Peace Now (Israel)

Peace Now (Israel)
Name	Peace Now
Native name	מַשְׁמַע שָׁלוֹם
Founded	1978
Headquarters	Tel Aviv

Peace Now (Israel) Peace Now is an Israeli activist group established in 1978 that has campaigned for a negotiated resolution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and opposed settlement expansion in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Founded by reserve officers and public figures after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the movement has engaged in public demonstrations, legal actions, advocacy within the Knesset and outreach to international bodies such as the United Nations and the European Union. Peace Now has been active in electoral politics indirectly through support for parties and candidates in the 1977 and subsequent elections, and it remains a prominent actor in Israeli civil society alongside groups like B'Tselem and Gush Shalom.

History

Peace Now emerged in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War when reserve officers associated with the Movement for Peace and Security and public intellectuals including veterans of Mapam and Mapai sought a diplomatic settlement. Early demonstrations targeted the Likud leadership and culminated in large rallies in Tel Aviv and the Knesset precincts, aligning with international diplomatic efforts such as the Camp David Accords and later track-two talks linked to the Madrid Conference of 1991. During the First Intifada and the Second Intifada, Peace Now shifted tactics toward monitoring settlement construction in the West Bank and advocating for the Oslo Accords framework alongside negotiators from the PLO and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the 2000s the organization engaged with civil society networks around the International Court of Justice debates over settlements and worked with NGOs like Breaking the Silence on human rights documentation. The group’s trajectory intersected with landmark Israeli political events including the Disengagement of 2005 and debates around proposed annexation legislation driven by figures in Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu.

Organisation and Structure

Peace Now is structured as a non-governmental organization headquartered in Tel Aviv with regional offices in cities such as Jerusalem and cooperation partners in the Palestinian territories. Its governance includes a board of directors, an executive director, campaign coordinators and legal counsels who interact with institutions like the Supreme Court of Israel and municipal planning committees. Membership and donor relations are managed through outreach teams that liaise with student groups on campuses such as Hebrew University of Jerusalem, NGOs like Friends of Peace Now (USA), and international advocacy networks including the European Council on Foreign Relations. The organization operates monitoring projects that compile data used in submissions to bodies including the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Activities and Campaigns

Peace Now conducts settlement monitoring, legal petitions, public demonstrations, and media campaigns targeting Israeli policy on settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It has filed petitions with the Supreme Court of Israel challenging outposts and unauthorized construction, and it publishes regular reports and maps used by journalists at outlets such as Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post. Campaigns have included mass rallies in Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Square-adjacent areas, vigils in response to hostage crises related to Hezbollah or Hamas, and participation in delimitation debates tied to the Green Line. Peace Now also engages in educational initiatives for students from institutions like Tel Aviv University and coordinates with international actors during negotiations such as the Oslo Accords talks and multilateral forums including the Quartet on the Middle East.

Political Positions and Advocacy

Peace Now advocates for a two-state solution based on negotiations that reference pre-1967 boundaries with agreed land swaps, calling for evacuation or negotiated status for many Israeli settlements and dissolution of unauthorized outposts. The group supports the decisions of negotiators associated with the Labor Party (Israel), the Meretz party, and centrist figures who endorse territorial compromise, while opposing policies advanced by leaders in Likud and factions aligned with Religious Zionism (National Religious Party). Its policy papers reference accords such as the Oslo Accords and the Camp David Accords and it lobbies committees in the Knesset and international bodies including the European Union for measures that it argues will bolster a diplomatic settlement.

Funding and Legal Issues

Peace Now’s funding historically combines individual donations from supporters in Israel, grants from foreign foundations, and contributions channeled through diaspora groups such as Americans for Peace Now. Its receipt of foreign funding has provoked scrutiny under Israeli legislation addressing NGOs and foreign entities, including reporting requirements tied to the transparency laws and debates in the Knesset Finance Committee. The organization has defended its financial disclosures in proceedings before the High Court of Justice (Israel) and complied with municipal permit regimes when organizing demonstrations in locales including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Criticism and Controversies

Peace Now has been criticized by political figures in Likud, religious parties and settler organizations such as Yesha Council for its opposition to settlement expansion and for alleged partisanship. Controversies have involved disputes over mapping methodologies, libel claims by settlement supporters, and public confrontations during demonstrations near controversial outposts such as Amona and Migron. The group has also faced legal and political attacks tied to foreign funding debates involving lawmakers like Avigdor Lieberman and public figures associated with Shas and has been the target of counter-protests by activists linked to Im Tirtzu and right-wing advocacy networks.

Impact and Influence on Israeli Society and Politics

Peace Now has influenced public debate, judicial rulings, and policy discussions in Israel through strategic litigation, media presence in outlets including Yedioth Ahronoth and Ma'ariv, and coalition-building with civil society actors such as B’tselem and left-wing parties. Its settlement-monitoring data informed court decisions that led to evacuations of unauthorized outposts and contributed to parliamentary debates over annexation proposals and peace negotiations. While its political influence has waxed and waned with electoral shifts and security developments involving actors such as Hamas and Hezbollah, Peace Now remains a reference point in Israeli civic discourse on territorial compromise, international law, and the future of Israeli–Palestinian relations.

Category:Political organizations based in Israel Category:Peace organizations Category:Israeli–Palestinian peace process