Dear Khani,  

The first month of the year has brought mixed emotions and challenges. We held our breath as the long-awaited ceasefire was announced. It was a moment of cautious relief as we witnessed Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners reunited with their loved ones - a long-overdue reunion reflecting the pain and hope that remain.

Our relief was quickly met with alarm. At the onset of the ceasefire, settler and military violence in the West Bank escalated, accompanied by Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on violent settlers. In less than two weeks, the Israeli military has installed 878 new checkpoints, further restricting movement and uprooting Palestinians from cities like Jenin. Just two days ago, the Israeli army forcibly expelled a CfP activist and his family from their home in Tulkarm so they could use it as a barracks.

Though we cannot predict what tomorrow will bring, we are certain: the movement is ready for the difficult work required, we will remain together, and we are dedicated to the long road ahead.

This month in the US, we’ve been diligently spreading the message that another way is imperative and possible. Along with AFCFP, CfP Palestinian activist Mai Shahin and Israeli activist Iris Gur are currently in NYC leading community events, speaking with students, and meeting with the United Nations.

On January 23, we gathered at Judson Memorial Church for a screening of There Is Another Way, a powerful documentary that tells the story of CfP in the wake of October 7, 2023. The evening featured Director and Producer, Stephen Apkon and Marcina Hale, alongside Mai and Iris. AFCFP Board President Gili Getz shared, “This was a space for re-humanization rooted in another way where the needs, rights, and safety of all people come first. We refuse to surrender to systems of supremacy, violence, and hate.”

Students and faculty at Princeton and Columbia universities hosted screenings this week. During an audience Q&A, Mai and Iris were asked how the movement persists, given that both Israelis and Palestinians like them are “the minority.” Mai's response impacted us all: "We need to change the way we think and speak. We are not the minority. Deep within every human is a longing for dignity and equality. We represent the majority. Normalize our existence, normalize seeing us together--Palestinians and Israelis. It's time to see us as one, united in our humanity."

Yesterday, in partnership with the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Section of the United Nations Department of Peace Operations, fourteen CfP activists participated in an intimate international peer exchange with ex-combatants from El Salvador, Colombia, Georgia, Abkhazia, and Northern Ireland.

CfP Co-Founder Avner Wishnitzer reflected, “The meeting was something we have been talking about for almost 15 years. Listening to activists from other countries, we were struck by the commonalities in the way many of us were drawn into armed conflicts. For all of us, recognition of its terrible price and seeing the very humanness of the enemy sent us on an alternative path. I hope today's meeting was a first step towards creating a global network of ex-combatants who share our belief in non-violent struggle for peace and justice.” 

CfP Co-Founder Souli Khatib shared, “Meeting with ex-combatants from around the globe was a long-held dream come true. It reminded me that we're not alone in this struggle. As we shared our stories of transformation and the journey of dehumanization to rehumanization, I found so many similarities. Speaking with those from post-conflict zones gave me hope and renewed my commitment to our nonviolent fight for collective liberation."

AFCFP board member Elik Elhanan added, “Today’s meeting highlighted both the specificity and potential of CfP’s work. The conversations we had with peers from around the world revealed common ground in our experiences and the uniqueness of our model of reconciliation and joint nonviolent resistance. The warm and enthusiastic reception we received reinforces the urgent need for a concrete message of hope like ours.”

Following the peer exchange, Mai and Iris spoke at a UN press conference. Click here to watch.

Finally, next week the entire AFCFP’s will travel to the land, marking our first in-person visit in almost two years. We will join a three-day collective grief gathering in the desert, before leading a Sacred Witness journey with fifteen diverse leaders from the US. This mindful journey is undertaken to strengthen peacemakers in Palestine and Israel who are co-resisting and co-creating in this historic time. We will also explore our role in working as their partners and growing the global movement for collective liberation here at home. 

Throughout our travels we will think of you, knowing the movement is only possible because of your support. You are a part of all that we do, and your investment and solidarity bring the future that we seek into the present.

Now is the time to act. Let's grow our movement.

American Friends of Combatants for Peace

48 Wall Street, Suite 1100
New York, NY 10005
United States

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