Combatants for Peace

Combatants for Peace (Hebrew: לוחמים לשלום; Arabic: مقاتلون من أجل آلسلام) is an Israeli-Palestinian NGO and an egalitarian, bi-national, grassroots movement committed to non-violent action against the “Israeli occupation and all forms of violence” in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The movement was formed in 2006 by Palestinians and Israelis who had taken an active role in the cycle of violence, and decided to work together to promote a peaceful solution through non-violent action. The former combatants had been gathering for a year in various towns around Jerusalem after leaders from both sides decided to take action to promote peace. Originally, the activists were solely ex-combatants: the Israeli soldiers and refuseniks of the Israeli army and Palestinian fighters. Today, members of the movement include also men and women who have never played a violent role in the conflict. Combatants for Peace is the only peace group worldwide that was founded and run by ex-combatants on both sides of an active conflict. Other joint veteran-based peace initiatives have been co-founded only after peaceful resolution to their conflict has been achieved.

The documentary film Disturbing the Peace was released in 2016 about the work of Combatants for Peace. The movie by Stephen Apkon and Andrew Young was screened throughout Israel, Palestine, the United States and Europe, was a New York Times Critic's Pick, and has won awards internationally including the first ever Ebert Humanitarian Award. In 2025, Apkon directed There Is Another Way which follows Combatants for Peace, examining their struggles, particularly after the violence of October 7, 2023, and the war in Gaza. It challenges viewers to engage in a crucial, humane conversation—one that recognizes shared humanity and seeks a compassionate, pragmatic path toward peace, dignity, and self-respect.