Combatants for Peace turns twenty.
When the movement was founded in 2006, few people would have predicted that we would still be here two decades later. A group of former Palestinian fighters and former Israeli soldiers decided to build something together at a time when separation seemed far more realistic than partnership. The Second Intifada had ended only a short time before and violence was fresh in everyone’s memory.
Looking back now, what feels most remarkable is not that Combatants for Peace was founded, but that it has endured through twenty years of conflict, occupation, war, political upheaval, and profound loss. Entire generations have grown up knowing little except violence, displacement, dispossession, and fear. Throughout that time, many have questioned whether Palestinians and Israelis can work together at all, particularly when confronting the realities of occupation, inequality, and the denial of fundamental rights.
Yet our movement has persisted because it was never built on absolute agreement. It was built on a shared commitment to nonviolence, human rights, and the understanding that neither people can achieve freedom, dignity, or security at the expense of the other.
Many of the people who founded Combatants for Peace are still active today. Some continue to lead programs, while others remain involved in demonstrations, ceremonies, and actions on the ground. They have been joined by new generations of activists, educators, organizers, and supporters, but the principle that brought them together remains unchanged: that transformation is possible, that injustice must be confronted, and that a different future can only be built through shared struggle rather than separation.
Three years into one of the darkest periods in recent history for Palestinians and Israelis, that conviction has faced its greatest test. Yet despite all assumptions, our movement continues to grow, sustained by people who understand that our futures are interconnected and that lasting peace will require equality, freedom, and human rights for all. As we mark this anniversary, we are honoring not only our organization, but a community that has continued to insist – often when doing so has been difficult, unpopular, and deeply personal – that another way remains possible.
This anniversary is not only a moment to look back, but to imagine what comes next, and over the coming months, we will be creating opportunities to do just that. We are planning a summer campaign highlighting joint Palestinian-Israeli work on the ground, the largest global digital solidarity event in our history, and an international olive harvest gathering here in the land. Whether you have been part of this movement for years or have only recently found your way to it, we hope you will take part. More details and joining instructions will be shared soon.
We are proud of what this movement has become, and more than that, we are grateful to everyone who has helped carry it this far. Twenty years on, we continue to believe that Palestinians and Israelis deserve something better than occupation, violence, and fear. That belief is what brought our founders together, and it continues to guide our work today.
We look forward to marking this anniversary with you and continuing to work together in the years ahead.