Peace Now

Peace Now
Peace Now · Public domain · source
Name	Peace Now
Founded	1978
Type	Non-governmental organization
Headquarters	Tel Aviv, Israel
Region served	Israel, Palestinian territories

Peace Now is an Israeli advocacy organization established in 1978 that promotes a negotiated settlement to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and territorial compromise. The movement emerged after the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the 1977 Israeli legislative election as part of a wider public debate involving activists from the Israeli Labor Party, veterans of the Six-Day War, and participants in the Geneva Initiative. Peace Now has engaged with Israeli institutions such as the Knesset, the Supreme Court of Israel, and the Israel Defense Forces through petitions, reports, and litigation.

History

Peace Now was founded in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the 1977 Israeli legislative election by activists who included former members of the Mapai and Mapam parties and reserve officers from the Israel Defense Forces. Early demonstrations coincided with events like the 1978 Camp David Accords and the 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty, shaping its position on territorial compromise. During the 1980s, the organization intersected with movements around the First Intifada and debated policy with figures from the Likud and the Labor Party. The 1990s brought the Oslo Accords and interaction with negotiators linked to Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres; Peace Now both supported and critiqued implementation, while engaging with civil society groups like the Hebrew University of Jerusalem legal clinics and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel. After the Second Intifada, the group responded to the Gaza disengagement of 2005 and engaged in debates involving the Supreme Court of Israel and the Attorney General of Israel. In the 2010s and 2020s, Peace Now confronted policies linked to the Netanyahu governments, the Kahanist movement, and disputes over settlements referenced in reports by the United Nations and the European Union.

Organization and Structure

Peace Now is organized as a non-governmental organization with national coordinating bodies, regional chapters, and affiliated research units. Its legal status connects it to Israeli nonprofit law and oversight by the Registrar of Non-Profits (Israel). Leadership has included activists with ties to academic institutions such as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Tel Aviv University, and the University of Haifa; prominent members have appeared before forums including the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and the International Court of Justice in expert capacities. The group maintains relationships with international NGOs like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the International Crisis Group, and with grassroots organizations such as B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence. Funding has been a matter of transparency and debate with donors including private foundations, municipal bodies, and diaspora institutions connected to Jewish Agency for Israel networks.

Activities and Campaigns

Peace Now has engaged in monitoring, public demonstrations, litigation, and policy advocacy. Its settlement watchdog activities produced mapping and reporting that were cited in analyses by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Bank, and the European Court of Human Rights-related scholarship. High-profile campaigns included mass rallies in Tel Aviv near the Kikar HaMedina square, petitions to the Supreme Court of Israel, and collaboration with international initiatives like the Geneva Initiative and the Madrid Conference of 1991. The organization has produced research on settlement construction, land allocation involving the Civil Administration (Israel), and planning policy in areas administered by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. It has used media engagement with outlets such as Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, The New York Times, and The Guardian and has appeared in documentary films screened at festivals like the Jerusalem Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival.

Political Positions and Advocacy

Peace Now advocates a two-state solution based on borders approximating the pre-1967 lines with agreed land swaps, negotiated with leadership from both Israeli and Palestinian sides such as delegations reminiscent of talks involving Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon (as context for opposition positions), and Palestinian figures linked to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. The group promotes policies consistent with international agreements and instruments like the Oslo Accords, the Quartet on the Middle East roadmaps, and United Nations Security Council resolutions such as UNSCR 242 and UNSCR 338 in public statements. It supports diplomatic initiatives involving states like the United States, the European Union, and regional actors including Egypt and Jordan, while opposing unilateral annexation measures referenced in debates over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Criticism and Controversies

Peace Now has faced criticism from right-wing parties and activist groups in Israel including the Likud, Jewish Home (political party), and elements linked to the Kahanist movement. Critics have challenged its funding sources and ties to international foundations, prompting legal scrutiny before the Knesset State Control Committee and debates involving the Attorney General of Israel. Controversies have arisen over its use of satellite imagery and mapping in litigation submitted to the Supreme Court of Israel and in reports cited by the International Court of Justice and the UN Human Rights Council, leading to disputes with settlement councils such as the Yesha Council and municipal authorities like the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. The organization has been targeted in public campaigns by media outlets including Arutz Sheva and commentators affiliated with conservative think tanks such as the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Impact and Reception

Peace Now influenced public discourse during pivotal moments including the Camp David Accords, the Oslo process, and the Gaza disengagement of 2005, shaping debate in the Knesset and among political leaders like Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Benjamin Netanyahu-era cabinets. Its documentation on settlements informed reports by the United Nations and the European Union and was cited in academic work published through presses affiliated with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University. Reception varies: supporters in civil society and some diplomatic circles such as the United States Department of State and European foreign ministries see it as a key Israeli peace voice, while opponents in nationalist camps view it as aligned with foreign policy critiques promoted by international organizations. The organization remains a reference point in analyses by scholars at institutions like the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies and policy debates at forums including the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Category:Peace organizations