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ISRAELI And PALESTINIAN ORGANISATIONS

1. Refusenik organisations
2. Peace organisations
3. Other campaigning organisations

Human rights, equality etc
Political prisoners
Community development, dialogue etc
Environment
Health
Unrecognised villages

4. Alternative information/resource centres

1. Refusenik and other organisations of soldiers and/or ex-soldiers

Breaking the Slience
BtS is an organization of veteran Israeli soldiers that collects testimonies of soldiers who served in the Occupied Territories ... Our testimonies portray a grim picture of questionable orders in many areas regardind Palestinian civilians. These demonstrate the depth of corruption which is spreading in the Israeli military. We demand accountability regarding Israel's military actions in the Occupied territories perpetrated by us and in our name.
Download BtS 2007 Annual Report.

Courage to refuse
We hereby declare that we shall continue serving in the Israel Defense Forces in any mission that serves Israel's defense. The missions of occupation and oppression do not serve this purpose - and we shall take no part in them.

Yesh Gvul
Yesh Gvul ("There is a limit !") is an Israeli peace group that has shouldered the task of supporting soldiers who refuse assignments of a repressive or aggressive nature.

Shministim
The Shministim (hebrew for "high-school") youth refusal movement was founded by a group of young political activits who refuse to serve the occupation and war crimes commited by the Israeli Occupaton Forces in the territories. Some have sat in military jail for hundreds of days for this 'crime'.

Parents' Forum (of hashministim)
POBox 9013, Jerusalem 91090. Tel 972 2 6414632

Email contact: Reuven Kaminer

Combatants for Peace
Formed in 2006, ‘The "Combatants for Peace" movement was started jointly by Palestinians and Israelis, who have taken an active part in the cycle of violence; Israelis as soldiers in the Israeli army (IDF) and Palestinians as part of the violent struggle for Palestinian freedom. After brandishing weapons for so many years, and having seen one another only through weapon sights, we have decided to put down our guns, and to fight for peace.’

Aron's Israel peace weblog
Aron's Israel Peace Weblog - An ex-soldier, American-Israeli's account on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and 'war on terrorism.' Father of one of the Shministim letter's signatories.

New Profile: Movement for the Civilization of Israeli Society
New Profile Charter, June 1999: We, a group of feminist women and men, are convinced that we need not live in a soldiers' state. Today, Israel is capable of a determined peace politics. It need not be a militarized society. We are convinced that we ourselves, our children, our partners, need not go on being endlessly mobilized, need not go on living as warriors...

Email: New Profile

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2. Peace organisations (including some not based in Israel-Palestine)

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Adam Institute for Democracy and Peace in Memory of Emil Greenzweig
The Adam Institute was established in 1986 in memory of Israeli peace activist Emil Greenzweig, who was killed while marching in a demonstration against the war in Lebanon. In the wake of this tragedy, a group of Israeli educators and concerned citizens rallied together to seek ways to try and prevent the repetition of such an event. The Adam Institute is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization aiming at breaking down stereotypes and teaching non-violent methods of conflict resolution.

Bat Shalom
A feminist peace organization of Israeli women; together with The Jerusalem Center for Women, a Palestinian women's peace organization, comprise "The Jerusalem Link".

Black Laudry
"Kvisa Shchora" (Black Laundry) is a direct action group of lesbians, gays and transgenders against the occupation and for social justice. Kvisa Shchora tries to stress the connection between different forms of oppression - our own oppression as lesbians, gays and transpeople enhances our solidarity with members of other oppressed groups.

Their site is largely in Hebrew, but there is some material in English. Sign up for their newsletter

Breaking the Silence
Since our discharge from the army, we all feel that we have become different. We feel that service in the occupied territories and the incidents we faced have distorted and harmed the moral values on which we grew up.
We all agree that as long as Israeli society keeps sending its best people to military combat service in the occupied territories, it is extremely important that all of us, Israeli citizens, know the price which the generation who is fighting in the territories is paying, the impossible situations it is facing, the insanity it is confronting everyday, and the heavy burden it bears after being discharged from the IDF – a heavy burden that hasn’t left us.
That’s why we decided to break the silence, because it’s time to tell. Time to tell about everything that goes on there each and every day.

Coalition of Women for Peace
The Coalition of Women for Peace is a mix of Jewish and Palestinian women (all citizens of Israel) who call upon Israel to end the occupation and negotiate a just solution. Coalition members: Bat Shalom, Neled, New Profile, NOGA, Machsom-Watch, Tandi, The Fifth Mother, WILPF, Women in Black.

Email: coalitionofwomen4peace.org

Commitment to Peace and Social Jusitce
Commitment to Peace and Social Justice (Mechuyavut in Hebrew) focuses on the crossroads where the peace and social justice agendas meet. We believe that the interdependence between these agendas in the struggle for a better and just society is vital for the success of each issue.

E-mail: commitment@commitment.org.il

Geneva Initiative
The Geneva Initiative (GI) is a joint Israeli-Palestinian effort that suggests a detailed model for a peace agreement to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict- proving that peace is possible, demonstrating that partners for peace do exist and are campaigning tirelessly to achieve that peace.

Green Line - Students draw the line Moribund?
The Green Line is a student movement who advocates an Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories; namely the dismantlement of all settlements and the establishment of a recognized border based upon the green-line (pre 67' border) with the necessary adjustments.

Gush Shalom
Gush Shalom (Translated from Hebrew, the name means "The Peace Bloc") is the hard core of the Israeli peace movement.

Often described as "resolute", "militant", "radical" or "consistent", it is known for its unwavering stand in times of crisis, such as the al-Aksa intifada.

For years now, Gush Shalom has played a leading role in determining the moral and political agenda of the peace forces in Israel, as well as in breaking the so-called "national consensus" based on misinformation.

Gush Shalom is an extra-parliamentary organization, independent of any party or other political grouping. Some of its activists do belong to political parties, but the Gush is not aligned to any particular party.

HaCampus Lo Shotek (the campus isn't silent)
A group based at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Their website is only in Hebrew.

Hadash - The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (DFPE)
[A political party (with 3 MKs) and a social movement.] The DFPE (HADASH in Hebrew) is a Jewish-Arab movement with rich and consistent experience in social and political struggles. The DFPE is composed of the Communist Party of Israel (established in 1919), local branches of the Front, and Jewish and Arab groups and individuals.The DFPE has three deputies in the Israeli parliament (Knesset) out of 120, a number of mayors, including the city of Nazareth, members of local councils, including Tel Aviv and Haifa and significant representation in the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor).

International Forum for Justice and Peace in Palestine [in the Netherlands]
The "International Forum For Justice and Peace in Palestine" is a network of people and institutions that strongly promotes co-existence of an Israeli and a Palestinian State in the present region. It intends to do so by non-violent means, primarily by sound information and publicity in the Western world, to stop the extremist minorities on both sides of the divide.
Email: info@just-peace.org: Contacts: Ben Smoes, Tanya M. Reinhart

International Women's Peace Service - Palestine (IWPS-Palestine)
The International Women's Peace Service - Palestine (IWPS-Palestine) is an international team of 16 women from 8 countries, 4 of whom are based at any one time in Hares, a village in the Salfit Governorate of Palestine's West Bank...IWPS will... support Palestinian and Israeli peace movements in their civil resistance to end the Occupation.
Email: IWPS-Palestine

Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families Forum for Peace
In 1994, following the abduction and murder of 19 years old Arik Frankenthal by Hammas terrorists, his father Yitzhak, founded the Parents Circle - an organization of bereaved parents who have lost their children to terrorism. It later expanded to include bereaved families who have lost a close relative, either by terrorism or in combat... Over 250 Israeli and nearly 200 Palestinian families who lost their cherished ones in combat or in an act of terror, are united in a movement that is spearheading social and political alternatives aimed at resolving this deadly conflict and to terminate the senseless loss of human life.
Email: The Parents' Circle

Mas'ha Coalition Against The Apartheid Wall
In March 28, 2003 there was a demonstration and march into the olive fields that were to be taken away from the village of Mas'ha (5,500 dunums out of the 6,000 dunums of the village's lands). At the end of the march, we've settled down in a camp. Originally we thought that we'd be evacuated right away, but we've managed to stay there until July (when the building of the wall made it impossible to carry water and supplies and we had to move to a new location). The camp has moved on since then.

Middle-East Nonviolence and Democracy (Mend)
Founded in October 1998 and based in Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem, Mend describes itself as having become the leading Palestinian nonviolence orgnaisation, with Nonviolence Centres in Nablus, Hebron, Ezzarieh, Jericho, Qalqilya, Ramallah and Tulkarem.
Contact Stephanie Julmy

MidEast Web for Coexistence
MidEast Web was started by people active in Middle East dialog and peace education efforts. Our goal is to weave a world-wide web of Arabs, Jews and others who want to build a new Middle East based on coexistence and neighborly relations.
Email: MidEast Web

OneVoice
OneVoice is a grassroots movement working with ordinary Israelis and Palestinians, deploying cutting edge technology, electronic democracy, a network of member organizations, and a broad cadre of experts, dignitaries, celebrities and spiritual leaders, to enable citizens to craft a public consensus around issues at the heart of the conflict. This Public Negotiations Process also educates people about the issues themselves as well as about non-violent means for conflict resolution. It aims to amplify the voice of the overwhelming but heretofore silent majority of moderates who wish for peace and prosperity, empowering them to demand accountability from elected representatives and ensure that the agenda is not hijacked by forces of militant absolutism.

Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy, Jerusalem (PCPD)
The Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy (PCPD) is a non-profit Palestinian NGO dedicate to promoting concepts of democracy, peace, social justice, human rights and civic education in the Palestinian areas. It was founded in August 1992 by a group of Palestinian intellectuals and professionals to create a forum for free and uncensored dialogue. The PCPD mobilizes support for a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between People (PCR) - International Solidarity Movement (ISM)
PCR is a Palestinian community service center with a global vision. The followings are PCR's areas of interest. Community service, Peace and reconsolidation, Action For Peace and Justice, Advocacy, advocating for peace and justice, Serving the Youth in Palestine. PCR believes in community-based work.
Email: PCR-ISM or visit the website of ISM-London.

Peace Now
PEACE NOW - the Israeli Peace Movement - was founded in 1978 by 348 reserve officers and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces. The first and only mass peace movement in Israel, PEACE NOW rapidly became the single most important extra-parliamentary force for peace in the country, attracting hundreds of thousands to its mass rallies and activities.

People's Voice, The
The People's Voice is a new Israeli-Palestinian civil initiative that aims to advance the process of achieving peace. The leaders of the initiative are Ami Ayalon and Dr. Sari Nusseibeh together with public councils and field activists.
Email: Mifkad

Ta'ayush [Arab Jewish Partnership]
In the fall of 2000 we joined together to form "Ta'ayush" (Arabic for "life in common"), a grassroots movement of Arabs and Jews working to break down the walls of racism and segregation by constructing a true Arab-Jewish partnership.
Email: Ta'ayush

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Founded in 1915 to protest the war then raging in EuropeS?WILPF, Israel, which has 20 members, has worked hand in hand with a large number of other organizations. We are an integral and active part of the Coalition of Women for Peace; a coalition of nine Israeli women's peace organizations which came into being in November of 2000. Within the Coalition, in addition to being WILPF members, we are active in Women in Black, Bat Shalom, Tandi, and Neled. We also help out in Women for Palestinian Women Prisoners. In addition we participate in the actions organized by Ta'ayush (Together) and the Peace Bloc, both of which are mixed, men and women. (All of the organizations with which we are associated have Israeli Jews and Israeli Palestinians as members.) The activities are aimed either toward the Israeli public or toward the Palestinians.

Women in Black
The international movement of Women in Black began in Israel in January 1988
Email: Gila Svirsky

Zochrot
We are a group of Israelis that aim to raise awareness to the tragedy and suffering of the Palestinian people, particularly among the Jewish population of Israel. Posting signs at demolished Palestinian villages is one way to advance this goal.

Zochrot is happy to announce [March 2005] that we have opened our new office, which will primarily serve as a Learning Center about the Nakba. The Learning Center will be geared toward a Hebrew-speaking audience but will also include materials in English, Arabic, and other languages. We will be happy to receive donations of learning materials that could enrich this center, such as books on the topic, pictures, atlases, testimonies, video and audio recordings, maps, artwork, lectures, presentations and more. We will also be happy to receive equipment such as a television set, VCR, DVD player, furniture, and the like. Financial donations are also welcome.

Visiting address: 13 Beit Oved St., first floor (with an elevator).
Mailing address: Zochrot, PO Box 52705, 13 Beit Oved St., Tel Aviv-Jaffa 67211.

Email: Eytan Bronstein

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page last updated 12 May, 2008