On 12th May 2024, we held the 19th annual joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony. The ceremony focused around the stories of children, whose only crime was being born Palestinian or Israeli. What will be the future of the next generation? How can we bring hope amidst so much tragedy?   

The Joint Memorial Day Ceremony, organised by Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle – Families Forum, is the largest Israeli-Palestinian jointly organised peace event in history. The Joint Memorial Ceremony provides a unique opportunity for Israelis and Palestinians to grieve together and stand strong in demanding an end to the occupation and ongoing violence. The ceremony occurs yearly on the eve of Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Memorial Day). In Israeli mainstream culture, the ceremonies that are most often held to honor this day serve to reinforce cultural narratives of pain, victimhood, and hopelessness. The Joint Memorial transforms this narrative by bringing Palestinians to the Memorial alongside Israelis to mourn side by side and move forward together.