With Hamas now taking a position of leadership among the Palestinians, Chairman Cohen sees a possible breakthrough possible should Hamas repent and embrace the true will of G-d.
Many Israelis are very suspicious of the peace movements due to the heavy funding they receive from non-Jewish sources such as the EU and their willingness to cede to the Arabs what many believe is the cradle of Jewish civilization.
Hand in Hand
runs a network of four bilingual (Arabic
) schools that serve more than 800 students. Half the students are Palestinian citizens of Israel
, and the other half are Jewish citizens of Israel. Students study in both languages simultaneously, and plans call for an eventual expansion to the 12th grade. To Hand in Hand's Website in English
Ta'ayush Arab-Jewish Partnership
Formed in the fall of 2000, Ta'ayush
(Arabic for "coexistence") is a grassroots movement of Arabs and Jews working to break down the walls of racism and segregation. It engages in daily actions of solidarity to end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and to achieve full civil equality for all Israeli citizens. Ta'ayush
Neve Shalom-Wahat Al-Salam (Oasis of Peace)
The Israeli Jewish-Israeli Muslim Village of Neve Shalom-Wahat al Salam (NSWAS)
means "Oasis of Peace" in Hebrew and Arabic. NSWAS provides a remarkable model of longterm coexistence. Formed in 1970 on land donated by the Roman Catholic Church, NSWAS sits between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. They organize humanitarian projects, including providing medical assistance for Palestinians.
They are also home to three schools, two for village and other area children, and they have a training facility called the School for Peace. The children's classes run from pre-school through Middle School and are all taught by both Muslims & Jews in their native languages. The School for Peace however is designed for adult Arabs and Jews from all over the area to learn about each other in controlled seminars run by trained Peace Facilitators.
NSWAS has had many notable visitors over the years. Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, and many others including Roger Waters (aka Pink Floyd) who has performed several benefit concerts in the small village urging Israel to "Tear Down the WALL!"
An American branch recently incorporated under the name "American Friends of Neve Shalom" they are a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that raises funds in the US for NSWAS programs (similar support groups also exist in the EU, and elsewhere).
The Hewar Center for Peace and Development is a secular Palestinian non-profit, NGO. They were formerly known as the "Palestinian Peace Movement" (however, the name was recently changed due to confusion between their non-profit organization and other Arab peace groups who have no ties to them). The Arabic word "Hewar" means "dialogue", and the organization strongly believes that Peace can only be brought about through discussion.
Hewar is headquartered in the Qalqilia/Azzun/Jayyus region of the West Bank (all three cities are surrounded and severely affected by the Wall). Hewar's very dedicated board of directors has gone to great lengths to become certified Peace Facilitators, learn Hebrew, and organize discussions between Palestinians and Israelis in neutral countries. They have an excellent track record of success with their Israeli-Palestinian dialogues, work closely with the Israeli group Neve Shalom-Wahat Al Salam (NSWAS), they also receive grant money through US-AID.
Hewar has been working diligently on creating an English website to increase their exposure, but due to difficulty with communication (they've devoted their time to perfecting their Hebrew, not English), so the site is still in its beginning stages. However, an American counterpart is in the process of incorporating, and expects to receive tax exempt 501(c)3 status before the New Year. They also hope to complete an English website on the US group, which will of course include the successes of their Palestinian counterpart.
Hamidrasha Jewish-Arab Beit Midrash
, a center for study and fellowship, works to address alienation, estrangement, and mutual ignorance between Jews
. Hamidrasha is establishing an inter-cultural Beit Midrash
, "House of study"), which will serve as a basis for mutual personal and communal encounters, and for the study of cultural narratives and modern texts of both peoples. Jewish, Muslim and Christian men and women will engage in a true inter-cultural learning experience, with the goal of making a significant contribution to the ongoing dialogue between Jews and Arabs, and strengthening their reciprocal ties.
Ir Shalem co-existence program
In many ways the city of Jerusalem
has been at the center of the conflict. The Israeli political movement Peace Now
in 1994 has created an initiative called Ir Shalem
, the goal of which is to build a peaceful equitable and inspiring future for this city, with Jewish and Arab citizens working together to find solutions based on equity and justice. This program brings together volunteer architects, planners, lawyers and other professionals to analyze problems, and offer solutions. Among other efforts, Ir Shalem
is developing the first-ever planning model for East Jerusalem that will equitably meet the needs of the Palestinian community.
Founded in 1998 by Israeli-Argentinian pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim
and Palestinian-American author Edward Said
, the West-Eastern Divan
(named after an anthology of poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
) promotes a cultural dialogue between Israelis and Arabs. A principal activity is an orchestra composed mostly of young Israeli and Arab musicians, who are demonstrating the potential for collaboration between the two cultures on the universal ideas that are communicated by great classical music. They have performed throughout the world. Barenboim has also made this point by going into Palestinian areas and giving piano recitals and master classes.
Seeds of Peace
was founded in 1993 by John Wallach
after the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center
in New York City
. He created the Seeds of Peace International Camp
in Otisfield, Maine
, USA, and brought together several dozen Israeli
teens. The goal of his organization was to create a new generation of leadership in the Middle-East
, one in which both Arabs
and Israelis would no longer accept outdated and harmful stereotypes about each other; this would occur by bringing together people to literally put a human face on those who were previously perceived as an enemy. Since that time Arab children from Morocco
and several others have joined. Seeds of Peace camps now operate programs in the Middle East as well. Seeds of Peace has also branched out into bringing teenagers together to help solve the Balkans
conflict, the dispute over Cyprus
, racial conflict in Maine
and the Indian
dispute. Seeds of Peace
Givat Haviva's Jewish-Arab Center for Peace
is an education, research and documentation center, founded in 1949 by Ha'Kibbutz Ha'Arzi
Federation; it is located in the northern Sharon Valley of Israel
. According to its website " The mission of Givat Haviva today is to cope with the major issues that are on the agenda of Israeli society, and to foster educational initiatives, research and community work in the fields of peace, democracy, coexistence, tolerance and social solidarity."
Givat Haviva sponsors the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace. "Established in 1963, the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace is one of the oldest and most prominent institutions in its field. The common bond of the dozens of projects conducted in the Center is the struggle for better relations between Arabs and Jews, better understanding of the essence of democracy and citizens' rights in Israel, and building bridges with our Arab neighbors." One of the Center's leading dialogue projects is Face to Face.
Givat Haviva Ha'Kibbutz Ha'Arzi Jewish-Arab Center for Peace Givat Haviva peace projects Face to Face
OneVoice, a project of the Peaceworks Foundation
According to their website "OneVoice is a global undertaking to: "Amplify the voice of moderates; Empower Palestinians and Israelis at the grass-roots level to seize back the agenda away from violent extremists; Achieve broad-based consensus on core issues, configuring a roadmap for conflict resolutions. OneVoice...was developed by over two hundred Palestinian, Israeli and international community leaders...dedicated to strengthen the voice of reason."
This group rejects what they see as left-wing appeasement of Palestinian terrorism by leftist groups; they reach out to moderate liberal and centrist Israelis who want to advance the peace process; they reach out to Palestinian moderates who reject terrorism and suicide-bombings; they work to cultivate a moderate political leadership on both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and are trying to pressure both the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority into reaching a just peace. One Voice: Silent No Longer One Voice FAQ
"Seeking Peace, Pursuing Justice"
The Union of Reform Judaism
, the congregational arm of American Reform Judaism
, has created a project called Seeking Peace, Pursuing Justice
. According to their website, their goal is: "to educate and mobilize North American Jewry to support peace efforts and social justice causes in Israel.... This campaign will encourage the North American Jewish community to examine the risks and rewards of peace for Israel and the Palestinians, and to undertake critical, constructive public dialogue on the most pressing social issues facing Israel today — including the status of Arab citizens of Israel and other minorities, as well as other issues of inequality and discrimination." Seeking peace, Pursuing Justice
The Abraham Fund
According to their website, "The Abraham Fund Initiatives
is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting coexistence between the Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. Through advocacy and awareness campaigns, and by sponsoring coexistence projects, The Abraham Fund Initiatives fosters increased dialogue, tolerance and understanding between Arabs and Jews...." The Abraham Fund
Comedy For Peace
Comedy for Peace is a non-political effort to use humor
to build trust, understanding and a vision for peace between Palestinians
Comedy for Peace was conceived and is being organized by Ray Hanania, a Palestinian-American stand-up comedian – who is married to a Jewish woman. It is Ray’s hope that the power of comedy combined with the power of two peoples coming together on one stage will help Palestinians and Israelis find the courage to look past the pain and the suffering of the conflict and see each other as human beings, as partners and as people who have no other choice but to struggle together to achieve a lasting peace.
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, "is a national organization of American Jews committed to Israel's well-being through the achievement of a negotiated settlement to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It believes the vast majority of Israelis and Palestinians long for an enduring peace and that security for Israel can only be achieved through the establishment of an economically and politically viable Palestinian state, necessitating an end to Israel's occupation of land acquired during the 1967 war and an end to Palestinian terrorism. Brit Tzedek believes that many American Jews share this perspective, but are reluctant to express themselves for fear they may bring harm to Israel and the Jewish people. Through education, advocacy, local chapter activities, and work with the media, it seeks to generate greater dialogue within the American Jewish community in order to direct U.S. foreign policy toward the realization of a just peace." Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
The Jewish-Palestinian Peace Alliance consists of both Jewish and Palestinian peace activists working for reconciliation. It generally favors binational confederation or two-state coexistence, drawing upon fringe historical and contemporary movements as varied as Uri Avneri
, Buberian Zionism
, and even aspects of rightist Canaanism for inspiration. Contributors to its website include Gideon Levy
, Doron Rosenblum
, Avraham Burg
, Batya Gur
, Meron Benvenisti
, Shahar Smooha
, Yossi Sarid
, David Grossman
, Yitzhak Frankenthal
, Tony Judt
, Rabbi Arik Ascherman
of Rabbis for Human Rights
, Gilad Atzmon
, and Baruch Kimmerling
. Brit Shalom/Tahalof Essalam
The Israeli-Palestinian Confederation Committee is a group of volunteers who joined together to create a mechanism for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Our members include Muslims, Jews and Christians from all walks of life. Our purpose is to facilitate a mechanism for Israelis and Palestinians to resolve conflicts in a fair and equitable manner. We take into consideration the existing reality. We do not aim to benefit one side over the other. We have a detailed plan to create a confederate government between the Israelis and Palestinians that would deal with the issues important to both sides. Furthermore, we believe that a confederate government can help both sides grow into the future without mutual destruction." Israeli-Palestinian Confederation
Articles have been published in the The Jewish Journal
, the Daily Bruin
, and The Acorn
Audio of a January 22, 2007 radio interview by Sonali Kolhatkar
with Josef Avesar can be heard at KPFK Archives
Combatants for Peace (Hebrew
: לוחמים לשלום) is an organization of Israelis
who are veterans
of armed conflict, and have concluded that there can be no solution through violence. The Israeli members served as combat soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces
, while the Palestinian members "were involved in acts of violence in the name of Palestinian liberation."
The organization, founded in 2005, supports a two-state solution to the conflict. A statement on their website says, "We call for the establishment of a Palestinian State, alongside the State of Israel. The two states can exist in peace and security beside each other.
Jews for Israeli-Palestinian Peace (JIPF) is a group founded in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1982, for Swedish Jews who want to actively work towards a peaceful solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Jews for Justice for Palestinians
Jews for Justice for Palestinians
is a United Kingdom
-based organisation of Jewish people who wish to support the rights of Palestinian people.
ICAHD Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
ICAHD is a non-violent, direct-action group originally established to oppose and resist Israeli demolition of Palestinian houses in the Occupied Territories. As our activists gained direct knowledge of the brutalities of the Occupation, we expanded our resistance activities to other areas - land expropriation, settlement expansion, by-pass road construction, policies of "closure" and "separation," the wholesale uprooting of fruit and olive trees and more. The fierce repression of Palestinian efforts to "shake off" the Occupation following the latest Intifada has only added urgency to our efforts.
As a direct-action group, ICAHD is composed of members of many Israeli peace and human rights organizations. All of our work in the Occupied Territories is closely coordinated with local Palestinian organizations.
Since its founding, ICAHD's activities have extended to three interrelated spheres: resistance and protest actions in the Occupied Territories; efforts to bring the reality of the Occupation to Israeli society; and mobilizing the international community for a just peace.
For years, Arab-Jewish relations in Israel have been tense and hostile. Israel’s declaration of independence and recognition as a Jewish state in 1948, providing a solution to the problem of the Jewish Diaspora and realizing the dream of the Zionist movement, was construed as a national catastrophe by the Palestinians, who lost their lands and properties and became one of the world’s largest refugee populations. Since then, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict passed through more and less violent phases, both sides never reaching an agreed-upon compromise that might end the conflict and ensure a better future for both peoples.
Today, the complex relations between the Jewish majority and the Palestinian minority in Israel are affected on the one side by the civil inequalities that exist between citizens and on the other by the fact that the national conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has yet to be resolved. The events of the past years, whether it be the second Intifada, the Oct. 2000 killings by Israeli police of 13 Arab citizens, the building of the Wall, the evacuation of the Gaza settlements and the following violence and the war between Israel and Lebanon in summer 2006, have all contributed to increasing the prevalent trends of segregation and discrimination throughout both communities. The fact that the Palestinian population of Israel is considered to be the largest weakened sector of Israeli society considerably adds to the already existing tensions. Such circumstances fuel distrust and violence, making Arab-Jewish cooperation for the creation of a joint alternative nearly nonexistent, especially among the younger generation.
At Sadaka-Reut, we believe that a broad bi-national struggle should be fought against all forms of discrimination and for complete civil equality within Israel, while a parallel struggle should seek to end the occupation and bring a just solution to the conflict. Sadaka Reut was founded in 1983 by a group of Jewish and Arab students sharing the vision of a better future for both communities. The organization works for social and political change in Israel through the promotion of a bi-national, multicultural and egalitarian society based on social justice and solidarity. Sadaka Reut focuses on youth education and community empowerment, looking to change attitudes on the long term by challenging the existing narratives and discourses concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and encouraging critical thinking and joint youth activism initiatives. In order to achieve these goals, we bring together groups of Jewish and Arab youth over extended periods of time, allowing them to overcome barriers of fears and stereotypes, while teaching them the importance of community involvement, providing them with valuable leadership skills and, through this process, creating a viable model for Jewish-Arab partnership.
Sadaka Reut operates unique projects in Israel, including Arab-Jewish youth encounter and leadership groups, workshops in high schools across the country, a volunteer commune and leadership training program, community empowerment work in the mixed city of Jaffa and an annual volunteer work camp.
All of our activities are designed both to train our activists as agents for social change and empower weakened communities from all sectors of society. Guided by our young, qualified and extremely committed staff and volunteers, our graduates continue working in the social change field, both at Sadaka Reut and in other organizations that promote similar values and goals.
Arab-Israeli peace diplomacy and treaties
The American Jewish Committee
While forcefully speaking out against Islamic anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli rhetoric, the American Jewish Committee
(AJC) has worked since 1985 to enhancing relations between Jews and Muslims. The AJC encourages and engages in dialogue on many levels with like-minded groups committed to fostering tolerance and cooperation.
Their website states that "The American Jewish Committee has demonstrated a profound commitment to enhancing relations between Jews and Muslims, a vital part of its fundamental dedication to the promotion of interreligious understanding in the United States and around the world. Rejecting the inevitability of a "clash of civilizations," AJC has instead insisted on the possibility of a "community of civilizations" by encouraging dialogue on the highest levels with like-minded groups committed to fostering tolerance and cooperation. In so doing, we have achieved a number of breakthroughs in this vital arena. For well over a decade, AJC has dedicated itself to forging significant relationships with Arab and Muslim leaders around the world. AJC has traveled extensively in the Muslim world - from Morocco to Mauritania, through the Middle East and the Gulf states, to Indonesia. We have met with scores of Muslim leaders, including top officials of Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Tunisia, Bosnia, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, and Indonesia, to discuss topics ranging from relations with Israel and the United States to the promotion of international Muslim-Jewish dialogue." Seeking to advance Jewish-Muslim relations
In 1986 the AJC publicly condemned the murder by bomb attack of Alex Odeh (in Oct. 1985), a leader of American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Santa Ana, California. The AJC had a meeting with the Federal Bureau of Investigation director William Webster about this incident; they urged action to identify and punish those responsible for anti-Arab bigotry. In 1986 the AJC submitted testimony to the United States House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, on the topic of violence and discrimination towards Arab-Americans.
In 1991, on the brink of the Allied war against Iraq, the AJC issues a statement warning the public not to engage in discrimination towards American Arabs or Muslims. In part, they states "We are ever mindful of what happened to Japanese-Americans as a result of war hysteria shortly after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Some 120,000 Japanese-Americans, two-thirds of whom were American citizens, were evacuated and incarcerated in internment camps... without any evidence whatsoever that they were a threat to U.S. security. This must not happen again." (AJC statement by executive director David Harris)
From 1992 to 1995 the AJC worked to lobby the United States government to intervene on behalf on Muslims in Bosnia.
In 1993 the AJC sponsored the first national conference on "Muslims and Jews in North America: Past, Present and Future" with the Institute for Islamic-Judaic Studies at University of Denver in October. In 1994 they sponsored the second such conference. The third conference had to be canceled, when the AJC could not found Muslim partners who were willing to publicly condemn the current wave of terrorist attacks on Israel.
In 1999 the AJC helped aid Muslims in Kosovo.
In 2001 the AJC initiated a new project designed to advance understanding between Muslims and Jews by publishing two books: Children of Abraham: An Introduction to Judaism for Muslims, by Professor Reuven Firestone, a scholar of Islam at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, was written to describe Judaism to Muslims; Children of Abraham: An Introduction to Islam for Jews, by professor Khalid Duran, was written to describe Islam for Jews.
Children of Abraham
Children of Abraham
seeks to build an international community of Muslim and Jewish youth that celebrates their religious identities. Through an engaging project involving a photographic exploration of Jewish and Muslim communities around the world, and honest, unflinching online dialogue, participants form a network of advocates and ambassadors for ground-breaking Muslim-Jewish relations in six continents.
Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations
In July 2007 a new Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations
was opened in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is partly financed by a £1 million contribution from Richard Stone, a Jewish philanthropist. In the first instance its students they will study common areas between the two religions. Eventually work will extend into more controversial areas, including the Israel-Palestine question.
Shaykh Abdul Hadi Palazzi
, a leader of the Italian Muslim Association and a co-founder and a co-chairman of the Islam-Israel Fellowship
(another co-founder and co-chairman is Dr. Asher Eder), believes that the authentic teachings of Muhammad
as expressed in the Qur'an
and the Hadith
, were misinterpreted by those who attempt to transform Islam from a religion into a secularized ideology
. "Such a false transformation of Islam was in fact made by the late Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husayni
." Palazzi shows that "The Qur'an Says that Allah Gave the Land of Israel to the Jews and Will Restore Them to It at the End of Days"
and cites the Qur'an to support this view:
"Pharaoh sought to scare them [the Israelites] out of the land [of Israel]: but We [Allah] drowned him [Pharaoh] together with all who were with him. Then We [Allah] said to the Israelites: 'Dwell in this land [the Land of Israel]. When the promise of the hereafter [End of Days] comes to be fulfilled, We [Allah] shall assemble you [the Israelites] all together [in the Land of Israel]." (Qur'an, "Night Journey," chapter 17:100-104)
"And [remember] when Moses said to his people: 'O my people, call in remembrance the favour of God unto you, when he produced prophets among you, made you kings, and gave to you what He had not given to any other among the peoples. O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin.'" (Qur'an 5:20-21)
Albert Einstein Institution
, senior scholar of the Albert Einstein Institution
has written several books on the use of nonviolent struggle as a means for fighting dictatorship, war, occupation and invasion. In particular, his books on the use of nonviolent tactics as applied to the Arab-Israeli conflict offer a means for Palestinians to organize a nonviolent intifada
that could be more effective in ending the Israeli occupation.
The Unification Movement
Reverend Sun Myung Moon
has initiated several peace projects attempting to defuse hostilities between Muslims, Jews and Christians. In 2003
28 clergy from the United States toured Gaza
in September 2003, despite the American Consulate's warnings of rocket attacks. They were warmly welcomed by local Muslim clerics.
American Muslim leaders
- Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, imam of Masjid al-Farah in New York City and founder of the American Sufi Muslim Association (ASMA) Society.
- Khalid Abou El Fadl, UCLA law professor, works with Jewish and Christian groups to promote inter-faith cooperation and dialogue.