Combatants for Peace

In 2018, Partners for Progressive Israel launched our “Kolot: Voices of Hope” series. We realized that, while those “in the know” were aware of the remarkable Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Arabs, standing up, in a hostile political environment, for values of peace, social justice, human and civil rights, and democracy, these activities were rarely being noticed or covered in the mainstream media.

We are pleased to now be sharing updates on the important efforts being made since the horrific events of October 7 by many of the organizations we’ve featured in “Kolot”. After checking in with Women Wage Peace and the multicultural/bilingual school in Beersheba, Hagar, we look this week at Combatants for Peace (CfP), an organization we first featured in June 2019.

Despite the shock produced by October 7, CfP has never wavered in its struggle to protect noncombatants on both sides of the conflict. On October 12, it issued a joint statement, together with more than two dozen anti-occupation and human rights organizations in Israel, calling for the immediate release of all hostages, an end to the bombardment of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, and the guaranteeing of humanitarian assistance for affected populations. Two weeks later, the organization issued its own statement in which it reiterated its belief that “there is no military solution” and that “violence breeds violence”. While most Israelis were focused squarely on retaliation, Combatants for Peace bravely called for “an end to the occupation, which perpetuates this conflict, and a real political solution”.

CfP has been working on the ground in Israel, driving turnout to protests demanding a ceasefire, a deal to release the Israeli hostages, new elections in Israel, and a political solution for Israel and Palestine. Some of these rallies have been held outside the U.S. Embassy and have included a call for the Biden administration to recognize a State of Palestine in order to advance a solution. Elsewhere, CfP has continued its educational work via participation in various seminars and events.

We are pleased to report that Combatants for Peace has finally been receiving the international media attention it deserves! This has included CNN, where journalist Christiane Amanpour recently interviewed CfP co-director, Rana Salman, who was also featured in the New York Times. The New York Times also published an essay written by two co-founders of CfP, Sulaiman Khatib and Avner Wishnitzer, who stressed the need for a “comprehensive project of rehumanization” in Israel and Palestine; this would involve the creation of a “network of peace centers” designed to “reverse the effects of oppression, violence and dehumanization of the other, which have been fueling one another for decades”.

Last month, Combatants for Peace leaders shared their vision of nonviolence and a shared future with American audiences when they conducted a two-week tour of the U.S., which they entitled, “Partnering for Peace”. We look forward to continuing to partner with the organization in the crucial period that lies ahead.