Feminist Peace Initiative: Israel-Palestine: Sustaining feminist dialogue

For the first time in a decade, Jewish Israeli and Palestinian feminists who hold Israeli citizenship came together to reflect on the past years, share analysis and imagine alternative nonviolent futures. In the shadow of two years of devastating war on Gaza and the ongoing regional war in the Middle East, the discussions were often difficult and painful. But they also led participants to the conclusion that spaces for feminist political discussions are “not a luxury but a necessity”.  We supported this gathering with our Feminist Peace Initiatives.

For the first time in a long time, I didn't have to choose my words carefully. I could just say what I think, in my own language, without worrying about how it would land. That felt like a gift.

After multiple postponements due to the ongoing armed violence, 120 Jewish Israeli women and Palestinian women who hold Israeli citizenship gathered on 17 May 2026 in Nazareth, the largest Palestinian-majority city inside Israel, for the conference “Advancing feminist peace in a time of genocide and fascism”. The organisations Isha L'Isha - Haifa Feminist Center and Women Against Violence initiated and led the gathering in collaboration with partners including Al-Tufula, Tandi, Tishreen and New Profile.

Feminist activists, human rights defenders, academics, journalists, lawyers, artists and women in local leadership roles from Palestinian and Jewish communities gathered at the conference. It was held in Arabic and Hebrew in a space designed to provide the safety needed to engage freely and without self-censorship. The discussions moved from critical feminist reflection to political analysis, artistic expression and forward-looking dialogue. 

“Peace” without feminist perspectives

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict stands at a pivotal juncture as institutional actors negotiate the terms of "peace" at the exclusion of women’s and feminist perspectives and involvement. Opportunities for Palestinians and Israelis to engage in meaningful dialogue, grounded in lived experience, mutual care and political accountability, have become increasingly rare over the past 10 years, even more so after Hamas’ attack on 7 October 2023 and Israel’s subsequent military campaign against Gaza.

Since then, political organising and activism in Israel have been marked by deepening fragmentation and polarisation. Feminist activists committed to justice and equality are left with few collective spaces to reflect on the past years, share analysis and imagine alternative futures. Feminist struggles – particularly those that cross national, ethnic and political boundaries – are perceived by many in Israel as threats rather than necessities.

During the gathering, it became evident that Palestinian women face profound challenges in sustaining dialogue with Jewish Israeli women, particularly in the face of rising authoritarianism and the ongoing discrimination of Palestinians in Israel. At the same time, Jewish Israeli women’s differing standpoint as members of an occupying power came into sharp focus. This standpoint contrasted with that of Palestinian women in Israel and elsewhere, who experience both gendered oppression and the collective oppression of their people.

Disagreements and painful questions

Difficult and sometimes painful questions were raised. Disagreements emerged about the very nature of a feminist space in such period of violence and polarisation. And yet, participants did not doubt the necessity of creating and maintaining such a space. A Palestinian participant said: "For the first time in a long time, I didn't have to choose my words carefully. I could just say what I think, in my own language, without worrying about how it would land. That felt like a gift.”

This gathering aimed at and managed to:

• create an inclusive feminist space for dialogue, critical reflection and collective learning that supports women's engagement in peacebuilding.

• strengthen feminist solidarity and collaboration among Palestinian feminists who hold Israeli citizenship and Jewish Israelis feminists committed to justice, equality and resistance to authoritarian and exclusionary practices.

• amplify diverse feminist voices that advocate for a shared life and interconnected future, mutual recognition, and social and political justice that will influence civil society discourse for a future feminist peace.

"The conference made clear that the conversation about what peace means – and what needs to fundamentally change in order to achieve it – is far from over,” a participant said. “If anything, the depth of the discussions and the hunger of participants to continue reinforced that this kind of feminist political space is not a luxury but a necessity."

Reaching a wider audience

A book in Hebrew and Arabic will collect women’s conclusions and the feminist voices and analyses generated at the conference to reach a wider audience. The gathering also laid a solid foundation for Isha L’Isha’s women’s peacebuilding course (summer 2026). Up to 20 women from diverse backgrounds will deepen their feminist knowledge and understanding of analytical tools for peace processes. Looking to the long term, the gathering contributed to rebuilding feminist political infrastructure at a time when such shared spaces are shrinking. (July 2026)

About our Palestine/Israel programme

The conference made clear that the conversation about what peace means – and what needs to fundamentally change in order to achieve it – is far from over. If anything, the depth of the discussions and the hunger of participants to continue reinforced that this kind of feminist political space is not a luxury but a necessity.