Immediate actions you can take to bring about an end to fighting and a just peace for all people of Israel and Palestine.
By Kai Brand-Jacobsen, Director, Department of Peace Operations (DPO) – PATRIR
If you’re feeling hopeless about the situation in Israel and Palestine, here are a few things that you can do to take action. A more complete explanation of these items is available here.
1. ACTIVELY EXPRESS SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT WITH ALL ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS.
2. TAKE DIRECT ACTION!
3. PUBLIC MANIFESTATIONS & PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS.
4. MAKE VISIBLE YOUR CALL FOR PEACE FOR ALL PEOPLE OF PALESTINE & ISRAEL.
5. JOIN/ DEPLOY ISRAELI, PALESTINIAN AND INTERNATIONAL NONVIOLENT PEACE TEAMS AND PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS. Civilian, unarmed, nonviolent peace teams could include:
a. Israeli Peace Teams to Gaza
b. Palestinian Peace Teams to Israel
c. International Peace Teams to Israel & Palestine
6. Mobilise Leadership for Peace from Governments and Political Institutions and Inter-Governmental Organisations Around the World – including your national government, and state/provincial and local authorities.
7. Organise & Mobilise with Concerned Citizens. You / We are not alone. Make our numbers grow.
8. Call upon respected social, cultural, civic, religious, sports and other leaders and celebrities to call for peace.
9. Reach out to Israelis and Palestinians and Jews and Muslims more broadly in your community, and start inter-community dialogues and joint action for peace if possible.
10. Write Opinion Pieces, Articles, and Letters to your local, national and international newspapers and to elected authorities and political party leaders. Call in to radio and television shows. Speak with friends in the media and encourage them to report professionally and responsibly, and focus also on calls for peace.
11. If you are a journalist– take pride in your work and report honestly and authentically.
12. For Peace Workers, Peace Researchers, Peace Activists and Concerned Social and Civic Leaders around the world: People involved in peacebuilding globally should be preparing shared messages and a call for peace in Israel-Palestine, and a call supporting the people of Israel and Palestine to directly bring about a change in the dynamics of the conflict and actively engage for peace.
13. Visit diplomatic representatives of Israel and Palestine to listen to their issues, hear their concerns, and discuss with them your resolution and calls for an end to violence and peace.
14. Call upon and provide active support for soldiers / combatants on all sides to refuse to fight and to courageously stand up for the freedom and rights of their peoples to live in peace and to not commit crimes of war and crimes against humanity against other human beings.
15. Create a Facebook page to help support and make visible people’s actions, provide up-dates, encourage engagement, and show how people can become involved!
And, in the immediate short term as well as the medium and longer run:
16. Demand political leaders in Israel and Palestine, the broader Middle East, and the world, who refuse to continue the psychology and criminality of war, violence, aggression and support for global weapons industries and call for responsible, accountable political leadership with the courage to address conflicts intelligently, effectively and responsibly through peaceful means.
17. Call for an international investigation.
18. Get involved even if the fighting stops! Peace is –quite literally– up to you and all of us!
What else can you think of? What can you do?