BEIT JALA – In early October 2025, over 80 ALLMEP member representatives from Israel, Palestine and the broader region convened in Beit Jala for ALLMEP’s 2025 Members’ Meeting – the first in-person, cross-border strategic gathering of Palestinian and Israeli peacebuilders since the events of October 7. Held days after the ceasefire was implemented, the meeting provided a critical opportunity for reflection and strategic planning during one of the most challenging periods for civil society in recent memory.

Participants represented the full spectrum of ALLMEP’s membership – organizations working in advocacy, education, dialogue, employment and conflict transformation, with attendees from across ALLMEP’s diverse Palestinian and Israeli membership. Together, they examined the profound impact of the October 7 attacks and the recent ceasefire, looking at the impact of the events and strategizing on their position in the days to come. 

Following the success of the event and member’s request, ALLMEP has saved the date for quarterly in-person strategic sessions to make sure the field has an ongoing space to coordinate, cooperate, and align on strategic priorities. 

Shared Priorities: Rebuilding Trust 

Following a series of round tables, members came to a series of strategic priorities that they highlighted as urgent needs on-the-ground. The need for healing within and across communities emerged as a central concern. Members stressed that rebuilding trust among Palestinian and Israeli organizations must precede the launch of new joint initiatives. This requires prioritizing intra-community repair, supporting unity within Palestinian civil society and addressing militarization and fragmentation in Israeli civil society. Members are clear that trauma healing is intensive, serious work, and to do so properly participants must grapple with the realities of the power imbalance generally present in Israeli and Palestinian relations. 

This in mind, participants identified the importance of establishing spaces for substantive dialogue – spaces that engage with ideological differences, include perspectives from across the political spectrum, and extend beyond established peace networks. While cross-border work has its place, ALLMEP members made it clear that intra-community work is crucial for this moment too. 

Centering Trauma Healing and Psychosocial Support

To cope with the ongoing stress of the times and the tensions that any dialogue sessions bring up, ALLMEP members identified an urgent need to integrate trauma healing and psychosocial support into all peacebuilding and leadership programs. The experiences of war and loss have created deep wounds for everyone in the region. Participants called for incorporating trauma-informed practices – including EMDR and community-based resilience building – into their work. This clear call notes that linking psychosocial care with dialogue and civic engagement can support communities in processing collective trauma while sustaining long-term engagement in peacebuilding efforts.

Building Inclusive, Justice-Centered Narratives and Educational Systems 

Participants advocated for moving beyond generic coexistence language toward narratives that center justice, accountability and empathy. Recommendations included developing a coordinated media strategy to elevate authentic grassroots voices from both communities, alongside a joint communications campaign highlighting stories of nonviolence, resilience and shared humanity. 

Following their work on narrative, ALLMEP Members identified Education as fundamental to sustainable peace. They called for institutionalizing peace education within schools and universities to establish pluralism, nonviolence and coexistence as core civic values. They emphasized the critical role of women and youth as agents of change, stressing the importance of their leadership and participation in advocacy, policy and decision-making processes. As one participant observed, the challenge now is to “articulate a dream that can inspire again.”

Strengthening Collective Action and Advocacy

To address fragmentation and increase impact, members explored mechanisms for strengthening network-wide coordination – including peer learning, joint planning and shared advocacy platforms. ALLMEP’s Membership community and virtual member’s hub will continue to serve as an essential resource for cooperation, visibility, and collective action.

Participants reaffirmed the Two-State Solution as both a moral and political foundation for lasting peace, calling for renewed international engagement, accountability and support for human rights. They also emphasized the importance of linking humanitarian aid with peacebuilding efforts, ensuring that immediate relief contributes to long-term reconciliation and stability. ALLMEP members spoke candidly about different political needs of the moment and coordinated mechanisms through which to deliver these messages to governments around the world. 

At this pivotal moment, ALLMEP members concrete work transforms trauma into constructive action and channels resolve into tangible progress. Their strategic, on-the-ground work to align on  priorities and take actionable steps towards a different reality has had tangible results, and will continue to influence the region in the years to come.