Content Archives
Civil society key to peace-building
Emerging voices are making the case that the failure of political leadership means that a top-down resolution of affairs… will not be possible to achieve without the greater engagement of civil society…
It’s easy to miss that the Middle East has changed
As we watch the horrors of another war in the Middle East, it is easy to get gloomy and depressed... But that misses an important shift that has taken place in recent times, one that provides some cause for optimism about the future…
Time for Arab and Jewish Communities of Israel to Come Together
Failure to capitalize on this transformative moment would have far-reaching consequences… Israel risks squandering this chance, a mistake with potentially grave consequences for us all.
Activists Are Still Quietly Working for Peace
Many peace groups have been struggling since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which have hardened the positions of many Israelis and Palestinians. But some activists, including those in Combatants for Peace, have quietly started to resume their work.
Choose Life Over Revenge
All the world’s babies are children of a single nation. They have a common language, a common past, common dreams.
Can Israelis and Palestinians Start Anew?
The trauma of this war has wiped away compassion for the other. We need courageous voices, reaching between sides, to emerge.
Global democracy is on the ballot
More than 60 countries, with some 4 billion people, are set to stage national elections in 2024. That means roughly half the planet could go to the polls in what could be the greatest rolling spectacle of democracy in human history.
Splitting the world into good and evil — and making decisions we regret
‘I think that in our souls, or our minds, or whatever you call it, there is something very complex, some ability to contain ambiguity, not to be swept with only one emotion. To be able to inhale the complexity of existing,’
A New Jewish-Arab Partnership Is Building in Israel
One of our slogans is, "There is no movement without friction.” If we want to get things moving, obviously there will be differences of opinion about us. Standing Together is a stream of thoughts, from which we derive our actions.
Palestinian Israeli peace activists speak out
We are blessed and cursed by not having a mother tongue,' said Amira Mohammed, one of the two Palestinian Israeli hosts of the new podcast Unapologetic: The Third Narrative.
Promise in the Pain
'It may be nice to dream of one shared homeland, but Israelis will not give up their state. And Palestinians also need their own state, with the two strongly interconnected'…
Mending broken friendships, the Bayard Rustin way
We have all lost friends, co-workers, fellow congregants and family members because of our current fault lines and divisions… and the distance created by those acts and anthems seems unbridgeable. And maybe it is. But does it have to be?
Youth are losing faith in democracy. We must fix that.
How much do Americans really care about democracy? The disturbing answer: Less and less, especially among the young…
Stress-related anger can affect our ability to think
Faced with uncomfortable feelings, the pressure to get rid of them by doing something can make it hard to control our impulses and consider the consequences of our actions.
Youth are giving up on peace. Can we fix that?
If we want to reverse the trend of radicalization, we cannot just talk about it. Instead of lamenting and making broad gestures toward peace and stamping out extremism, we have to provide actual alternatives...
A Palestinian Message of Peace
This is the time to address Israelis in the spirit of mutual respect, hope, and truthfulness; to move beyond the dismissive, derogatory, and threatening words and deeds that define the relationship between Palestinians and Israelis, and between Arabs and Jews.
Promote Peace in the Midst of War
Clearly, it is difficult to talk about peace during wartime... But a peace initiative is the only way Israel’s ultimate security can succeed.
It's Complicated: Pursuing Peace in a Time of War
Kessler said, the last few weeks, following Hamas’s attack and Israel’s subsequent military operations, have been one of the most difficult, challenging periods of his life: 'We’re all trying to get our bearings.'…
Horizon of Hope
In times such as these, characterized by heightened fear and distrust, inspiring examples of solidarity and cooperation have emerged. This has been a beacon of hope in these dark days.
For Arabs and Jews in Israel, patience is a civic duty
We, Arab and Jewish citizens, must seek to offer a remedy, and we can do so through messages of reassurance… It will not be easy to build trust in today’s reality, but we have no other choice.