Middle East Peace Civic Forum

02/06/2026

We are raising funds to support our cutting-edge programs for the year, keeping the possibility of peace and transformation alive. From Critical Conversations to our podcast, Peace Tribe Rising, we are your champions to create a path forward and bring light to the future of the region.
Please donate to our campaign - your contribution makes a big difference!

Your gracious support enables our team to devote our energy to the important work of building peace. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference in our efforts to bring real transformation to the Palestinian-Israeli relationship. Our programs...

08/18/2025

A truth that needs to echo globally: Amplify the voices of women for peace! 📢🌍

MEPCF strives to create platforms for genuine understanding, empowering action, and amplifying voices critical for reconciliation and dignity. In the first 'Critical Conversations' episode, Yael Admi, passionately asserts a truth we champion and that resonates worldwide.

She emphasizes that the voices of women for peace should be heard universally. The impact of this statement is a powerful call to action: it's a strategic imperative for global peace. As the discussion highlights, women bring unique perspectives, unparalleled resilience, and concrete solutions to the table that are indispensable for achieving sustainable peace. For MEPCF, this message reinforces our dedication to ensuring these crucial voices resonate globally and actively shape future peace processes, building bridges for a more harmonious future.

How can we collectively support and amplify these voices? Share your ideas in the comments!

👉 Watch the full, essential dialogue and help spread this powerful message: Watch the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/live/3LRw8_EPYN8?si=EV-cH-RtJDy__AeF

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08/12/2025

At the Middle East Peace Civic Forum, we're big believers in the power of communication and language to shape our world. Frequently, language is used to describe or even to blame, but what if we saw it differently?

What if language was a creative tool? Through open communication and conversation, we can actually create our future. We get to create our world – one of reconciliation and shared vision. This isn't just a fantasy; it's real, personal, and feasible. The only difference between a dream and a tangible future is our willingness to put our hearts to it, take action, and follow through.

Join us in this quest for effective, loving communication that envisions a world where Israelis and Palestinians work together. Despite current challenges, we can envision it. There are countless examples of warm, loving relationships, friendships, and respect that already exist, both in the region and globally. Let's build on that.

Discover how language can build bridges and create a new reality. Join the conversation at mepcf.org.

08/10/2025

The superpower of peacebuilders. Can it bridge even the deepest divides?

At MEPCF, we believe that real progress in peacebuilding stems from creating safe and structured spaces for thoughtful, dignified dialogue. In our inaugural 'Critical Conversations' episode, Yael Admi, Co-Founder of Women Wage Peace, eloquently explains why women are often at the forefront of fostering crucial understanding and connection.

She emphasizes that a key ability is bringing empathy to each other, looking into eyes to truly grasp the deep feelings, dreams, and despairs of others. The meaning here is transformative: it's about listening with an open heart to find understanding and friendship, even amidst profound differences.

For MEPCF, this embodies our commitment to confronting challenges, acknowledging pain, and building genuine human connections as the bridge to a shared future. What does empathy mean to you in building a better world? Share below! 👇

👉 Tune in to watch the full insightful episode: [Watch the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/live/3LRw8_EPYN8?si=EV-cH-RtJDy__AeF

08/08/2025

Why are women uniquely positioned to lead the charge for peace?

In the very first episode of MEPCF's new Visions of Peace series, we dive deep into the unique perspectives women bring to peacebuilding. Hyam Tannous, Member of Women Wage Peace, articulates a profound truth about why women approach conflict resolution with a fundamentally different, life-affirming imperative.

Her insight highlights that the deep connection women have to nurturing life provides an inherent understanding of how to make peace and protect future generations. The impact of this perspective is profound: it reframes peace not just as a political strategy, but as a deeply human, compassionate drive rooted in safeguarding life.

For MEPCF, this emphasizes the essential role of diverse, human-centered voices in forging a shared, workable future.

👉 Watch the full, inspiring episode and join this vital dialogue: [Watch the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/live/3LRw8_EPYN8?si=EV-cH-RtJDy__AeF

07/31/2025

"Peace is weakness." It's a sentiment I've heard many times, but it’s one I strongly challenge. When confronted with this perspective, I always try to reframe the conversation. From my viewpoint, peace is actually a profound form of strength.

It's a strength that demands extraordinary courage, unwavering discipline, and absolute moral clarity. Pursuing peace isn't about ignoring threats or avoiding necessary action. Instead, it’s about making a deliberate, principled choice to navigate conflict differently.

I often point out that those who champion peace are frequently called into the most difficult and dangerous situations. Their role isn't to retreat, but to engage in a fundamentally different way. Actively pursuing peace doesn't equate to being passive or naive. On the contrary, it means having the fortitude to stand up for long-term solutions in a world that, all too often, defaults to the immediate gratification of short-term violence.

How do you define strength in the face of conflict?

- Larry Imberman - MEPCF Board Member

07/29/2025

What does peace really look like—on the ground, in real lives, and through the eyes of women living the reality of conflict?

Join us for the first part of Visions of Peace, a powerful live conversation between Palestinian and Israeli women from Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun. This series opens a rare space for honest dialogue, deep listening, and courageous truth-telling.

This is not a debate. It’s not diplomacy. It’s a chance to hear what peace means from those building it—one relationship, one truth, one vision at a time.

This is the first episode in MEPCF’s Critical Conversations series, designed to create thoughtful, structured dialogue across deep divides.

📅 July 30, 2025
🕛 12:00–13:30 EDT | 16:00–17:30 GMT | 19:00–20:30 Jerusalem
📍 Streaming live on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/

We hope you’ll join us—and listen differently.

07/28/2025

The Middle East Peace Civic Forum is proud to present Visions of Peace—a new 3-part Critical Conversations series.

This three-part series brings together women from across the Palestinian-Israeli context and beyond to engage in structured, honest dialogue about justice, coexistence, and the future of peace.

By centering female-led perspectives, Visions of Peace invites viewers into conversations that are often missing from mainstream peace efforts—conversations grounded in experience, truth-telling, and deep listening.

The series will stream live on our YouTube channel. We invite you to join us, listen in, and be part of this vital dialogue.

Watch live at: https://www.youtube.com/

07/27/2025

How central is the topic of religion in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Our latest Critical Conversation challenges some common perceptions. Our recently completed three-part series examined the topic of Religion, Conflict, and Peace and featured Islamic Sheikh Ghassan Manasra, Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, and Pastor Alex Charles.

In this impactful session, Sheikh Ghassan Manasra offers a crucial perspective on the conflict. He asserts that "The conflict is political, not religious. We must return to honest, human values."

Sheikh Ghassan highlights historical instances of cooperation and refuge, arguing that the current divisions are not inherently rooted in faith, but rather in political interpretations and actions. He passionately stresses the need to avoid politicizing religion and instead, to reconnect with fundamental human values that transcend religious boundaries.

This powerful insight invites us to re-evaluate how we understand and discuss complex global issues. By shifting our focus from religious blame to shared human principles, can we unlock new pathways to peace?

Tune into the full Critical Conversation to delve deeper into this thought-provoking discussion and explore diverse perspectives on religion, conflict, and peace.

Watch now! [https://www.youtube.com/live/ohbM1qsPlf0]

07/22/2025

Is it time to hit the reset button on conflict?

In our latest Critical Conversations series, Matt introduces a powerful idea that could change how we approach deeply rooted conflicts. He suggests that "Sometimes, we need a reset button to move forward."

This isn't about forgetting the past, but rather finding a way to move beyond entrenched pain and direct our energy toward a new path. Matthew explores how we can honor past sacrifices while actively building a respectful system for *all* people, regardless of their beliefs or history. It's a bold call to re-envision the future.

This perspective offers a fresh and hopeful lens on navigating complex issues in Israel and Palestine, and beyond. Imagine the possibilities if we collectively decided to push that reset button.

Tune into the full Critical Conversations episode to delve deeper into this transformative concept and other vital discussions on religion, conflict, and peace.

Watch now! https://youtu.be/GYBxiAkLTbw

07/20/2025

In our latest Critical Conversations series, Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger shares a profound truth that resonates with us all. He reminds us that "We are part of Adam's family, and we're also part of a smaller family. We often forget that."

Think about it: we're all part of the vast human family, but within that, we belong to specific groups, traditions, and communities. Rabbi Schlesinger explores how, sometimes, we focus so much on our universal connections that we overlook our unique heritage. Other times, we become so engrossed in our particular identity that we forget our shared humanity.

This isn't just an abstract idea; it's a critical balance that impacts how we understand ourselves and interact with others. When we lose sight of either our shared humanity or our unique roots, it can lead to misunderstanding and division.

Tune into the full Critical Conversations episode to delve deeper into this essential dialogue on religion, conflict, and peace in Israel and Palestine. Discover how these layers of identity profoundly impact our world.

Watch the whole episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/GYBxiAkLTbw

07/07/2025

MEPCF Statement on the Sanctity and Inherent Value of Every Human Life

”All Lives Are Precious”

We affirm the value of every human life, as seen through the unique lens of our own eyes and experience.

It is through our own unique perception that we get to experience the ups and downs of life and those cherished moments of connectedness.

In our relationships, we get to know one another, love each other with all our hearts, and commit to exploring one another’s experience and world.

And when it comes to those moments of magnificence that are hard to put into words, we all get to own that unique experience. It is the human life we were given.

We learn, grow, love, and stumble through this world together. We discover one another’s stories, nurture deep bonds, and share those moments of awe and wonder that defy language.

This is the miracle of human life.

Our life is our birthright, and our shared inheritance.

Life is a journey—through gardens of beauty and mazes of pain—shaped by the mysterious ebb and flow of nature and the choices we make.

We must ask: what terrible harm have we inflicted upon one another in this fragile human experiment?

In an age shaped by artificial intelligence, the question arises again: Are we ready to reclaim the inherent worth and sacredness of our humanity?

As we witness the devastation in the Middle East and across the globe, we—one of us of Jewish American heritage, the other of Palestinian heritage—come together in shared sorrow and mutual commitment.

We do not always agree.

We may not always understand each other's path.

But we affirm the shared dignity of all people.

We refuse to be prisoners of the past.

We are not bound by a straight line of vengeance, nor trapped in a circle of repetition. We get to move along an upward spiral of understanding, humility, and possibility.

Whether you count the years as 5785, 2025, or 1446, this moment belongs to all of us. We have agency. We have power. And we are called to use it wisely.

Let us pause, breathe, and reflect, and make space for one another to live, to speak, and to grow.

Join us in affirming the universal preciousness of life and in recognizing the spark of potential within every human being. Let us be agents of light, guided not by fear or retribution, but by discernment, courage, and compassion.

Together, we can shape a future worthy of every precious life on this Earth.