Dear  

The last couple of months have seen a deterioration of everything we have been fighting for. The ceasefire agreement of Jan 19th, when several dozen more hostages were returned, and life-saving humanitarian aid entered Gaza, has collapsed.

A new law threatens to target peace organizations that file a lawsuit against the state, by imposing an 80% tax on donations made to them by foreign governments. This comes on top of the blow we and other peace organizations received when the new American administration froze USAID funds, affecting our Women Building Bridges Project. We are looking for new ways to continue building the relationship with our Palestinian sister movement, Women of the Sun, as well as joining forces with other like-minded Israeli organizations.

We have also been working tirelessly to reach new audiences within the Israeli society to expand the support for a negotiated agreement. So we’ve started a campaign directed towards those who want a hostage deal but fear stopping the war. The campaign aims to show that a peace agreement is itself a security policy that can prevent any future hostilities. (Watch videos in Hebrew)

But we will pass this together...

activities that bring us together

On International Women's Day, WWP collaborated with five other women's organizations to give voice –– through their bereaved mothers –– to the slain women soldiers whose warnings as observers (“spotters”) were ignored before October 7th. During this solemn event mothers read the words of daughters who will never again speak for themselves.

Director of Women of the Sun (WOS) Reem Hajajra recently came to Tel Aviv from Palestinian refugee camp Al Dheisha, near Bethlehem, to speak to more than 150 women and men. She spoke about the new reality that the war created, and said "The war caused enormous pain, death and destruction for both people. The suffering didn't pass any family by. We understand that we cannot continue this way.Amidst the suffering, we find strength in joint action. We are all mothers and we all want a future of peace and security for our children."

During the month of Ramadan, distinguished Arab community leaders joined WWP for two inspiring evenings featuring initiatives by young women leaders in Usifya, an Arab - Druze village near Haifa, and by an Arab youth group dedicated to education for non-violence in Basmet Tiv’on, an area known for Arab-Jewish partnership. With the help of WWP’s Arab Community Coordinator, Somaya Bashir, we are continuing to engage in meaningful dialogue about how to bring peace and learn about the achievements of women in different cultures.

with our women, abroad

WWP member Regula Alon participated in two intensive days of European-Israeli-Palestinian trilateral dialogue meetings in Vienna, organized and funded by the Candid Foundation. The conference was initiated by the European Union in order to bring the voices of grassroots movements to senior-ranking European politicians. Similar meetings will be held in all 27 EU countries.

“Why aren't we having one conversation? Where are the women? Where is civil society? How many lives will be lost?” These are the questions Dr. Yael Braudo-Bahat, Co-Director of WWP asked during the 62nd Munich Security Conference in February. WWP has been invited for the second time to participate in this prestigious gathering that opens the debate on international security policy to civil society organizations, world leaders and state actors. Yael took part in two panels that had been officially separated, one which featured Gideon Saar, the Israeli Foreign Minister, and another which featured the Jordanian Foreign Minister, the Palestinian Prime Minister and the Vice President of the EU Commissioner. If we don’t ask why such a separation is condoned at the highest levels of political leadership, who else will? we remain committed to the idea peace and diplomacy are the best security policy, even if no one else is. Watch our Co-Director’s intervention here. Watch the entire panel here.

WWP member Nirit Sternberg represented our movement in a conference organized by the Institute of European Diplomats in Cyprus on 'the soft power of women to pave the path from conflict to peace'. The objective was to bring together women from different conflict areas in the world and to prepare a policy paper to be presented at the European Union’s Parliament demonstrating the effectiveness of this soft power. The personal stories shared by the women created an authentic human connection, opened hearts and called for further joint action inspired by the deep ability of women to bring about the needed change in the world.

working with our partners

WWP and its partners in peace-making are busy preparing for the People’s Peace Summit for May 8 - 9, 2025 in Jerusalem. It’s Time is a coalition of seventy Israeli peace and civil society organizations that have united to choose peace and connect with those throughout civil society who are summoning the bravery to demand it. The People’s Summit will host several activities on May 8th, among which are peace tours, cultural events, music, and in-depth discussions among participants. On May 9th the prestigious International Convention Center will host panels of speakers from diverse backgrounds. The Summit will culminate in a flagship event with leading artists and intellectuals, diplomats, and public figures. To introduce diplomats to this initiative, WWP Coordinator of International Relations, Angela Scharf organized a meeting for more than 15 Ambassadors and many diplomats, with the help of the Norwegian Embassy, hosted at the Ambassador’s residence. Among others, the Ambassadors of Netherlands, Ireland and Greece were present as well.

In addition to that, members of our International Relations team participated in a roundtable discussion with the Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland. We met Ambassadors from Nepal, Belgium, Uruguay, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the American Embassy and the Consul of Argentina in Tel Aviv. And we held fruitful conversations with the British Ambassador together with members of the British Parliament, a meeting with the Special Envoy of the French President for Engagement with Civil Societies in Israel and Palestine, as well as with politicians from the Socialist & Democratic (S&D) party in the EU Parliament.

WWP members continue to meet with diplomats and foreign politicians to introduce our message and create wider circles of support for peace through diplomacy.

supporting each other from afar

Support group leaders from all over the world met on March 30 via Zoom with leading members in Israel, putting faces to names and hearing about the diverse backgrounds that led different women to join WWP. Exciting new ideas were raised in the context of how those abroad can strengthen the values of WWP in different communities. Here are some updates from these groups:

Canadais preparing for the Vivian Silver Legacy Event, “In her Voice,” on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Toronto to spread her message of dialogue, partnership, and women leadership. This support group sends out a newsletter to its subscribers on a regular basis. Click here for the latest news from Canada.

The newly formed US support group is meeting monthly to define expansion strategies and plan activities. Groups are forming on the East Coast, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, California and elsewhere on the West Coast. In February, a panel of 70 participants introduced WWP to a broader audience. The group is excited about planning a campaign to encourage massive signing of the Mothers' Call on American Mother’s Day, May 11th.

Support groups in the German-speaking realm have grown well over 100 members and have been meeting on a regular basis. Participants were recently invited to share, in the safe space they have created for one another, how they have coped with the extremely difficult news coming out of Gaza/Palestine/Israel. This opportunity to offer and receive an empathetic response through active listening was much appreciated by all.

In the last three months, the Belgian support group focused on increasing visibility through a radio interview on RTBF in French, a feature article in The Standard, in Flemish, an in-depth article in a policy review for people working in EU institutions, a LinkedIn newsletter interview with WWP and WOS, and a sold-out film screening event of Hanna Assouline’s documentary, Resisting for Peace, followed by an online debate with WWP & WOS members. Upcoming is an event including a gathering at the prestigious Brussels Town Hall for a documentary screening followed by a Zoom debate.

On March 8th, International Women's Day, Mujeres Activan por la Paz Uruguay (MAPU) issued a statement empathizing with the Israeli women who have been raped, kidnapped, and murdered. And held a meeting with some 80 women from diverse backgrounds who came prepared to listen to one other. The group then joined the general rally along Montevideo's main avenue and marched together under the slogan "Feminism for All." In solidarity, the women reaffirmed their commitment to a world with equal rights, opportunity, and freedom from violence.

Brazilian women have organized a Zoom meeting last week with hundreds of participants, getting the chance to hear from members of WWP and WOS.

Supporting events are currently being planned around the next It's Time Peace Summit in early May and for “Live Peace,” the International Day of Peace, for simultaneous worldwide live concerts.