DOZENS of Israelis and Palestinians are fighting to end an “us vs them” mentality by coming together every week in a rare joint protest against the genocide in Gaza.
The silent protest in Beit Jala in the West Bank is organised by the grassroots movement Combatants for Peace (CfP) and has been running for the past month as Israel’s assault on Gaza rages on.
What makes these demonstrations so rare is the unusually high participation rate of Palestinians, with them making up roughly a third of the protesters.
Joint demonstrations between the two sides are extremely rare, and when they do happen, the participation of Palestinians is typically minimal.
But CfP co-director Rana Salman – who is based in Bethlehem – and Tel Aviv-based programme manager Mia Biran have said they are aiming to deliver a message that a shared, peaceful future is possible.
Biran, who calls her job at CfP a “light in the dark”, told the Sunday National: “Every human being should resist any genocide committed, let alone Jewish people who have experienced genocide.
“For me, it’s unthinkable we’re [Israel] doing it. I’m third generation from Holocaust survivors and I feel shame on a daily basis. I cannot believe this is happening, and that a big part of my people are supporting it or are just completely indifferent.
“So, it’s super important we voice another message to say as human beings we cannot accept it. We cannot accept the killing of that many people.
“We have protested specifically about the killing of children and journalists too. This can’t be the way.”
Salman explained it is the only joint protest in the West Bank that has been organised since October 7, and she believes they are gradually breaking down a feeling of fear many Palestinians have about demonstrating with Israelis.
“With these protests, we’ve started to break that feeling of fear, just to come out and be together. Every week, more people join, it’s growing, and it gives a different image for both societies.
“It’s very rare for Palestinians to see a different image of an Israeli, standing in solidarity and rejecting what is happening in Gaza, calling it a genocide and demanding an end to the war.
“I think it’s the same for Israelis. There are not so many opportunities to meet and to have this kind of space where we can come together and have dialogue or do joint initiatives.
“We are sending a message [that] there is another way and we don’t want to continue with this thinking of us vs them. We need to come together and find a political solution that guarantees both people can live in this place we all call homeland.”
More than 60,000 Palestinians have now been killed by Israeli forces since October 7, 2023.
The CfP demonstration takes place every Thursday or Friday at a busy roundabout in the Area C section of Beit Jala, where it is possible for Israelis and Palestinians to meet.
The joint nature of the protests has presented opportunities for both sides to feel more comfortable demonstrating.
Salman explained that Palestinian activists feel more secure because Israeli activists can protect them if violent settlers or members of the Israeli military approach them.
She said: “We can support each other in case there are any confrontations with the Israeli army or violent settlers. Our Israeli activists are usually on the frontlines protecting the Palestinian activists in these situations.
“There was one event where a violent settler got out of the car and started screaming at the activists.”
“For me, it’s hard to find myself in these protests [in Israel] where I cannot really speak up,” she said.
“For us, it’s an opportunity to actually find our partners and speak the same language. For so many years we’ve been told we don’t have a partner […] but when people come to these protests, we realise these are our partners, these activists that are Palestinians, and we are fighting together towards a common goal.”
Salman added: “We are embodying the future we want to see happen.”
Last week, Combatants for Peace organised a women-only protest to build on the message of an alternative future, with around 60 people attending.
“Women represent a huge alternative to the dominant voice that is causing all that pain now,” said Biran.
“We have a huge government of mostly very militant men, and even the few women are hyper-militant and racist.
“Only women holding signs with words that convey our messages, this is something so different. The experience of this protest is the embodiment of the future we are wishing for.”
Biran added that not only are these protests about conveying that Israelis and Palestinians can stand together in peace, but she hopes they will act as a cry for help.
“Please help us make it stop. This is our call to the world,” she said.
