Keynote talk: Thursday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m.
Loyola University Maryland
4th Floor Program Room of the Andrew White Student Center

Combatants for Peace (CfP) is committed to joint nonviolence and uses civil resistance, education, and other creative means of activism to transform systems of oppression and build a free and peaceful future from the ground up. Launched in 2006, they are the only movement worldwide founded by former fighters on both sides of an active conflict. As a result, they were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 and 2018. Delivering the keynote talk will be two activists: Elie Avidor and Aziz Abu Sarah.

Elie Avidor is an Israeli engineer and former combatant who grew up in Haifa. He fought and was wounded during the Yom Kippur war at Mt. Hermon. He is a member of CfP’s bi-national activists leadership team and now focuses on helping Palestinian shepherd communities resist Israeli ethnic cleansing and settler violence in the Jordan Valley using “protective presence.” 

Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian peacebuilder, author and mission-focused entrepreneur whose brother was killed by Israeli soldiers. His journey from revenge to peacebuilding has led him to implement mission-focused initiatives in Palestine, Israel and 60 other countries. Along with Maoz Inon and Combatants for Peace more broadly, Aziz is leading a movement calling for peace and reconciliation, rejecting vicious cycles of violence. Aziz has been named among the “500 Most Influential Muslims in the World” by the Royal Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan each year since 2010 for his work in cultural education and conflict resolution. He is a National Geographic Explorer and Ted Fellow. Harnessing the transformative power of travel, in 2009 Aziz co-founded MEJDI Tours, a leader of responsible travel pioneering the Dual Narrative™ method and innovative approaches to use travel as a peacemaking tool. He is co-founder of InterAct International, a non profit advancing sustainability, education, and cross cultural connections. Aziz has authored two books; Crossing Boundaries: A Traveler’s Guide to World Peace (2020) and Strangers, Neighbors, Friends: Muslim-Christian-Jewish Reflections on Compassion and Peace (2018). He has served as Executive Director at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University, as the Chairman for the Parents Circle–Family Forum, and as a board member of Combatants for Peace. He was also recognized by former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon for his work in peacebuilding.

Film screening: There is Another Way
Thursday, Nov. 14, at 12:15 pm
Loyola Notre Dame Library Ridley Auditorium (L045)
Loyola University Maryland

There is Another Way, directed by Stephen Apkon of Reconsider, builds on the award-winning film Disturbing the Peace (2016), which features Combatants for Peace members and documents “Israelis and Palestinians, born into conflict, sworn to be enemies, who laid down their weapons and challenged their fate—knowing that no one is free unless everyone is free.” The screening, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a Q&A with the film director and two activists.

Forging a Shared Homeland: Confronting Annexation & Settler Violence

Wednesday, September 18th
2pm ET / 9pm Jerusalem

In the hills of the northern Jordan Valley, Palestinian shepherds have long maintained a deep connection to their land, a connection that spans generations. However, since October 7th, violence against these shepherds and Palestinian communities throughout the West Bank has intensified significantly. This relentless aggression has forced many Palestinians off their land.

During this event, we heard from Israeli activists Itamar Feigenbaum and Elie Avidor, who provide critical support to the shepherds in the Jordan Valley. They shared their firsthand experiences, along with Sayel Jabareen and Jamil Qassas, who discussed CfP's efforts to combat settler land theft and violence.

Our community engaged directly with CfP’s activists, heard their stories, and asked questions about annexation, settlement expansion, and CfP’s Solidarity in Action campaign. This impactful conversation shed light on how CfP is working to co-create a shared homeland and how you can take action to advance human rights for all.

A Revolutionary Love Centered
CONCERT FOR GAZA
A Benefit Concert for Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

Sept 15, 2024
7:30-9:30pm
Wild Days Rooftop at the Eaton Hotel

Based in the Revolutionary Love ethic, reclaiming love as a force for justice, healing and collective liberation, this event welcomes people of all backgrounds — especially from across the spectrum of peace and justice efforts in Washington, DC — to come together to raise funds for the people of Gaza, call for a ceasefire and hostage/prisoner agreement, and build beloved community.

100% of proceeds benefit charities directly serving Gazans: The Saif Foundation, Heal Foundation, and the Delia Arts Foundation.

On Wednesday, August 28, we concluded our CollectiveED summer series, Films for Freedom. We wrapped up the festival with a special screening of the film Hurdle, followed by a Q&A session with the film’s director Michael Rowley, and CfP activist Mai Shahin.

Hurdle is a film that offers a powerful glimpse into life under military occupation. Through the eyes of Palestinian youth, the film showcases how they confront a world of walls, checkpoints, and arrests. Hurdle’s protagonists, Sami and Mohammad, begin teaching the creative practices of parkour and photography to young people in their communities as a means to overcome personal and political obstacles. Though these young men are separated by a wall, they are united in leading the next generation toward freedom and self-determination through creative practices.

On Wednesday, July 17th at 1 pm ET, AFCFP and CfP kicked off our CollectiveED summer series, Films for Freedom. Over the 2024 summer months, we will gather virtually on three occasions to dive deeper into three films related to Palestine and Israel. For each film, we will provide a link to screen a film for free and then we will hear from the directors and casts from the documentaries themselves.

Our first film was Israelism. Israelism follows two young American Jews - Simone and Eitan - who are raised to defend the state of Israel at all costs. When they witness Israel’s mistreatment of the Palestinian people with their own eyes, they are horrified and heartbroken. They join the movement of young American Jews demanding freedom for the Palestinian people.

On July 17th, our community heard from filmmaker and director, Erin Axelman, as well as Israelism cast members and activists, Simone Zimmerman and Sami Awad. Our conversation was moderated by Israelism producer and AFCFP board member, Gili Getz.

Thank you to everyone who participated in The Joint Nakba Remembrance Ceremony hosted by Combatants for Peace on May 15, 2024.

The Joint Nakba Remembrance Ceremony is a unique opportunity to commemorate the pain and tragedy of the Nakba (“catastrophe” in Arabic), when in 1948 more than 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes, became refugees, and had their villages and cities destroyed. In Israel, even mentioning the Nakba is completely taboo, however, Combatants for Peace believes that peace and reconciliation involve a sincere and honest reckoning with this history that didn’t end in 1948 but continues until this day.

In the aftermath of October 7th, a second Nakba has been unfolding in Gaza, with over 34,000 Palestinians killed. Of the 2.2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, 1.9 million people have been forcibly displaced and many of their homes have been destroyed by Israel's brutal attacks. Roughly 1.3 million displaced Palestinians are currently sheltering in Rafah, a city built to host only 300,000, and over 1 million Palestinians in Gaza are experiencing catastrophic food insecurity and acute starvation. For Palestinians, the violence and mass displacement brings back memories of 1948 but indeed the Nakba never ended, it has continued for the past 76 years.

This year, we centered the ceremony around the theme of “liberation” - how do we liberate ourselves from occupation, oppression, and violence? What does liberation look like and how do we begin to heal from our past and present trauma?

Thank you to every Palestinian, Israeli, and global supporter who joined the event. Satellite ceremonies took place in Berlin, London, Paris, Israel, Palestine, Italy, and throughout the U.S. and UK. We are deeply grateful for the support of our international community.

Immediately following the Joint Memorial Day Ceremony American Friends of Combatants for Peace and American Friends of the Parents Circle – Families Forum held this powerful discussion on May 12, 2024. Together, we gathered online to meet bereaved Palestinian and Israeli peacemakers who are transforming their losses into catalysts for hope.

Musa Juma’a was born in Jerusalem and studied and graduated in its streets. He is a 37-year-old doctor and writer with family in both the West Bank and Gaza. Musa’s aunt and 8 of his cousins were recently killed in Gaza as a result of the Israeli bombardment. Musa is working to end the occupation and believes peace cannot be separated from freedom.

Maoz Inon is an award-winning Israeli social entrepreneur, peace activist, and the founder of several tourism initiatives within Israel and the Middle East. Since his parents were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Inon has become a leading voice for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Thank you to everyone who participated in The Joint Memorial Day Ceremony hosted by Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle-Families Forum on May 12, 2024.

Thank you to the tens of thousands of Israeli, Palestinian, and international communities who tuned into the stream. There were over 200 satellite ceremonies in Israel and Palestine, approximately 175 in the US, and many more in South Africa, France, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Afghanistan, Spain, the UK, Australia, Japan, Ireland, Canada, and more.

This year's ceremony was particularly challenging, against the background of the terrible violence that continues to take a bloody toll every day. We chose to focus this year on the stories of children - who pay the heaviest price in the war and for whom we want to provide a different future. Out of the pain and difficulty we create a source of hope for peace. In the face of dehumanization attempts, we adhere to humanity.

We are filled with gratitude to all the hard work, care, and love so many Palestinians and Israelis put in to make this happen during these extremely challenging times. And to our supporters all over the world who donated and watched the ceremony in solidarity.

On Thursday, May 2, 2024 (9:00pm Jerusalem | 2:00pm New York) Combatants for Peace and American Friends of Combatants hosted a conversation on moving from pain to liberation and healing collective trauma. This virtual event was led by Dr. Gabor Maté, retired physician, internationally renowned speaker, and bestselling author. The discussion was moderated by Sami Awad, Palestinian peace activist, and founder and former executive director of Holy Land Trust. 

Gabor Maté is a retired physician who, after 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. The bestselling author of five books published in nearly 40 languages, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction, Gabor is an internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness. For his ground-breaking medical work and writing he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. His most recent book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture is a New York Times and international bestseller. 

Sami Awad is a Palestinian nonviolence activist and the Co-Director of Nonviolence International. He was the Founder and the former Executive Director of Holy Land Trust in Bethlehem. Sami was born in the United States to Palestinian parents; his father (originally from Jerusalem) became a refugee at the age of nine after his father was killed in the 1948 war leaving behind his wife and seven children. Sami’s mother is from the Gaza Strip where he still has members of his family living there. Growing up in a violent situation, at a young age Sami was influenced by the teaching of his uncle Mubarak Awad, the Palestinian activist who promoted and engaged in nonviolent resistance to the occupation during the first Intifadah. Sami holds a Doctoral Degree in Divinity from the Chicago Theological Seminary, a master's degree in international relations from the American University in Washington D.C., and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Kansas.

In the face of mounting injustice, immense suffering, and heightened violence, how do we begin to radically imagine a future where all live safe and free in Palestine & Israel? On Thursday, April 25, Combatants for Peace and American Friends of Combatants for Peace hosted a conversation on Radical Imagination for Collective Liberation.

Our conversation was led by speakers, Hassan El-Tayyab, Marcina Hale, and Stephen Apkon, and facilitated by Rae Abileah. Hassan El-Tayyab reflected on the heavy, horrific moment that we are in. He shared how there is an unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Roughly 1.3 million displaced Palestinians are currently sheltering in Rafah, a city built to host only 300,000, and over 1 million Palestinians in Gaza are experiencing catastrophic food insecurity and acute starvation due to the deliberate blocking of humanitarian assistance. And yet in the midst of great suffering, he shared that we are witnessing an unprecedented surge of solidarity and nonviolent uprising around the world. Our speakers discussed what radically imagining a free Palestine and taking action for collective liberation looks like. Radical imagination brings us back to the seeds of how Combatants for Peace began 18 years ago. It brings us back to the courage it took to imagine a different outcome at that first meeting of CfP, to work together creating space for joint grief, and to imagine an end to the occupation and then take joint action for a future of freedom for all. 

Hassan El-Tayyab is an author, songwriter, and Friends Committee on National Legislation's (FCNL) legislative director for Middle East policy and advocacy organizer. Hassan leads FCNL’s work to end U.S. military involvement in the Saudi-led war on Yemen, advocate for Palestinian human rights, and advance diplomacy with Iran. 

Marcina Hale has spent 20 years developing and presenting workshops for individual and communal change and transformation. A master therapist and dynamic facilitator, she challenges and inspires others to live their lives more consciously and to take responsibility for their own creations. She is an Executive Producer of Fantastic Fungi, Producer of Disturbing the Peace, and is the primary facilitator for Reconsider workshop experiences, which have been given in the U.S. and internationally. Marcina spoke at TEDxKC Women about how to change the world in which we are living and is both an LMFT and a trained psychedelic therapist.

Stephen Apkon is an award-winning filmmaker and social entrepreneur. He is the Founder and former Executive Director of the Jacob Burns Film Center, a non-profit film and education center located in Pleasantville, NY. Stephen is the Director and Producer of Disturbing the Peace. He is also an Executive Producer of Fantastic Fungi, Planetary, and Backyard Wilderness, Producer of I’m Carolyn Parker, and Enlistment Days, and Co-Producer of Presenting Princess Shaw. He is the author of The Age of the Image: Redefining Literacy in a World of Screens, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux – foreword by Martin Scorsese.

Rae Abileah will facilitate and moderate the discussion. Rae is a social change strategist, writer, facilitator, and Jewish ritualist. She is a trainer at Beautiful Trouble, an international network of artist-activist-trainers helping grassroots movements become more creative and effective and is the co-creator of the global Climate Ribbon art ritual. She consulted on digital strategy for social justice at ThoughtWorks, which informs her current work engaging tools for innovation at The Nature Conservancy’s Agility Lab. Rae is a contributing author to books including Beyond Tribal Loyalties: Personal Stories of Jewish Peace Activists and Corporate Complicity in Israeli Occupation. Rae graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University and received ordination by the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute. After the 2008 bombing of Gaza (Operation Cast Lead) she became active in the global movement for a free Palestine, traveling to Gaza as an organizer for the Gaza Freedom March in 2009 and co-leading delegations to the West Bank with Eyewitness Palestine. 

The Other premieres at the Boston International Film Festival on April 12th, featuring a panel with Director/Filmmaker Joy Sela, Nobel Peace Prize nominated activist from Combatants for Peace, Sulaiman Khatib, acclaimed hip-hop group System Ali’s, Neta Weiner and Samira Saraya, including a live performance by System Ali- made possible with support from Albi: A new initiative supporting culture as a vehicle for change.

Filmed from 2017-2023, The Other focuses on Israeli & Palestinian peace-builders, anti-occupation activists, artists, academics, ex-fighters, bereaved parents, and many more living the reality on the ground. Whether in non-violent co-resistance, peace-building, or shared community, we witness those who have only known each other through hate, bloodshed, inequality, and war, transcend beyond narratives & belief systems. They teach us that unlearning deep-seated conditioning is possible and that we can liberate ourselves from generational trauma, hatred and fear—no matter how ingrained and legitimate those fears are.

When purchasing tickets, please select “Session 3 - Friday”

On Tuesday, February 27, 2024 (8:00pm Jerusalem | 1:00pm New York) the American Friends of Combatants for Peace community gathered for our D.C. Delegation Advocacy Briefing. A delegation of four Palestinian and Israeli CfP activists, Rana Salman, Avner Wishnitzer, Souli Khatib, and Chen Alon, recently traveled to Washington, DC, to meet with policymakers on Capitol Hill as well as with State Department and White House officials. In this conversation, these four activists share about CfP's advocacy work and specific policy asks. This conversation was moderated by Eric Eikenberry, Government Relations Director at Win Without War.

On Thursday, February 1, 2024 (9:00pm Jerusalem | 2:00pm New York) the Combatants for Peace and American Friends of Combatants for Peace community gathered for a talk on co-creating a just and peaceful future in Palestine and Israel. We heard from two Combatants for Peace activists, Suhair Ghanim and Iris Gur, as well as from Hannen Sabbah, a Palestinian activist from Gaza. The conversation was moderated by writer and activist, Hannah Smith.

On Friday, December 8, 2023 (8:00pm Jerusalem | 1:00pm New York) the Combatants for Peace and American Friends of Combatants for Peace community gathered for a talk on Courage in the Unknown: Exploring New Possibilities. This conversation was led by Palestinian activists, Ahmed Helou and Nizar Farsakh, and Israeli activists, Magen Inon and Hadar Cohen.The discussion was moderated by Luma Eldin and Ben Yeger. The simultaneous translation in this lecture is funded by _zivik Funding Programme.

On Sunday, October 29, 2023 (9:00pm Jerusalem | 3:00pm New York) the Combatants for Peace and American Friends of Combatants for Peace community gathered for "Solidarity: A Path to Liberation". This conversation was led by two Palestinian activists, Rana Salman and Souli Khatib, and two Israeli activists, Eszter Koranyi and Avner Wishnitzer. The discussion was moderated by the Director and Producer of "Disturbing the Peace," Stephen Apkon, and A'ida Shibli, Palestinian Bedouin activist and co-worker at the Tamera biotope in Portugal.

On Friday, October 20, 2023 (8:00pm Jerusalem | 1:00pm New York) the Combatants for Peace and American Friends of Combatants for Peace community gathered for a talk on Holding on to Humanity & Hope. This conversation was led by two Palestinian activists, Mai Shahin and Jamil Qassas, and two Israeli activists, Ayala Shalev and Chen Alon, from Combatants for Peace. The discussion was moderated by two AFCFP board members, Aziz Abu Sarah and Gili Getz.

On Thursday, August 24th, A'ida Shibli and Eldra Jackson shared how Black and Indigenous communities are confronting global systems of oppression and standing together for justice that extends beyond borders. Our speakers discussed how the occupation intersects with indigenous rights, the intersection of Black liberation and Palestinian liberation, and how we can heal and move toward dignity, equality, and freedom for all. This was the final conversation in our Collective Liberation summer series.

On Tuesday, August 15th, speakers Fatima Sobah, Ayala Shalev, and Huda Abu Arquob discussed how women play a vital and powerful role in conflict transformation. This event was co-sponsored by the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom and moderated by their Executive Director, Tahija Vikalo.

On Thursday, August 3rd, speakers Hadar Cohen and Eva Borgwardt explored how many in the Jewish diaspora are organizing for dignity and equality for all, from the river to the sea. Our moderator, Rabbi Sheila Weinberg, spoke with these leaders who are fighting against antisemitism and for Palestinian liberation. This was the second talk of AFCFP's four-part summer series on Collective Liberation. Learn more about our speakers below: Hadar Cohen is an Arab Jewish scholar, mystic, artist, and political writer. She is the founder of Malchut, a spiritual skill building school teaching Jewish mysticism. She is a 10th-generation Jerusalemite with lineage roots also in Syria, Kurdistan, Iraq and Iran. Through integrating the spiritual and political, Hadar creates socially aware art that transforms systems of oppression into ecosystems of liberation and healing. Eva Borgwardt is the political director of IfNotNow, a movement of young American Jews working to organize their community to end U.S. support for Israel's system of apartheid and demand equality, justice and a thriving future for Palestinians and Israelis. Eva has been organizing on Israel/Palestine since 2014, focusing on the American Jewish community, and currently lives in Brooklyn.

On Tuesday, July 25th, speakers Nivine Sandouka and Mickey Gitzin explored how Palestinian and Israeli destinies are intertwined and how there can be no democracy with occupation. This was the first talk of our four-part 2023 summer series - Collective Liberation: Israeli & Palestinian Solidarity.

WATCH RECORDING

On May 15th, millions of Palestinians mark Nakba Day all over the world. We, at Combatants for Peace, mark this day with a joint Memorial Ceremony to commemorate the disaster that befell the Palestinian people in 1948 and haunts us all, Palestinians and Israelis, to this day. This is the fourth year in which we hold the Palestinian-Israeli Nakba, with the aim of dealing with the past events for the sake of building a better future. We believe that a future of reconciliation, freedom and mutual respect requires us to confront the past honestly and with empathy.

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Following the 2023 Joint Memorial Ceremony, bereaved Israeli brother, Elik Elhanan, and bereaved Palestinian brother, Aziz Abu Sarah, bravely shared their stories of unimaginable loss, joint efforts to end the occupation, and deep love for one another.

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On April 24, tens of thousands of Israelis, Palestinians, and international allies gathered in-person and online to choose peace rather than revenge, reconciliation instead of violence, and shared humanity instead of hate. Reaching the size of 15,000 in Tel Aviv, this event was the largest memorial ceremony and largest joint peace event in the land.

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On Thursday, March 9, 2023, Sarit Michaeli of B'Tselem and Omar Shakir of Human Rights Watch, discussed the new far-right Israeli government and how its policies will impact human rights across Israel and Palestine. This was the final talk of Resisting the Radical Right, a series of educational events organized by American Friends of Combatants for Peace.

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On Thursday, February 9, 2023, Palestinian activist and entrepreneur, Sam Bahour, discussed the new far-right Israeli government and its impact on Palestinian civil society. This was the second talk of Resisting the Radical Right, a series of educational events organized by American Friends of Combatants for Peace.

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On Tuesday, January 31, 2023, former Speaker of the Knesset Avrum Burg discussed the new far-right Israeli government and its impact on Israeli civil society. This conversation was moderated by Becca Strober and co-hosted by Breaking the Silence. This was the first talk of Resisting the Radical Right, a series of educational events organized by American Friends of Combatants for Peace.

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For decades U.S. support for Israel within Congress has largely been a bipartisan affair with military aid increasing regardless of whether Democrats or Republicans are in the majority. In recent years we have begun to see a slight shift in support for Palestinian rights in Congress, especially among newer members of the Democratic caucus. On Wednesday, November 2, 2022 Matt Duss, Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, discussed how the 2022 American midterm elections will influence the future of Israel, Palestine and the occupation.

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