Subject: CfP Newsletter September 2020 - Our message to the world

Dear Friends


As the Jewish New Year approaches, we take a moment to stop and take a look at events around the world. From the dramatic fires hitting the West Coast of America turning the skies red, to the COVID shutdowns persisting around the world, to the looming election in the US which will determine how history will judge us. Amidst this chaos and uncertainty, occupation continues, and as new peace treaties with Israel are hailed a success by some, the Palestinian people are at risk of further isolation and oppression as occupation deepens and human rights violations increase.

 

It is up to us to stand shoulder to shoulder to oppose the occupation and the human rights abuses which Palestinians endure on a daily basis. From anti-corruption demonstrations demanding Netanyahu resigns, to storytelling activities in the North of Israel, to our "Freedom School" working with young activists in Israel, we are working tirelessly to build a better world. Today, we have a video message for you.

Watch

A new year brings new opportunities, and a renewed sense of optimism and hope. This is a chance to do something positive towards peace and stand strong both at home, and abroad. Be a part of the change, and join Combatants for Peace - your support matters.


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We would like to wish our Jewish friends a very Happy Rosh Hashana, and to thank all of our supporters for sticking with us through a truly unforgettable year.


In Peace & Solidarity from Israel/Palestine,


Your Combatants for Peace

New leadership

We are pleased and honored to announce that our co-founder, Sulaiman Khatib (pictured right) has accepted the position of Palestinian Director of Combatants for Peace. Sulaiman will work alongside our Israeli Director, Yonatan Gher, and together they will lead the organization. Both Sulaiman and Yonatan share enthusiasm and determination in their work to end the Israeli occupation and to build the nonviolent resistance movement into a force to be reckoned with.

Testimony - "We have to be the change!"


Over the past few weeks, Combatants for Peace has been at every demonstration denouncing the inhumane policies of Netanyahu’s government reminding citizens, the government and the world, that the occupation is the problem. Kochav Shachar, one of the strongest, most dedicated young activists in our movement, has been participating in more than a dozen of anti-Netanyahu protests, as well as in numerous other demonstrations calling for social justice.

I demonstrate every Saturday near Balfour street, but not only because I am against corruption and Bibi Netanyahu. I am before all raising my voice for human rights: Palestinians’ rights, women’s rights, black people’s rights, gays’ rights, and so on. Together we are denouncing police brutality and all types of oppression. We must unite our struggles in order to achieve a society based on equality and justice.


At the demonstrations we raise our voices and demand a better future. But we also demonstrate in the name of those who cannot raise their voices.


I know that as a young Israeli, the occupation is my responsibility. I was born a citizen of an occupying nation. It is my responsibility to resist against it. The occupation is bad for all of us: it corrupts us with its twisting of human moral values. The policies of control and intimidation over another people reaches deeply throughout society, and ultimately corrupts from within. It harms and hurts me personally. I know we are capable of better than that.


People from across the world must understand how critical it is for us to achieve freedom, equality and peace in this place. I wish the international community starts to put more pressure on our government. At the same time, we, Israelis, must ask more questions and be more critical of our authorities. If our activism is to be effective, it must not be limited to these demonstrations alone. Effective activism must also encompass the hard conversations that we have with our friends and relatives. It includes education, nonviolent action and more. I am proud to be considered a radical “leftist”, because I know how important it is for the world to hear this message.


On a personal level, I am trying to create the future that I wish to see in my society. I refuse to wait for my government to come up with a peaceful solution, we have to be the change! I work with my Palestinian partners for peace, freedom and equality - and in doing so, I am cultivating true friendship. This is the only path that makes sense to me,


I have decided to act. Will you join me?

Activism in the North: honoring the past

We held several events in the Upper Galilee to encourage activists and lay-people to learn about the history of the Nakba and Palestinian dispossession since 1948.


On August 22nd we met in the Catholic church that remained in Maa’lul village site for a cleaning session. The community of Maa’lul hosted us for several meetings and we wanted to give something back. As always we find that working together builds connections beyond dialogue. "Cleaning the place was about acknowledgement: acknowledging the history, and acknowledging the belonging of this community to this land", CfP activist Itamar Feigenbaum observed.


On September 4th, "Freedom School" participants met in the same village. These Israeli Youth heard one Palestinian elder tell his moving story about his family’s exile from their village in 1948. Many questions were raised, thoughts and feelings were shared, and everyone felt the intense need to work together to create a future of peace.


On September 11th, Combatants for Peace organized a visit to the destroyed villages of Ber’em and Ikrit to learn about their history. Both communities have taken their case of land dispossession to the Israeli High Court where their battle for justice continues.

Online events and publications


On August 19th, our activist Galia Golan spoke to “J School” participants about the history of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Watch the recording here.


Galia Golan’s opinion on the UAE-Israel peace deal was published by the Times of Israel. “Can we continue with the Palestinian issue unresolved? Whether our security might be threatened, or our morality, do we really think we can continue as we are, even with good relations with many Arab states?" The full article is available here.

Thank you for your support!

Together we are strong.


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