April 30th, 2026 — TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
Several Abrahamic Reunion Young Peacebuilders traveled to attend the “It’s Time Coalition” 2026 People’s Peace Summit. Or Akta, Yeshua Israel Ben David, and Roei Kleitman represented Abrahamic Reunion at the conference, and Roei was invited to speak to the plenum about his own work with other youth in “protective presence,” where Israeli Jewish young peacebuilders draw on their own religious values to stand with Palestinians whose land is being illegally encroached on. — Chris Miller
Roei Klitman (Abrahamic Reunion): “As a person who grew up on the knees of the Torah and commandments, it pains me in the flesh to see what the symbols most dear to me have come to represent in the field. A Palestinian child who bursts into tears at the sight of a religious Jew is a severe desecration of God’s name.”
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The People’s Peace Summit 2026 transformed Expo Tel Aviv into a historic center for Jewish-Arab solidarity, gathering over 6,000 participants in a powerful demonstration of shared humanity. As the largest event of its kind in decades, Expo TLV became a space where activists, families, and community leaders from across the region converged to demand a fundamental shift in the political landscape. The daytime program was characterized by intensive dialogue, with 25 different workshops and panels covering topics from grassroots organizing to the role of art in conflict transformation, allowing participants to build deep personal connections and practical strategies for a peaceful future.
MK Ayman Odeh: “For war, we do not need Jewish-Arab partnership. But for peace, we must have Jewish-Arab partnership, and we are realizing it here. The last day of the occupation will be the first day of peace.”
Maoz Inon: “Peace is not a fantasy. It is a state where I live in total security that what happened to my family will not happen again. We choose a culture of forgiveness and dialogue because hope is something you do, not something you wait for.”
The energy shifted in the evening as thousands filled the arena for the main plenary session, centered on the theme of “Radical Hope.” This was not just a gathering of like-minded individuals, but a strategic political assembly held ahead of the 2026 elections. The stage featured a diverse array of voices, including bereaved families who shared testimonies of choosing reconciliation over revenge, and youth leaders who articulated a vision for a society where security is a shared right rather than a zero-sum game. The atmosphere was charged with a sense of urgency, calling for a permanent ceasefire and a definitive political settlement.
Michal Halev: “I decided to turn my pain into a force for peace. I do not want any more mothers, Jewish or Palestinian, to feel the hollow emptiness that I feel. My son’s memory calls for life, not more death and revenge.”
Ahmed Helou: “I have lost 60 members of my family in Gaza. I stand here to say that I do not want to see any more children in Gaza or Israel dying. We must acknowledge that we are all humans with the same right to live in dignity.”
One of the most significant moments of the summit was the formal pledge from various political leaders and Knesset members to prioritize a Jewish-Arab partnership in the upcoming electoral cycle. This commitment moved the peace discourse from the margins back into the center of the public square, asserting that a political resolution is the only pragmatic path to safety for everyone living between the river and the sea. The event concluded with a resonant interfaith ceremony and musical performances, leaving the thousands in attendance with a unified sense of purpose and a clear mandate for mobilization.
Samaa Salaime: “We refuse to be enemies. We refuse to let the pain define us as separate. We are one society, and our presence here today is the proof that a shared future is the only future possible for our children.”
Ghadir Hani: “As a Muslim woman, our moral and religious duty is to do everything in our power to live in peace with one another. We are here to say that the era of silence is over and the era of partnership has begun.”
Rabbinit Avital Hochstein: “I stand here alongside leaders of other religions to make room for a Judaism of justice and peace for all people, who were all created in the image of G-d.”
Click here to watch the keynote speeches, with translation in the captions: https://www.youtube.com/live/Z6nOTkXzQHI
Link to News Articles or Media about the program:
- The Forward: ‘Don’t give up on us now’: Israel peace summit convenes thousands to aim for elusive progress
- Jewish News UK: Thousands join Tel Aviv peace summit as activists push for post-war political reset
- The Straits Times (AFP): Israel’s peace activists gather amid dimming hope at Expo Tel Aviv
- Ynet (Hebrew): France’s Foreign Minister announces peace summit at People’s Peace Summit in Tel Aviv
- Maariv (Hebrew): Political leaders and thousands of activists gather for the People’s Peace Summit at Expo Tel Aviv
- Official Live Stream: Full Recording of the People’s Peace Summit 2026 – Expo Tel Aviv
Event Partner Organizations:
- Standing Together (עומדים ביחד)
- Women Wage Peace (נשים עושות שלום)
- Zazim — Community Action (זזים — קהילה פועלת)
- Mehazkim (מחזקים)
- New Israel Fund (NIF) & Shatil
- The Parents Circle-Families Forum (פורום המשפחות השכולות)
- Peace Now (שלום עכשיו)
- Breaking the Silence (שוברים שתיקה)
- Combatants for Peace (לוחמים לשלום)
- Rabbis for Human Rights (רבנים למען זכויות אדם)
- The Abraham Initiatives (יוזמות אברהם)
- ALLMEP (Alliance for Middle East Peace)
- A Land for All (ארץ לכולם)
- Search for Common Ground
- Forum of Israeli Peace NGOs
- Mizrahi Civic
- The Peace Partnership (שותפות השלום)
- And more…
Report by Or Akta, AR Programs Administrative Assistant. Or lives in Haifa and is studying at the University of Haifa, while engaging in peacebuilding and dialogue through multiple efforts, and attending the AR’s Young Peacebuilder’s Training as part of our first 3-year cohort, including the residency in Wetzlar, Germany.