About the Ceremony
The Joint Memorial Day Ceremony, organized by Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle – Families Forum, is the largest Israeli-Palestinian jointly organized peace event in history. The Joint Memorial Ceremony provides a unique opportunity for Israelis and Palestinians to grieve together and stand strong in demanding an end to the occupation and ongoing violence. The ceremony occurs yearly on the eve of Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Memorial Day). In Israeli mainstream culture, the ceremonies that are most often held to honor this day serve to reinforce cultural narratives of pain, victimhood, and hopelessness. The Joint Memorial transforms this narrative by bringing Palestinians to the Memorial alongside Israelis to mourn side by side and model another way forward.
It was an honor to be together online yesterday for the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Memorial Day Ceremony. We are grateful to the thousands who joined us from all over the world. There were over 200 satellite ceremonies in Israel and Palestine, approximately 175 in the US, and many more in South Africa, France, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Afghanistan, Spain, the UK, Australia, Japan, Ireland, Canada, and more.
As many of you know, despite our efforts to safeguard the event, the Combatants for Peace YouTube channel appears to have been hacked and we are investigating what happened. Despite this, Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle-Families Forum were able to broadcast via Facebook and regained access to YouTube.
AFCFP board president, Gili Getz, reflected on the ceremony: “Drowning in darkness and despair, we came together to mourn with the families of Israelis and Palestinians who lost members to violence. We gathered in Beit Jala because our Palestinian partners do not have permits to travel to Tel Aviv to be at the ceremony. It is clear that they are trying to keep us apart. Despite these obstacles, our faith is in each other, and our path is grounded in humanity. We all call this land home, and we believe supremacy, violence, fanaticism, occupation, and oppression are not the way. They will not keep anyone free or safe. The movement holds a sacred space for me. It gives me light, hope, and air. It is difficult for both societies to accept this path, but it’s a path that we believe in. We are a reference point to all who seek another way: the path of peace rather than separation and hate. We should all be able to thrive in this sacred land together. I’m filled with deep gratitude to all the hard work, care, and love so many Palestinians and Israelis put in to make this happen during these extremely challenging times. And to our supporters all over the world who watched the ceremony in solidarity at hundreds of events.”
Immediately following the Ceremony, AFCFP and American Friends of the Parents Circle - Families Forum hosted a powerful conversation with bereaved Palestinian, Musa Juma’a and bereaved Israeli, Maoz Inon. You can watch the recording here.