On May 8 and 9, the People’s Peace Summit took place in Jerusalem, bringing together civil society organizations, activists, and members of the public with an aim of revitalizing Israel’s Peace Camp. The summit was organized by “It's Time”, a coalition of over 60 peacebuilding and shared society organizations working together to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a political agreement that ensures both peoples’ right to self-determination and secure lives.
The summit opened with performances, exhibitions, and workshops focused on coexistence and the realities of the conflict, alongside tours in Jerusalem designed to offer different perspectives on the situation. The second day featured a large opening event and panels that explored a variety of peace plans and topics, including the relationship between peace and the environment, and the role of education during times of conflict.
“For 15 years, there was almost no one who carried the flag of a political agreement, that the conflict needs to be resolved through a political agreement, a peace agreement,” Raluca Ganea, CEO of Zazim and a member of the “It’s Time” coalition, told Davar. “There is nothing more urgent than talking about peace.”
“The past year and a half has been very difficult. You have to maintain a routine, run the household, work, all these things while all this horror is outside,” Ganea continued, describing the early stages of the initiative as intense and deeply meaningful. “For three months, we were six women working around the clock. We had many partners. During that time, I didn’t even have time to cut my nails, but I felt the best I ever had.”
Speakers at the summit emphasized the importance of offering a positive and practical vision for peace, especially amid grief, fear, and political division. “You can’t rally people around hope without a positive vision,” said Ganea. “What will life look like after an agreement? What will the education system look like? What will Jerusalem look like? We want to open a window for people to that horizon.”
The summit made space for difficult emotions while maintaining a clear focus on long-term solutions. “The fear, the pain, and the hatred are understandable, they’re human and legitimate,” said Ganea. “It’s very important to acknowledge it and to know how to reach people, how to give room and legitimacy to their feelings, and how to go through a process.”
The summit also featured voices from Arab society in Israel, including Sondos Khatib Anabtawi, a member of the Standing Together movement and a partner in the “It’s Time” initiative. “We need to feel that we are together and that there is a possibility and a chance for peace—a chance to live together in peace and to be partners in leading the country we live in to become a better place,” Anabtawi told Davar.
As a mother of three, she spoke of the need to provide younger generations with frameworks for shared living. “The younger generation wants this, but they don’t know how to express themselves. … They need leaders, they need people to tell them, ‘Don’t be afraid, come speak. There’s a platform, come be part of it,” she said.
Anabtawi addressed the impact of recent events and the silencing of Arab voices in public discourse. “We are constantly being pursued, silenced,” she said. “We’re not allowed to speak, not allowed to express opinions. And that scares us. It causes us to say, ‘Fine, we’ll just keep quiet.’ Why, in every conversation, event, or struggle, do I constantly have to defend myself and condemn the events? Of course I condemn them!”
She explained her choice to become more actively involved: “I decided I will raise the voice of an Arab woman and a mother who asks and wants equality, justice, and shared life. I don’t want my children to suffer, to be afraid, to feel like they don’t belong.”
Participants and organizers framed the summit not only as a political project, but as a societal one. “Recognition of the suffering, or the humanity, of both sides is the beginning of this process,” said Ganea. “It must be a social process, and it must include a perspective on the other side.”
According to the organizers, the People’s Peace Summit is part of a wider effort to build public support for a negotiated resolution. “There are many options on the table, many solutions. It has to be through direct negotiations between the sides. That’s not our role,” Ganea said. “We’re trying first of all to mobilize the Israeli public to understand that this is the solution.”
The coalition plans to continue this work beyond the summit. “Now we want to deepen the commitment and give people concrete things to do,” said Ganea. “There are so many things that can be done, and we want to help the public find the way and the opportunities to act and influence in this direction.”
Anabtawi closed with a message of perseverance: “There is hope. There is another way. We can do it, we have the capacity. That’s part of this peace journey, which is also an internal peace, a peace within Israel, between Arabs and Jews, Palestinians and Israelis.”
This article was translated from Hebrew by Marina Levy.
