Combatants for peace: Israelis and Palestinians fighting extremism together

The intractable conflict between Israel and Hamas over territory, settlements, blockades and terror strikes can give outsiders the impression of a desperate situation.

With no firm political, two-state solution in sight, will ordinary peaceful Israelis and Palestinians ever return to the kind of normal lives that we in the UK take for granted?

One group that wants to be part of that solution is Combatants for Peace (the UK division web page is here), a group of Israelis and Palestinians that campaigns for an end to violence. In their words, they have "decided to put down our guns, and to fight for peace."

The group was in London last night for an event at the Frontline to talk about their work and their stories. Idan Meir, Muneer Hamdan, Malaka Samara and Neta Osnat all spoke movingly about their personal experiences of how violence – from both sides of the divide – had split familes apart, killed loved ones and driven communities apart.

It’s not easy to re-tell these stories, so why not watch our video of the event and see for yourself:

CfP is keen to hear from potential supporters or anyone that would like to get involved. Contact Ben Yeger on [email protected]