Peacebuilding voices must be amplified
By Michael Cohen
The Jerusalem Post
February 8, 2026
"…the bombastic, violent, and extreme capture our attention, paralyzing us…
"The reality of destruction, violence, and death along with the emotional and psychological toll people carry is overwhelming, particularly these past two years…
"But it is not the full picture.
"A vibrant ecosystem of Israelis and Palestinians working to overcome the status quo also exists. Civil society peacebuilding programs that enable Israelis and Palestinians to meet, discuss, and challenge together their hard reality…
"For too long, Israeli and Palestinian maximalists have held sway, leaving no room for the needed compromise located in that space…
"We must decide to amplify the powerful transformative work of those Palestinians and Israelis working to move the conversation from confrontation to solution…
"Related, the Trump administration could release $50 million of Middle East Peace Partners Act (MEPPA) funding passed by bipartisan efforts in Congress, and Congress could vote to continue to fund MEPPA and other related initiatives...
"Ghassan Hammad, a Palestinian alum of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, where for 30 years Israeli and Palestinian college students and researchers have worked together, put it well when he wrote this:
"'Let us not pass our trauma to our children like a sword. Let us mirror something else, something brave and tender. Let us be the people that choose differently.'"
Michael M. Cohen is the director of community relations for the Friends of the Arava Institute and served on the Partnership for Peace Fund Advisory Board established through a bipartisan act of Congress.
About Heart of a Nation
Empowering the next generation of American, Israeli, and Palestinian change-makers to embrace better, together.
אנחנו מכנסים הוגים מובילים, פעילים חברתיים, ומחוללי שינוי לעתיד, אמריקאים, ישראלים ופלסטינאים, המחויבים לשיפור החברות שלהם.
نحن أمريكيون وإسرائيليون وفلسطينيون نبني ونكوّن روابط من أجل التعلم والتفكير والمشاركة معًا حتى نشجع الحلول التقدمية بشأن القضايا التي تهمنا جميعًا.