GazEl 4 Peace

Palestinian-Israeli Coexistence in the Middle East
A discussion with Soumya Bashir, Israel and Houssam Khadra, Gaza

17 June– De Balie, Amsterdam

Join us for an inspiring conversation and discussion with two Palestinian peace activists from Israel and Gaza. Sumaya and Sam will share their personal stories of living with war in Israel and Gaza and their activities for peace.

Somaya Bashir, an Arab-Israeli Muslim, is a mother of five children, 4 daughters and a son. Somaya is a social and political activist who served in the Israeli parliament. Somaya advocates and fights against racism and extremism in Israel in several movements including Women for Peace.

Houssam Khadra is a Palestinian from Gaza, a father of two children in Egypt and a baby in Paris. Houssam is a journalist reporting from Gaza for Egyptian newspapers. Sam started his youth with a Hamas education and is now a peace activist preaching against terror and extremists. https://raseef22.net/english/author/1067996-houssam-khadra

In the Netherlands Houssam and Somaya will discuss the way for Arabs and Jews to live together in the Middle East.

All are welcome.

Visiting plan:
- 16-6 Universities
- 17-6 Amsterdam (drawing exhibition) + De Balie
- 18-6 University and Parliament
Shaping a Hopeful Future
The exhibition creates a lasting impact by raising awareness and sparking dialogue about the need to listen to one another with mutual understanding.

Shaping a Hopeful Future is a unique exhibition that combines the creative expressions of children from Israel and Gaza. This exhibition aims to amplify the voices of children from Israel and Gaza and provide a platform for their dreams and visions for a peaceful future through drawings and texts.

The Exhibition

Participating children made the drawings below. Click on each image to read more about its description, inspiration, and reflections.
Team:
- Marwa (Gaza)
- Hadeel Abu Johar (Israel)
- Tamar Kurzer (Netherlands)
- Erga Netz (Netherlands)
- Vered Raz (Netherlands)

Newsletter #1

Welcome!
Welcome to the very first newsletter of GazEl 4 peace, formerly known as Freedom and Peace. We have been working hard behind the scenes to build the foundation. In this edition, we provide an overview of what we stand for and our ongoing projects. Enjoy reading!

Name Change Announcement
We are proud to announce that our foundation has undergone a name change. As of March, we will be known as GazEl 4 Peace. This change better reflects our mission and values. The name GazEl is made up of Gaza and Israel and sounds like Gazelle, the desert-dwelling wild animal that symbolizes the ability to leap over obstacles while striving for freedom, supported by the strength and unity of the community. We also have a new logo, created by Inbal Tur-Shalom and Yuval Harel.

What We Stand For
GazEl 4 Peace is a foundation under formation and seeks to build a common future of hope through mutual understanding, empathy, and cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis who agree on dialogue. We cannot change history – but together we can build a hopeful common future, based on mutual respect. Check our website (which is still under construction) for more details: GazEl4Peace – Together for freedom and trust. We welcome any WordPress volunteer to help us develop and maintain the website.

Current Projects
Peace voices from Gaza and Israel – a dialogue.
Since Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israeli civilians and the war in Gaza that killed civilians and made life in Gaza desperate, voices for coexistence are the only hope for a future in this area. GazEl for Peace provides a platform for these voices.
Somaya Bashir is a mother and a civil and political activist who works for coexistence between Palestinians and Jews in Israel. Houssam Khadra is a Palestinian journalist from Gaza who writes for newspapers in Egypt and the Arab world.They will discuss their experiences of Palestinian-Jewish coexistence in Israel and Gaza before and after 2006, the pain on both sides after October 7, followed by their vision and hopes for coexistence.Shaping a Hopeful Future

Shaping a Hopeful Future
is a unique exhibition that combines the creative expressions of children from Israel and Gaza. This exhibition aims to amplify the voices of children from Israel and Gaza and to provide a platform for their dreams and visions for a peaceful future through drawings and texts.”Shaping a Hopeful Future” creates a lasting impact by raising awareness and sparking dialogue about the need to listen to one another with mutual understanding. More information regarding dates of the exhibition will be posted on our website:
Shaping a Hopeful Future – GazEl4Peace

Projects under development:
1. Writing together: Gazans and Israelis.
2. Women for women. Processing trauma is a personal challenge, but no woman has to face it alone. Guided by Wisam from Ramallah, Dutch, Palestinian and Israeli women come together to foster support and self-compassion.

We are always looking for people to participate, please contact us (info@gazel4peace.com) if you are interested.

We need your help!
We are a community-based initiative. If you want to get involved in present or future activities or you have an idea for a project and are looking for partners, please write to us at info@gazel4peace.com

We specifically are looking for people who can help with:
– Building and changing the website (Word Press).
– Finding locations for our activities (meetings, lectures, exhibitions, etc).
– Content managers for the website

We are always looking for funding to support our projects.

Want to help us continue our important work?
Please contact us at info@gazel4peace.com. Together, we can build bridges and make a lasting impact.

Website: GazEl4Peace – Together for freedom and trust – still under construction.

Read about our board members on our website:.About Us – GazEl4Peace
Our mailing address is:
info@gazel4peace.com
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Voices of Peace

Voices of Peace brings two Arab peace activists from Israel and Gaza for a dialogue in the Netherlands. They will unfold personal stories living with war in Israel and Gaza and their activities for Peace.

Soumya Bashir, an Arab-Israeli Muslim, is a mother of five, 4 daughters and a son. Somaya is a social and political activist who served in the Israeli parliament. Among her social-political activities are founding the We Have No Other Country group bringing social partnership between Arabs and Jews in Israel, the Insan Association for the Rights of the Underprivileged Populations, and the coordinator of the Women Rage Peace society. In her activities, Somaya advocates for Arabs as full-fledged Israeli citizens and fights against racism and extremism in Israel.

Houssam (Sam) Khadra is a Gazan Palestinian, a father of three: two kids in Egypt and a little baby in Paris. Sam is an actor, and a journalist for an Egyptian newspaper reporting from Gaza. Sam started his youth under Hamas education and now is a peace activist preaching against terror and extremism.
Publications by our members

Gaza wünscht sich keinen Krieg

Mohammed Altlooli | gew-hb | 16 November 2023

Hamas Tortured Me for Dissent. Here’s What They Really Think of Palestinians

Hamza Howidy | newsweek | 2 January 2024

Message From a Gazan to Campus Protesters: You’re Hurting the Palestinian Cause

Hamza Howidy | newsweek | 26 April 2024
Relevant Publications

Palestijn Mohammed (31) vecht tegen Hamas: ’Veel Gazanen steunen terreur helemaal niet’

Silvan Schoonhoven | De Telegraaf | 11 june 2024

Mohammed Altlooli kommt aus Gaza und kämpft gegen die Hamas

Lea Wolters und Ahmad Alkhaled | belltower news | 12 February 2024

Na staakt-het-vuren is het tijd voor een (nieuw) sociaal contract tussen Israël en Palestina

Rutger van Eijken | bnnvara | 21 May 2021

Vrouwen in Gaza richten hun hoop (werk!) op Israël – een nieuwe column van Bas Belder

Joop Soesan | israel nieuws nl | 17 aug 2022

Palestijnse vredesactivist gemarteld door Hamas en gedwongen te scheiden

CIDI | 1 April 2021

Gaza man: After lengthy torture, Hamas forced me to divorce

FARES AKRAM | ap news | 1 April 2021

Hamas convicts releases activists who held zoom conference with israelis

Aaron Boxerman | times of israel | 26 October 2020

Rami Aman knows what it’s like to stand up to Hamas, while living under its rule in Gaza, and to seek peace with Israeli civilians: doing so got him tortured and pushed into exile

Charles R. Davis | Business Insider | Oct 15, 2023

Now in Germany, a Gazan dissident tries to set record straight on Hamas’s brutal regime

Gianluca Pacchiani | times of israel | 23 July 2024

Geflohen aus Gaza

Sabine Brandes | juedische-allgemeine | 15 July 2024

Exiled Gazan peace activist exposes Hamas’s cruel attack on humanity

OHAD MERLIN | Jerusalem Post | 14 march 2024

Aktivist über Anti-Hamas-Protest in Gaza – „Wir wollten sie stürzen“

Konstantin Nowotny | taz | 13 July 2024
Our Manifest

We work on the civic level, driven by participants while cultivating mutual trust, and empathy.

We recognize the trauma and pain of our shared past, along with the differences in the narratives that have shaped it. With this in mind, we encourage openness, a willingness to learn, and an effort to understand and connect with each other’s perspectives on history.

We do not work towards political solutions to the conflict, but we believe in dialogues and activities that are conducted with sincerity and mutual respect.

We cannot change history – but together we can build a hopeful common future, based on mutual respect.
The Amsterdam Declaration

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, stands as a testament to the resilience of its residents, who united to overcome the relentless threat of flooding. Through cooperation and collective effort, the city transformed adversity into strength, showcasing the power of community.

Inspired by this civic history, we aim to build unity and strength between Palestinians and Israelis through a European-based collaboration..

Amsterdam’s legacy as the birthplace of citizen-led global trade initiatives has fostered a deep sense of participation and engagement. Coupled with its long-standing tradition of openness, liberalism, and tolerance, the city provides the ideal setting for for the launch of GazEl, bringing together Gazans and Israelis living in Europe to work on the citizen2citizen level rather than the political arena.
Peace Narratives from Gaza and Israel
December 15th 2024, Amsterdam
- See HERE some of the photo’s and short films which were taken during the meeting
A panel conversation will be held featuring a diverse group of Palestinians and Israelis. These participants, some of whom are based in Europe, will share their experiences navigating the complexities of being victims of Islamic militias and the ongoing war between Gaza and Israel.

The panelists will openly acknowledge the suffering, pain, and bloodshed endured by both sides of the conflict. Through their stories, they aim to highlight the power of bottom-up cooperation and dialogue as tools to inspire hope and a path toward reconciliation.

Confirmed round table participants (subject to change):

The round table participants (subject to change):
Talshalom (Israel), Wasim (The Netherlands – Gaza), Hamza (Germany – Gaza), Rami (Egypt – Gaza), Hanna (The Netherlands-Israel).
A New Middle East

Lecture

16 December 2024 | 19:00 to 20:30 | Amsterdam

Thomas von der Osten-Sacken

Listen to the recording of the lecture using the player below.

The situation in the Middle East is changing fast. Who could have expected that the regime of the Asad dictatorship will crumble so fast? But this is only one aspect of the situation in a very volatile region. Regional powers have their say as well as European countries, Russia, and the United States. Understanding who is fighting whom with whom is not easy. And while geopolitics play an important role, one should not forget that these conflicts are also about freedom, self-determination, and a better future for millions of people. What is the agenda of the rebels who have taken over the Syrian regime? And what can we expect to happen elsewhere in the region? What should Israel do?

Thomas von der Osten-Sacken, Director of the German-Iraqi NGO Wadi, has been working in the Middle East since the early nineties. Wadi is supporting a variety of projects to empower women and strengthen civil society movements. He will talk about his experiences, how the Middle East is changing and what could be a perspective for a better future for all in this region.

GazEl 4 Peace

The Exhibition

Palestijn Mohammed (31) vecht tegen Hamas: ’Veel Gazanen steunen terreur helemaal niet’

Lecture