When the COVID-19 arrived in Israel and Palestine in March 2020, the social and economic effects were immediately devastating. But efforts to stop the spread of the virus have also had a significant impact on the region’s civil society and their work towards peace.
Over the last few months, our team has spent time with a number of ALLMEP member organizations, discussing the challenges and innovations that the COVID-19 pandemic has created. We are pleased to present to you the outcome of those conversations, ALLMEP’s policy report: A Resilient Israeli-Palestinian Peacebuilding Sector in the Face of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The report highlights the impact of the pandemic has had on the peacebuilding field, as well as key lessons learned:
- ALLMEP member organizations have found that the pandemic has only underscored the importance of their work and pushed them to innovate and expand.
- COVID-19 has coincided with a 25% drop in Foreign assistance to the Palestinians, one of the primary sources for civil society support.
- The topics of online dialogue have shifted from identity and conflict to mental health and other personal experiences that affect both Israelis and Palestinians under lockdown.
- With 30% of peacebuilding organizations focused on youth, civil society has stepped in to fill some of the capacity lost via school closures.
