Dear

Despite the war, we persist. Since our founding just after the 2014 Gaza War, Women Wage Peace has worked tirelessly for peace through co-existence. Now we are compelled to stand with hostage families calling for their loved ones’ immediate release as well as for an end to this war and the cycle of violence. We continue to share our message, that beyond blaming and shaming and useless polarization lies a reality that speaks in a different language – the language of cooperation and interdependence, of respect for difference, and comfort.

In this issue:

- It’s time! –– the Peace Camp Gathers in Tel Aviv
- The Pope Signs the Mothers’ Call
- Actions and Events in Israel
- Nurturing Co-Existence
- Support around the Globe
- Worldwide Supporters
- The "Building Bridges" Project 

It's time! - the Peace Camp Gathers in Tel Aviv

Israel’s largest peace gathering ever, It’s time! filled over 6,000 seats at Menorah Arena on July 1 in Tel Aviv. Over fifty Israeli and Palestinian peace groups united to launch a more coordinated way of working. Rousing speeches and solemn testimonies were intertwined with brief films and musical interludes led by Nur Darwish and Achinoam Nini (Noa, to her fans abroad) and Layan Hawila and Yael Deckelbaum, who wrote Prayer of the Mothers for WWP’s first nationwide march in 2016, The March of Hope. If you missed the event, click here.

The energetic crowd heard from WWP’s Yael Admi as well as survivors from the Gaza border kibbutzim attacks, family members of hostages, religious leaders, prominent authors, and peace activists from Israel and the West Bank. Acclaimed historian Yuval Noah Harari also spoke. As intended, the event was a highly emotional one, reminding attendees of the storehouse of humanity still waiting to be tapped for its enormous power to change the bloody course of Middle Eastern history.

The Pope signs the Mothers's Call

Pope Francis expressed his very public support for Women Wage Peace (WWP) and Women of the Sun (WOS) when he added his signature to the two movements’ joint Mothers' Call in a moving ceremony on May 18, 2024 attended by 12,500 in Verona, Italy. WWP activists Yael Admi and Hyam Tannous as well as Reem Hajajareh from WOS spoke, along with the peace entrepreneurs Maoz Inon and Aziz Abou Sarah.

After you’ve signed, be sure to send the Mothers' Call to others, both women and men. 

Actions and Events in Israel

Some have wondered what a peace movement can do during a time of war. Here are a few recent examples of where we’ve chosen to participate in grassroots peacemaking:

- Daily demonstrations in support for the families of the 120 hostages
- Demonstrations in Tel Aviv, Caesarea, and Jerusalem in favor of a regional alliance and against the current government's over-reliance on military solutions to a political problem
- Convening of the Women’s Cabinet next to the Knesset along with "Ima Era" (mothers waking up) and "Every Mother Knows" to discuss a plan for the Day After, the absence of women in key decision-making roles, the place of women in the military, and support for families of the 120 hostages
- Interfaith March for Human Rights & Peace in Jerusalem, June 3rd
- Flower Parade at the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem’s Old City at which flowers were given to Muslim and Christian residents to show empathy and the will to build a common future of tolerance, June 5th

Nurturing Jewish-Arab shared Society

Jewish-Arab mural painting in Jisr a Zarqa, an Arab town near Caesarea, by middle-school students who created “Different, Yet Partners” over a 20-meter span to encourage familiarity and build trust between communities from an early age, made possible by teacher Rima Moasi and WWP member Kifaya Ayati ● Joint events of WWP and Standing Together featuring Jewish and Arab leaders including Member of Knesset (MK) Ayman Odeh, former MK Mossi Raz, Maoz Inon, Noam Dan, and Hyam Tannous (WWP) ● Sixth Vigil at Alonim Junction, with Standing Together ● Kfar Tavor parlor meeting to establish a connection between 30 Jewish and Arab women ● a gathering at Kibbutz Beit HaMeleh to learn about our delegations to Spain and Slovenia

Support for WWP and WOS around the Globe

Italy, Perugia Journalism Festival – panel with WWP‘s Dr. Yael Braudo-Bahat, Palestinian peace activist Ninive Sanduka, and French journalist Melina Huet on covering conflicts from a women's perspective. The panelists urged journalists to cover peace efforts more vigorously, changing the prevailing perception that the region is solely a conflict zone devoid of hope for peace (see the video on YouTube)

Washington, DC, Woodrow Wilson Center chartered by American Congress – podcast with WWP’s Hyam Tannous and Naama Barak Wolfman about our movement and the growing friendship between Jewish and Arab women (see the video on YouTube)

Georgetown University organized a zoom meeting with Secretary Hillary Clinton. (link to our facebook message)

Vienna, Austria, Jewish Museum – meeting with 500 participants with WWP’s Angela Scharf and Kefaia Msarwy, and WOS founder Reem Hajajareh; Angela also met with the President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, and his wife as well as with various media outlets.

Ljubljana, Slovenia, National Parliament – WWP members Manuela Rothstein and Enam Odeh Farah spoke along with WOS’ Reem Hajajareh

Brussels, Belgium – peace activists hosted a screening of the documentary "Women Warriors for Peace" by Hannah Assouline, with online participation by WWP and WOS. French director and community activist, Hannah Assouline, founded and co-chairs Les Guerrières de la Paix (The Female Warriors of Peace). She directed the documentary in 2018.

Germany, Günter Wallraff Prize awarded to WWP and WOS. Click here for Deutschlandfunk's summary of this prestigious award (in German). The two movements were represented by the singers Yael Deckelbaum and Meera Eilabun. View our posts on Facebook.

Frankfurt, Germany, Hessian State Parliament – beloved WWP founding member Vivian Silver z”l was honored post mortem with the 2024 Peace Prize of Hessen. Her son, Yonathan Zeigen, accepted the prize in her name.

Worldwide Supporters

New support groups have formed in various countries during the past months. All of them spread the word on WWP and the continued cooperation with WOS. The groups organize community meetings, participate in conferences, organize meetings with journalists and influencers, write websites, newsletters, and are active on social media.

Brazil – 4 active chapters

Chile – new chapter

Uruguay – chapter held a meeting with the journalist Hinde Pomeranian and 200 activists; organized a screening of the movie “The Other Son” (2012).

Spain – Madrid chapter met with university members and a Reform synagogue

Australia – Zoom watch party of the Peace Camp event in Tel Aviv on July 1,   It’s Time

Canada, Vancouver chapter – peace rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery, June 20; gathering at Israeli consulate to support a ceasefire and release of the hostages, June 23.

Canada, Manitoba – new chapter

Canada, Winnipeg – the Winnipeg Free Press reported on Canadian women organizing for peace in May; a Zoom with Bashar Al Shaw, director of EcoPeace, took place in May as well.

German speaking Realm - 6 regional active chapters. The group reports a significant increase in Social Media followers and is planning events coordinated with WWP for the International Day of Peace on Sept 21.

Switzerland – the local chapter organized meetings in Bern, Basel and Zurich with WWP Israel member Regula Alon in various church communities.

United States – several regional chapters are being organized on the East and West Coasts. Watch out for updates.

The “Building Bridges” Project

The Middle East Peace Partnership Act (MEPPA), administered by the US State Department and created by an act of Congress in Dec 2020, recently awarded significant funding to WWP and WOS to train women in peace activism. The focus is on climate and religions, two major issues that are very critical to promoting peace. However, people involved in these issues commonly don't act in the context of peace. MEPPA offers a new paradigm in conflict resolution: instead of relying heavily on diplomats negotiating broad solutions, the fund empowers individuals and promotes cooperation through people-to-people partnerships on the ground.

This project, jointly envisioned and carried out by WWP and WOS, aims to increase the diversity of Israeli and Palestinian women engaged in the peacebuilding process, strengthens the partnership of the two movements and ensures that women are equitably represented in all aspects of negotiation.

WWP and WOS have each selected 45 women (in Israel's case, Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Druze), many of whom have not previously engaged in the peacebuilding and security debate, to be involved in one of two streams: "religion and peace-building" and "environmentalism and peace-building". During the initial stage, WWP and WOS work in parallel to one another but at the second stage, the groups will come together.

The women who participate in the training will become ambassadors of peace in their communities and organizations and develop relationships and initiatives with corresponding women on the other side.