Palestine and Israel: Improving Civil Society Peacebuilding Strategies, Design and Impact

Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territorities – Palestine – have seen one of the most  extensive investments in conflict resolution and transformation, nonviolence, people-to-people projects, and peace education programs of nearly any region in the world. While many individual projects and activities have contributed to meaningful and important change, the overall impact has been substantially less than that which has been hoped for by peace building organizations and donors involved in this work. The building of the separation wall / fence, the war in Gaza, continuing expansion of settlements and continued violence both within and between Palestine and Israel have all taken place – and indeed escalated and intensified – during this period of ‘investment in peace’. Strategic analysis of the Palestine – Israel conflict and evaluation of the strategies and programmes designed to address it give clear indications why, and key lessons which need to be learned by anyone – policy maker, practitioner, political leader or private citizen – who is interested in contributing to a just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel which will guarantee the legitimate needs and interests of both peoples.