The Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony, which has been held following Israeli Memorial Day for the last fourteen consecutive years, comes to remind us that war is not an act of fate but one of human choice. On this particularly difficult day, Israelis and Palestinians acknowledge the pain and the aspirations of those living on the “other side” and strive to prevent the next wave of violence. Israeli and Palestinian bereaved families speak about their personal pain along with musical and artistic performances.
Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians participate every year in this special event produced and led by Combatants for Peace with the collaboration of the Parents Circle. We invite Americans to mark this important day with us in their communities, by acknowledging the loss of life on both sides and to say that memorializing is not enough — we must act to end the circle of violence.
On May 7, 2019, the ceremony will be streamed online live from Israel. American Friends of the Parents Circle is inviting organizations and individuals to participate in this powerful, important event virtually:
Are you interested in organizing a livestreaming event? Here’s what you can do right now:
The ceremony was initiated by Buma Inbar, who lost his son Jotam in 1995 while serving with the Golani Brigade in Lebanon. Since the first event in 2006, the number of participants has increased yearly. In 2018, over 7,000 people were in attendance. The ceremony has been attended by intellectuals and artists including Yoni Rechter, Prof. Yehuda (Judd) Ne’eman, recipient of the Israel Prize, Alon Oleartchik, Achinoam Nini, Noam Rotem, Mira Awad, Prof. Eva Illouz, and others.
