Hand in Hand Students Speak at the 2026 People's Peace Summit

While the language of peace has largely faded from Israel’s public discourse, dozens of peace-building and shared society organizations—including Hand in Hand—continue to work tirelessly toward reconciliation, peace, and an end to the conflict.

In April, these organizations united under the “It’s Time” coalition for the 2026 People’s Peace Summit. At the culminating evening event, students from the Hand in Hand Max Rayne Jerusalem School, together with representatives from our Haifa middle school, took the stage to demonstrate what peace and partnership look like in practice.

“We’re friends not because we have to be, but because we choose to be.”

Stav, a 7th grader at the HIH Max Rayne Jerusalem School shared, “We are students at a bilingual high school in Jerusalem, part of the Hand in Hand school network. At our school, Arabs and Jews from all three religions, live and learn together in two languages, in partnership and equality. In a reality of hatred and violence, racism and separation, at our school, we don’t feel different. We’re friends not because we have to be, but because we choose to be.”

“This is a place of inclusion and understanding, where I am seen first and foremost as a human.”

Alin, a 12th grader at the HIH Max Rayne Jerusalem High School “One night, when I was in 1st grade, racist people set my classroom on fire. We turned on the TV and saw blackened walls, and the words ‘Death to Arabs.’ But the racists ended up in jail, and I’m graduating from high school. In the year following the arson, more students registered at Hand in Hand’s schools than ever before. In the face of racism and hatred, we are a different place, a place of inclusion and understanding, where I am seen first and foremost as a human.”

“For us, differences and disagreements are not a problem—they’re part of the fun.”

Ta’ala, an 8th grader HIH Max Rayne Jerusalem School shared, “When writing this speech, we had disagreements about the content. How do we achieve peace between our peoples? What is the right solution to this conflict? We don’t know the answers; the gap between our perspective is deep. But that does not damage our friendship. For us, differences and disagreements are not a problem—they’re part of the fun.”

“I believe that if more students go through a similar process to us, then we can approach a solution to this conflict, so that our children can grow up together, in peace.”

Alon, a 9th grader at the HIH Max Rayne Jerusalem School shared, “When I speak with Ta’ala about the conflict, it’s an opportunity for both of us to reconsider the clear positions we grew up with. And there are thousands of students like us across the country. I believe that if more students go through a similar process to us, then we can approach a solution to this conflict, so that our children can grow up together, in peace.”

They concluded their speech with the following message: “It must be. It can be. It will be. Peace!”