The gathering of tens of thousands of Israelis at Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square last night for a Peace Now rally marking 50 years of Israel’s ruling over another people was a show of force for Israel’s peace camp. It showed that there is a loyal and vociferous constituency for peace, which is willing to fight for what Israelis and Palestinians deserve: Two states, living side by side in peace and security.

The organization was impeccable – the result of months of preparation and many hours of work by Peace Now staff and volunteers. The turnout was large – much more than the organizers had expected. The speeches were inspiring and the crowd’s behavior dignified, even when controversial Likud MK Oren Hazan showed up for a provocation.

Strolling among the crowd, I saw the beautiful, peace-loving, patriotic Israelis of yore, those who flooded the Square in the 1980s and 1990s, but even more so, I saw their children and grandchildren. Teens with picket signs and children with hand-painted peace signs. It was more than heartwarming. It was hope-inspiring. It was uplifting. It was extremely moving. It was a spectacular success.

Here are several photos that I have taken at the rally.

On Saturday, May 27th, the Israeli public will speak out against occupation and for a two-state solution. Peace Now will gather Israelis from around the country for "Two States – One Hope," a demonstration against 50 years of occupation and conflict.

Click here to support "Two States – One Hope" and help restore hope for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

The government may hope to silence those who oppose its policies, but Peace Now and the Israeli people will not be silenced.

On Saturday, May 27th, Peace Now will gather Israelis from around the country for "Two States – One Hope," a demonstration against 50 years of occupation and conflict.  

Click here to support "Two States – One Hope" and help restore hope for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

APN hosted a briefing call with Professor Shibley Telhami, an expert on Palestinian politics and on U.S. Middle East policy, on Tuesday, May 2nd, at 11:00 am, Eastern Time.

One of America’s leading experts on the Middle East, Professor Telhami shed light on U.S.-Palestinian relations on the eve of President Trump’s meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, intra-Palestinian politics, and the current state of efforts to advance a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Professor Telhami is the Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland, College Park, and non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. He is the author of The World through Arab Eyes: Arab Public Opinion and the Reshaping of the Middle East, the co-editor of The Peace Puzzle: America’s Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace, 1989-2011, and a leading pollster of public opinion in the Middle East and U.S. public opinion about the region.

The annual day commemorating the victims of the Holocaust and of heroism, is today, Monday, April 24.

APN’s director of communications and public engagement, Ori Nir, spoke at Virginia’s Christopher Newport University On March 30. He delivered the annual Borgenicht Fellowship Prize Lecture, sponsored by CNU’s Reiff Center for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution. His talk focused on shifting attitudes toward Israeli-Palestinian peace among the Israeli and Palestinian publics.

One of the things I like the most about “The Moth,” the radio/podcast storytelling program, is how successful it is at cutting through the cynicism and snark that characterize our discourse, particularly here in DC, and touching one’s heart.

In pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian peace, too, we could use less scorn, less debate and vitriol, and more listening, more empathy, more heart-to-heart interaction.

This is the impetus behind "The Dove: Stories Amidst Conflict." Presented by Americans for Peace Now, The Dove is a storytelling event about Israeli-Palestinian peace, in which storytellers focus on hope and prospects for reconciliation. On Thursday, April 6th in Washington, DC, The Dove will feature myself and others, who as journalists have experienced and covered this relationship on the ground – both the good and the bad – and who will accentuate hope for peace through their stories.

We have no illusions. We know that stories told live in DC have little impact on actions taken – or not taken – on the eastern side of the Mediterranean. But we also know that relations between Jews and Arabs can be different, and that empathetic interaction between people can contribute to change.

I hope you will join us for an insightful, inspiring evening. And who knows, maybe sooner rather than later, a Middle Eastern dove may flap its wings in Jerusalem, where Israelis and Palestinians could sit down together to tell stories that bring them closer to mutual understanding, reconciliation, and peace.

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Americans for Peace Now
presents

The Dove
Stories of Hope Amidst Conflict

The Dove is an evening of live, personal stories – told by Israelis, Palestinians, and others who have experienced the Israeli-Palestinian conflict first-hand – based on the popular storytelling show The Moth. Their stories describe real-life experiences in Israel and the occupied territories that inspire hope for Israeli-Palestinian peace, and that show how light can overcome darkness.

Thursday, April 6th| 8:30pm - 10pm | $5
Washington, DC | Busboys and Poets (5th and K location; 1025 5th Street NW)

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