Dear Foreign Ministers of the G7,
We are speaking to you as a bi-national movement of Israelis and Palestinians who call for peace. As you sit down to discuss the fate of our region please listen carefully to our voices.
Our grassroots movement, “Combatants for Peace” was founded in 2006 by former Israeli military officials and Palestinian fighters who decided to join forces to nonviolently co-resist the occupation and build a better future for both our peoples. As former combatants who took an active role in the violence we understand the deep rooted issues at play, and now as nonviolent peace activists we see clearly how change is possible. Through our joint activities we know that Israelis and Palestinians are not doomed to be enemies. We know that tensions in the region are not an inevitable act of fate. For almost 20 years we have seen that another way is possible.
But what we need from you, our world leaders, is the courage and unity to act.
As of the 21st November, the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif. We urge you to use your position of power to take action and carry out these charges of war crimes. Our lives and our childrens’ lives are at stake.
For more than 416 days, we have been at war. Too many innocent lives have been taken by the weapons you continue to import to our region. Instead of investing in weapons, we need you to support and invest in civil society organizations that work towards peacebuilding efforts.
Additionally, while the world’s eyes are fixed on Gaza, Israeli settler violence in the West Bank against Palestinian civilians has been growing at an exponential rate. These criminal acts must not continue with impunity. We encourage you to impose sanctions on these violent settlers.
Every day, we continue to demand a ceasefire, a hostage/prisoner exchange, and an end to the bloodshed. But as long standing peace activists, we know that a ceasefire is not enough – we need a political solution that ends the occupation and provides security, freedom and equality for all people between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean sea.
Our binational work underscores a crucial truth: while the path to peace is fraught with challenges, it is not impossible. By fostering understanding and partnership, we as former combatants demonstrate that peace is not just a distant ideal but a tangible goal that can be achieved through collective effort.
We hope that our work at Combatants for Peace exemplifies what is possible in the region and that you work to uplift voices like ours rather than promoting military strength and arms exports. A military solution will never bring peace or safety to our homeland.
Rather, we invite you to join our vision of nonviolence and speak out for a just political solution for our region and the entire Middle East.
Thank you,
Rana Salman and Eszter Koranyi,
The Palestinian and Israeli Co-Directors of Combatants for Peace
