From 12th – 19th November 2025, UK Friends of the Parents Circle – Families Forum welcomed four bereaved Palestinians and Israelis who inspired communities across the UK by sharing their powerful personal stories of loss and hope.

Parents Circle Families Forum (PCFF) members Mahmoud Al-Qerm, Mor Ynon, Ibrahim Al-Jaafaari, and Mai Albini Peri courageously spoke about their journeys towards peace and reconciliation, demonstrating the possibility of dialogue even after profound personal loss, and the courage it takes to choose peace instead of revenge.

During the visit, they engaged with diverse audiences, visiting places of worship and educational institutions, including the University of Sheffield and the Woolf Institute in Cambridge. For two events, UK Friends of the Parents Circle - Families Forum partnered with UK Friends of Standing Together, amplifying a shared message of peace and equality between Israelis and Palestinians.

We also held our annual fundraising dinner, where the speakers shared their powerful stories during a conversation expertly facilitated by political analyst and U.S. Middle East Project (USMEP) President Daniel Levy.

These events offered a rare and powerful opportunity to witness the transformative impact of empathy and dialogue amid the ongoing conflict in the region.

"Reconciliation is not weakness and not an attempt to blur the truth. It is a sharp statement: we refuse to go on living in a reality that produces more and more orphans and bereavement on both sides. I invite us to think more broadly – not only about forgiveness, which is not always possible and not always helpful, but about reconciliation, which is." – Mor Ynon, bereaved Israeli daughter.

"Before you judge Palestinians, you must know our daily life, we don’t have stability. But when Palestinians see Israelis who care about their dignity and rights, it changes something". - Mahmoud Al-Qerm, bereaved Palestinian cousin.