| Dear Friends,
War has broken out between Israel and Iran. Dozens are already dead, hundreds more injured and missiles and drones fill our skies as the fear of further escalation hangs over millions. From Tehran to Tel Aviv, ordinary people are once again paying the price for decisions made by leaders who treat us as collateral — as though our lives are disposable in their pursuit of power.
At the same time, Gaza continues to starve and the West Bank remains under military lockdown. Fear is deepening, trust is unraveling, and it’s getting harder to know what to believe, let alone how to stay hopeful. But through all of it, people are still showing up — organizing, resisting, and refusing to give in to the logic of violence.
This weekend, our colleagues attended the Paris Peace Summit with a message that felt more urgent than ever: Palestinians and Israelis can, and do, stand together. Our Executive Directors, Rana and Eszter, represented that joint voice — not as symbols, but as real people deeply rooted in this work. They traveled to Paris to speak for those who are suffering, those without a voice, and for those who are working for peace in the hardest conditions imaginable.
Now, with flights grounded and regional airspace closed, Eszter is stranded abroad, unable to return to her home in Israel or to her young children. And Rana, who is sadly used to severely restricted freedom of movement, is unable to return to Palestine via Amman, until flights begin to operate again. This is not symbolic. It’s the real, human cost paid by those working for peace. While others choose vengeance, our peacebuilders choose connection — even when it means separation from their families, safety, and stability. They make these sacrifices not out of naivety, but out of deep conviction: that a different future is still possible, if we have the courage to fight for it together.
Even as bombs fall across Israel, Palestine, and Iran, and the headlines move on to new horrors, we refuse to look away from Gaza. That’s exactly what this moment of chaos is designed to achieve — to make the world forget. But we won’t. The forced starvation hasn’t stopped. The killings haven’t stopped. The violence continues.
That’s why tomorrow, Monday, June 16, we are joining together in a global action:
#FastForFreedom | #EndGazaStarvation
Information on the planned actions are below. Please register here to receive the Zoom links to join. | | This fast is an act of solidarity — with Gazans, with the hostages, with everyone caught in the crossfire who simply wants to live in safety and dignity. You can fast from wherever you are and join us online to be in community, to learn more about what’s happening, and to support each other in refusing despair.
No one wins in war. There is no real victory in more death, more displacement, or more division. We continue to hope that diplomacy will take hold — not because we are naïve, but because we know the alternative. We live it. And we believe those in power must start recognizing all people as equal human beings, before the damage becomes irreversible.
We are holding the line — not just for ourselves, but for each other. The people working for peace in this region need support now more than ever. Their courage, and the risks they take, should not go unseen. In a moment when violence is loud and relentless, help us keep the voice of nonviolence alive — clear, united, and human.
With resolve,
Combatants for Peace |
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