Published: 18 June 2025
Last updated: 19 June 2025
Thursday: A suitcase full of hope
I left Jerusalem on Thursday, June 12 with a suitcase full of hope and a heart weighed down by the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza that has no end in sight.
I had been invited by the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) to attend the Paris Peace Summit. The aim of the summit was to bring together leading civil society actors, mostly Israeli and Palestinian, “united in their commitment to promoting the two-state solution and a shared future based on mutual recognition, peace, and security for all.”
The Arkia flight to Paris from Tel Aviv was remarkable. The plane was filled with hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians, many of whom are close friends who work in over 180 member organisations of ALLMEP. As soon as the seatbelt sign turned off, many people stood up and began conversations across aisles on everything from our feelings about the rushed planning of the trip to discussing political ideas about how to end the suffering in Gaza.
Comments5
Elaine Bousfield20 June at 10:50 am
Thank you for sharing this Ittay. It is good to know that there are people like you and your colleagues working for peace.
Danielle Lamovie20 June at 07:20 am
Thank you for the important work that you do and for sharing your personal story. Shabbat Shalom
Johnny Cash19 June at 05:40 pm
Out of interest, of the folks there from Gaza, how many of them referenced the immediate release of the hostages as a pathway to achieving an end to the war?
Lyn Jones19 June at 08:23 am
What valuable work you’re doing for peace. What an inspiration this group is! Yes it consumes time – and it will take time. However, so pleased that you were eventually reunited with your children in Israel. Take care.
Di Hirsh19 June at 01:44 am
So pleased to hear you are safely reunited with your kids. I hope Macron uses this opportunity to advance peace. Stay safe