In the Shadow of War, Our Young Leaders Plant Seeds of Hope

The first ever Jewish & Palestinian Youth Peace Summit at Camp Shomria

This August, Camp Shomria hosted over 100 Jewish American, Israeli, and Palestinian citizens of Israel young leaders came together at Camp Shomria for the first-ever Jewish & Palestinian Youth Peace Summit—a day devoted to dialogue, listening, and imagining a better shared future.

It was a moment of light in heavy days. With 50 hostages still in Gaza after 690 days, ongoing war in Gaza, surging violence in the West Bank, and growing tensions between Jewish and Arab citizens in Israel, the pain and uncertainty touch us all. Against this backdrop, the summit offered something rare: hope.

Hosted by Hashomer Hatzair USA in partnership with the New Israel Fund, Partners for Progressive Israel, and the Ajyal youth movement, the gathering opened with a powerful panel of Palestinian, Jewish, and Israeli peace activists. They spoke openly about what drew them to this work, the personal cost of doing it, and the resilience it takes to continue.

One panelist, Ori Hefetz from Kibbutz Nirim and a Camp Shomria hadracha member, shared: “When I was 8 years old during Operation Tzuk Eitan, we were evacuated from my kibbutz. On the way north to my grandparents’ house, I asked my mom how it was fair that we had somewhere to go while the kids in Gaza didn’t. That moment shaped how I’ve seen the conflict ever since. There will never be true peace until all children are safe.”

Participants dove into sessions that brought the human stories of the conflict to life. Among them:

• Growing Up in Gaza with Ezzeldeen Masri of PeaceWorks Foundation
  

• Photojournalism & Peacebuilding with photographer and activist Gili Getz
  

• Youth Activism in Mixed Communities with Ori Heffetz from Kibbutz Nirim

• Palestinian Activism in Israel with Ajyal leader Mahmoud Zareny
  

• The Power of Grassroots Organizing – the story of Standing Together with Ori Shaham
  

• Protective Presence in the West Bank with activist Sam Stein, and more.
  

Participants also joined together for two unforgettable group workshops:

• Designing a flag for a shared land, and
  

• Participating in a peace negotiation simulation in which the participants played the role of negotiation teams grappling with the core issues of the conflict. The simulation enabled deeper understanding of the issues, the obstacles to resolution, and, most importantly, the ability to imagine that peace is still possible.
  
  

In the midst of polarization and violence, we saw something rare: Jewish and Palestinian young people speaking openly, listening deeply, challenging and supporting one another, and finding common ground.

We witnessed the true power of youth leadership!

A special thank-you goes to our Palestinian speakers and the Palestinian citizens of Israel young leaders who joined the summit. In times like these, even participating carries risk. For their safety, we’ve omitted details about their identities, but we honor their courage and look forward to continuing our partnership - hoping that next time, circumstances will look very different.

This summit was a first step, not the last. Next summer, the Jewish-Palestinian Youth Summit will grow so more young leaders can join this circle—sharing stories, building trust, and imagining peace together.

Make a Gift to Support Future Summits

To all who helped make this day possible, organizers, speakers, sponsors, and our Hashomer Hatzair community, thank you. In a time when despair feels close at hand, you helped create a day of light. May we see many more days like this.