The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

5 days ago

Cross-Border Environmental Cooperation: Israel, Palestine and Jordan - Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

1 week ago

Canada announces support to empower young peace advocates in Middle East:

"This contribution... will train 100 young leaders in citizen journalism, storytelling, the use of new media, and video and photojournalism, enabling participants to use these newly acquired skills to promote messages of peaceful coexistence online and within their networks and communities. The training will take place through online course as well as workshops in Jerusalem and Jordan."

Great work by our member YaLa-Young Leaders يالا-يا قادة الشباب יאללה-מנהיגים צעירים ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

1 week ago

"In recent years, there has been a growing trend of involvement by football players in social responsibility. There is a consensus today in Israeli football opposing racism. It is clear that Israeli football is benefiting from an environment that embraces equality and tolerance both in the stands and on the pitch." ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

2 weeks ago

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) shared Samer Atamni's post. ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

2 weeks ago

“Real peace is controversial. It’s not all ‘Kumbaya.’ When you try to tackle difficult issues and make lives better, it’s always going to be hard.“

ALLMEP Executive Director Joel Braunold and Kids4Peace youth speak to Ha'aretz ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

2 weeks ago

"Millions of people live here in separation and hostility, this is a dangerous situation."

Don't miss Joel Braunold and Dr. Ned Lazarus' fantastic interview with Shai Nir of Davar News דבר ראשון - English translation below:

The Civil Option

Everywhere in the world, the younger you are, the more optimistic and hopeful you are. The polls among Israelis and Palestinians show that the younger you are, the more right-wing and the more skeptical you are," said Joel Braunold, executive director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) in an interview for the first time.

According to him, the explanation for despair regarding the resolution of the conflict lies in the biography of the younger generation on both sides. "The average Israeli age is 29, the average age of Palestinians in the West Bank is 20, in Gaza it is already 16," he said. "If you place these people's lives in relation to the conflict, you will find an interesting thing: the average Israeli was 8-10 years old during the peace process and the murder of Yitzhak Rabin, and was 15-14 years old when the second intifada broke out: the average Palestinian in the West Bank was born when Rabin was assassinated and the average Palestinian in Gaza experienced only wars.

Another aspect to which Braunold attributes the same pessimism is the separation between the different groups inhabiting the space. "The populations do not know each other, there are people here who have no experience with each other," he said. According to him, studies show that joint experience with the other gives rise to "a desire to compromise and allows for other things," and not just a violent protest of despair.

In his view, the political process - if the American administration succeeds in renewing it - is not enough to bring peace between the peoples. "What happens and breaks out, whenever we reach negotiations, is what happens within civil society," Braunold said.

"Security, economy, and negotiation are always the practical points of reference for progress or withdrawal, and these are also dealt with through negotiating teams, and countless hours of discussion, proposals, plans and approaches," he argued, "but civil society, which is of crucial importance The question of an achievable peace is a subject that is not discussed, and there is some assumption that if all the other elements work, the population will get along with it,

"The real need," he added, "is the establishment of a civil society with a culture of peace between peoples."

What is a culture of peace?

There is a lack of congruence, a gap of faith, in our perception of a solution to the conflict. On the one hand, many support a two-state solution, but on the other hand, no one believes it is going to happen. We need to renew our faith, to renew concepts and ideas that promote the culture of peace, and to create facts on the ground that lead to it. It is important to plant, on both sides, the feeling that it is possible and that there is a partner on the other side. "

A different but common action:

The organization headed by Braunold is, in fact, a network of more than one hundred groups doing people-to-people work between Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians. The organizations are active in almost all areas of civil society: educational organizations, such as Merchavim and the Abraham Fund; environmental and natural resource cooperation organizations, such as EcoPeace and the Arava Institute; youth leadership organizations, like Seeds of Peace; Interfaith community organizations; such as InterPeace and Kids4Peace; bilingual education, in organizations such as Ein Bustan and Hand in Hand and economic cooperation organizations such as Near East Foundation and ECF.

"Every aspect of the company has a program that tries to create a meeting and a connection that changes the atmosphere of distrust and creates a common goal in its place," Braunold explained the range of activities related to the organization.

"There is no consensus among all organizations regarding the final vision of peace, but all agree on the values of peace, coexistence, human rights, mutual respect, justice and security," he said.

"The thing for which we exist, as a network, is to increase the sources of income of the member organizations," he explained. "This means several things: preventing competition between the groups, creating a space of agreement and joint action.

ALLMEP, it is important to note, does not accept donations directly and does not serve as a conduit for the transfer of funds, but rather takes care (beyond the representation of the organizations) that the funds go directly to the organizations and associations that are members of it.

The next step:

Braunold, a London-born graduate of the Bnei Akiva Youth Movement in Jerusalem and a graduate of the Western Wall Yeshiva in Jerusalem, currently works in Washington, DC, and has lobbying activities in the US Congress and various elected houses around the world to promote investment in civil society.

According to him, his most significant achievement was the $ 12 million conservation of the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) budget for civil society in the Israeli-Palestinian sphere, benefiting, among others, the organizations represented by ALLMEP. According to the organization's data, all budgets allocated to the civil society in the region from all the countries investing in philanthropy are $ 50 million a year

Now, Braunold is promoting a plan to establish an international fund for Israelis and Palestinians for peace. According to him, the goal is "to create a situation in which not everyone finances a lot of things, but only the fund and it transfers them to the various initiatives."

The main advantage of the fund, as Braunold described it, is that its sources of funding will be acceptable to both sides. "The Israelis rely on American funding, and the Palestinians, on the other hand, rely on European funding," he explained.

Another advantage is that the fund will not be dependent on a political process, but on an independent basis. "The fund will have no commitment to the progress or failure of any political process, its funding will not live or die on the basis of the success or failure of a peace plan," says Braunold.

How do you promote such a plan?

"In the United States both the Republicans and the Democrats are sponsoring the International Fund, and we are working on a bipartisan bill that will go up for a vote in the Senate. In the United Kingdom, we work together with representatives of the Labor and Conservative parties. We also work with the governments of Sweden, France, Germany, Canada, Australia. At the same time, we are holding seminars on the matter at the Peace Institute, which operates at the Irish Embassy in the United States.

What is the size of such a fund?

"In order to end the conflict, an investment of $6 billion is needed for Israelis and Palestinians, and our argument is that between $ 40 million and $ 45 million is currently invested in peace, about $ 4 per person. Inspired, it was $ 33 per person per year for processes related to reconciliation and civil society.

"Our argument is that if we invest $ 6 billion, the fund will be able to bring the populations to a better place, with an annual investment of $ 150 million a year, which we also offer to Trump and the Arab countries, who can invest in such a fund without declaring normalization with Israel We have been working on this since 2009 and we hope that within a few years we will be able to turn this idea into reality. "

Israel is concerned about the involvement of foreign governments in its internal affairs, and even legislation is being enacted to prevent such donations to civil associations. How do you see it?

"A group that receives support from abroad does not become a foreign agent. It is worthwhile, first of all, to examine the goals and objectives of the same group. To assume that groups that receive USAID support are evil agents trying to undermine democracy, that's ridiculous. Children who play basketball are not foreign agents.

"If we can show that international aid can help the Israeli public under missile fire, and so on, we can also show the good intentions and sincere intentions of the countries," he said. I believe the fund will be flexible enough to accommodate and execute projects of various kinds. "

In this context, he added that one of the goals of the fund will be to meet the existential needs of the residents in the areas of the conflict and thus to provide security, not only in quiet areas, but in areas of friction and confrontation, such as in the Gaza vicinity communities.

"If we assume that you live and work in the Sderot or Ashkelon area, you are under rocket fire and no one cares about you, at least that's how you feel," he explained. "Then, alongside, say, the development of the Gaza Strip, we can help finance schools and hospitals in Sderot, As a statement by the countries of the world, 'we care and we understand your situation.' "

Another example of Braunold is related to possible, healthy or healthy encounters between different populations. "There is no space in Jerusalem where children from the east and west of the city can meet, there is no physical space, there is no place, you can build an appropriate architectural project."

The Fund will also be able to assist in matters of employment. "Israel's natural gas will require the training of a skilled labor force on the gas issue, and investors will want to employ an Arab labor force, sometimes a key component, certainly if it helps to develop the Palestinian economy," he said. Joint venture between Jews and Palestinians at the university, for training related to natural gas, and the international fund will also be able to support the business sector to benefit from the acceleration of the energy sector in the Gaza Strip. "

Lessons from the British Isles:

The initiative was inspired by Northern Ireland. In 1986, 11 years before the Good Friday Agreement (a peace agreement that ended the conflict in Northern Ireland), the governments of Britain and Ireland established the International Fund for Ireland, which aims to inject money into civil organizations in the conflict zone. According to Braunold, the fund has so far transferred over $1 billion to both Catholics and Protestants.

Ned Lazarus, a professor of international relations at Washington University, is Braunold's partner in promoting the Fund. Last month, the two were hosted by the Internatioanl Fund for Ireland in order to learn how it works and adopt the key ideas behind it, with the necessary adjustments.

"Like the Israelis, no one thought there was a chance for peace," Lazarus said. "The establishment of the fund was actually a step by governments in the world to say, 'Our countries do not support any side, and we oppose violence.' The message was that the future of the area will be determined by the residents and will be respected by the world. "

What is the role of the fund today, after achieving the peace agreement?

"The Fund is working today with communities that did not feel the benefits of the agreement at the time, there are still separate communities in Northern Ireland, where there is a dividing line between the communities and there have been cases of violence, So the fund works in these most difficult areas, because where there are extreme elements and economic problems, there is also resistance to peace. "

The Irish conflict seems simpler than the conflict in the Middle East, where there is a struggle between two religious groups with similar characteristics and a similar ethnic background. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is much more complex.

"We claim," Lazarus said, "that there should be a long-term vision of building bridges between the companies, not as an annex to a peace agreement that will come, but here and now, in this reality, something that will be good for both companies."

"Even if they reach an agreement and even if not, millions of people live here in isolation, inequality, hostility and total lack of familiarity ... This is a dangerous situation, which is a potential for racism and extremism. And to build foundations for a better future, to address problems and reduce hatred. "

"What we have said is that they did it in Northern Ireland, and that contributed a great deal to what happened in civil society, and it is not only politicians who need to reach an agreement, but many years after the peace agreement, Ireland does not have a functioning government. The important thing is that they do not want to return to violence, and the people who do not want to go back to it say 'we do not want violent conflict.'

In the absence of a political plan and vision in Israel, it is possible that reality will lead the parties to a one-state solution. Will not the Irish model, in which two rival groups live together, lead us to an identical reality in which, in practice, will the Fund enable the realization of the idea of one state for two peoples?

"This is a big question," said Braunold, adding that the fund could not act in a reality of political vacuum and without a political horizon. If the preferred solution of two states collapses, it may be possible to promote relations between the two peoples, but certainly not in the reality we are experiencing today, of a political vacuum in which no one actually knows where we are going. "

Against the background of the security tensions of recent weeks, it is possible that the channel offered by Braunold and Lazarus, though not usually noticed, is the one that can bring some hope to the region.

"All I'm saying is that the future here is not known, the future political framework is unknown and open, we can not say what will happen here," Lazarus concluded. "What is known is that millions will live on this land side by side. One narrative of the other, only to know how to live together, and how to realize the political expressions in a way that does not inflame the spirits." ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

2 weeks ago

Friends! ALLMEP member Circle of Health International (COHI) is actively recruiting participants for the Spring 2018 delegation of their Peace Through Health program! COHI leads these delegations in Israel and Palestine, underscoring the importance of healthcare as a unifying bridge to both communities. Through its work, COHI highlights local partners in the region focused on providing quality healthcare to all, and delegates have the opportunity to volunteer and contribute to partner efforts. These delegations provide healthcare professionals, advocates and activists living outside of the region with an intimate perspective of healthcare challenges, innovation, and social justice action.

A full description of the program can be found below! ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

2 weeks ago

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) shared a link. ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

3 weeks ago

"But nowhere in the internet comment threads did I see anyone evince any interest in the actual visit. Everyone is so caught up in an emotional argument about a piece of cloth that the real story is utterly obscured. What did these Palestinian kids have to say? How did the Solomon Schechter campers respond to them? Were connections made? That’s the story; that should be our focus." - Josh Malina writing in the Jewish Journal about the visit of The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) member Kids4Peace visit to a Jewish Summer Camp jewishjournal.com/opinion/222394/when-a-jewish-camp-raised-a-palestinian-flag/ ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

3 weeks ago

"I struggle with the complexity of my people’s relationship to this land and our relationship to the people who were already living here when we began to return home. I must do my part, day in and day out, to create the peaceful Jerusalem I believe we should be and could be living in together."

Must-read, heartening words from Meredith Rothbart of Kids4Peace" ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

3 weeks ago

The Religious Peace Initiative—a joint Israeli-Palestinian dialogue group formed by ALLMEP members Adam Center and Mosaica—took part in negotiations between the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf and Israel in an attempt to bring the Temple Mount crisis to an end: ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

3 weeks ago

Last week, fifty Muslim, Jewish, and Christian teens from Kids4Peace's Global Institute spent a day in Washington advocating for the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace Authorization Act. They met with Senator Bernie Sanders, Congressman Keith Ellison, and over 20 other Congressional offices. Read about their incredible day: ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

3 weeks ago

We are proud of The YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus and all of our members, who continue to push towards peace when it's most crucial: ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

3 weeks ago

Important perspective in this piece from Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger of Rabbis Without Borders

"Before we make demands of others, we must first make demands of ourselves. Before we speak and even before we think, we must listen. After we begin to heal ourselves and to change our behaviors, the other side may be more able to begin to heal itself."

Friends of Roots ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

4 weeks ago

Robi Damelin (פורום המשפחות השכולות Parents Circle Families Forum منتدى العائلات الثكلى) has an important message in response to recent events: "It's not too late."

Read her powerful words in Ha'aretz (English translation below):

Here we go again, how many people have to die before the cycle of violence finally turns for the last time. Revenge being the main tool, we kill, they kill , more force, more troops, and more rhetoric of fear and hatred. Are we on the brink of another war or uprising? How can the sanctity of human life just be political expedience. Decisions made by leaders sitting in rooms in the dead of night and at the last minute. Is there no thought for the consequence of no communication with our neighbors. Instead of listening to the army and understanding that the shooting from the hip decision to place metal detectors outside one of the most holy places for the Muslims would lead to a violent reaction and more death. How can the man voted to be in charge of our future take a plane trip to a foreign land when there was a burning need for sanity and negotiation to create a dialogue with our neighbors and perhaps to calm down a situation just waiting to explode.

Seven people died over this weekend and for what? for an anger festering among both peoples, which can only get worse with time. Can the powers that be not take a breath and imagine what it is like for the families involved. Those innocent attacked by a crazed young man who imagined that a future life in paradise would surely be better than this one, and the three Palestinians fighting for a cause they believed, also fueled by their religeous leaders. Notice it is not the leaders who give up their lives, but rather young men who have no reason to hope for a better life , and believe that they are protecting their holy Site.

Let us think of another scenario, say our elected leader would have thought again and realised that more of the same, only more would be a solution, and had picked up the phone to the heads of Jordan and Egypt, who have no interest in any further violence, perhaps if he had done so and they had all come up with a plan which did not include more force, perhaps we would not have to watch the horrific bloody scenes , each side with its own interpretation , on the Television and on the Web.

Imagine what the future will be like for all of the families of the dead, some will have their houses demolished, and others will die together with their children, they may not die physically , but nothing will ever be the same, nothing . Some will never have the joy of parents or grandparents and others will start to think of revenge, some will be so angry that it will effect their health, and others will simply wither away and look for solice at the graveside of their loved ones. We at the Parents Circle know the whole gamit of pain , and indescribable sadness which never goes away. We have realised that violence begets violence and for the sake of our children and grandchildren we must find a way to recognize the humanity of the other .

It is not too late for change, watch a bereaved Palestinian mother embracing an Israeli mother in our group and understand that we recognize that we share the same pain. Watch us continue to work under the most difficult of circumstances to the extent where we will still run our summer camp this Sunday and will plant the seeds of understanding reconciliation in the next generation. If we can, then surely this is an example to all. Please refrain from spitting at us or throwing bags of urine and take that energy into trying another way, for the way we are going , with more of the same can only lead us to share the land with graves. ... See MoreSee Less

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)

4 weeks ago

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) shared a link. ... See MoreSee Less