‘Israelis, Palestinians must fight for peace as if it’s COVID-19’
Israelis and Palestinians must fight together for peace, just as they have been cooperating to battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov said on Monday night.
“We have seen cooperation and we have seen confrontation. But what we really need to see is Palestinians and Israelis coming together not just to fight the virus, but to fight for peace,” he said.
Mladenov spoke as he made a brief appearance at the 15th annual Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony, which featured both Israeli and Palestinian speakers who have lost loved ones to the conflict. In light of the pandemic, the event was held virtually.
“You are an inspiration to all of us. You are able to cross the divide to find partners on both sides of the conflict – and this is something that is very much needed today, particularly at the time when we are all struggling against a global threat of COVID-19,” Mladenov said.
He added that those who stand up for peace face a difficult battle.
“There are radicals on all sides. There are people who want to burn all bridges between Israelis and Palestinians and who want to see the divide hardened,” he said.
“What you are doing is going against that. What you are doing is really the work of humanity,” he said, adding that those involved in the ceremony are “turning grief into hope” and are “turning hope into a future for all of us.”
The event was co-sponsored by the Parents Circle Families-Forum and Combatants for Peace.