This month we ran two delegations to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The first, a delegation of six British Members of Parliament, and the second, a group of 11 British Rabbis – the first Yachad delegation of its kind.
The purpose of these delegations is to give the broadest possible picture of the situation on the ground, in particular taking into account the current environment post October 7th. We want participants to understand the narratives of Israelis and Palestinians impacted by the October 7th attack, the war between Israel and Hamas, and settler violence. We also want to ensure that we hear from people who are actively working towards resolutions – peace builders, policymakers, activists and experts. The aim of our delegations is to make sure that the conflict is better understood, and that the participant work on return, in their relevant spheres in parliament or the Jewish community, to build support for a new reality in the region that is based on long term political resolution.
Some of the places we visited and people we met with included:
- We visited Israelis in the South of Israel on the Gaza border who told us about their experience on October 7th, showed us the destruction and shared their accounts of the horrific events of that day. Many of the people living in Southern Israel were and are active in the peace camp, and despite everything they lost and experienced, so many people shared their hope and vision for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.
- We also met with hostage families who are fighting to bring their loved ones home. This is a particularly challenging time for many families – currently 59 hostages remain in Gaza and there is no clarity on whether the ceasefire and hostage deal will continue. Further, we saw the return of the bodies of Oded Lifschitz and the Bibas family – Shiri, Ariel and Kfir. Their deaths were mourned by the entire nation.
- We spoke with policy and political experts who gave us insights into Israeli and Palestinian societies, challenges and thought-provoking ideas on societal and political change required on both sides in order to change the situation, and discussed with them what role they see for those in the UK who want to support change.
- We met with aid agencies delivering life saving aid into Gaza to discuss the extremely grave challenges they are facing even in the context of a ceasefire.
- We visited different communities in the West Bank that are affected by settler violence and the occupation, including in the South Hebron Hills, Hebron, Taybeh and more. We saw first hand how Palestinian communities are impacted by the ongoing occupation which places huge restrictions on freedom of movement and basic rights for Palestinians. We also saw the impact of settler violence which has increased significantly over the past 16 months – and our groups unfortunately were also confronted by violent and threatening settlers on several occasions.
- Our MP delegation met with officials in Ramallah. It was interesting to hear first hand on the frustration of how the Palestinian Authority has been weakened over the years, including through financial restrictions, which put the PA at risk of collapse – something that would cause huge upheaval in the region.
- We also met with Democrat MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv, who was very critical of Netanyahu’s government choice to strengthen Hamas and refuse to work with the PA, whilst also reflecting on serious threats to Israel’s security. He spoke to our rabbis’ delegation in depth about the importance of diaspora leaders supporting Israel’s movement for democracy and the peace camp.
MPs meeting with Yotam Cohen, brother of Nimrod Cohen who is being held hostage in Gaza.
MPs meeting with the Jerusalem Consul General, Helen Winterton.
MPs meeting with Nasser, a Palestinian living in the South Hebron Hills.
Rabbi delegation meeting with Israeli Labor Member of Knesset, Gilad Kariv.
Rabbi delegation meeting with Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills.