Reflecting on the impact of Israel’s planned annexation of the West Bank, Encompass’ Israeli coordinator, Eran Nissan, stresses the urgent need to amplify the voices of young Israelis and Palestinians, and the dire consequences on the future of the region when their voices remain unheard:

 “They, the old men in comfortable offices, them and their children protected and guarded by armed security – they do not care about the negative consequences of their irresponsible actions.

Amid an international pandemic, they are planning to steal our future by destroying any glimpse of hope of resolution, reconciliation, and peace in the region. It will be our blood and our tears which will shed, our suffering and our pain which will grow, as they and their families are safe in their ivory towers and fortified mansions.

The proposed annexation will destabilize the entire region, undermining the already tense relations between Arab countries with Israel and the Palestinians. Instead of creating a path to peace and prosperity, this annexation will throw us all into a vortex of chaos and violence. 

They keep on talking about “the region’s youth”, and about the importance of giving hope to the “youth in the region”. Well, we are the region’s youth, and we do have hope, but not from them, nor their one-sided deal.

Our generation, In Israel and in Palestine, was born during the first intifada, grew up during the second intifada, and experienced three wars in Gaza in less than a decade. This bloody, violent conflict was, and still is, the soundtrack of our lives. We have seen the worst of this conflict. the traumatic memories and experiences were seared into our sole, pushing us into the path of fighting to break this cycle.

We believe a conflict we pass on to our children is a conflict we lost, and that the only way forward is together. We are the generation who will inherit the consequences of the “Trump Peace Plan”, but our voices are not a part of this conversation. People are talking about the leaders and politicians, but what about us – the people who will pay the price, who will be sent to kill and die when the situation will escalate into chaos. Our voices matter. Our voices are valuable.” 

In April, Eran Nissan joined the Encompass team as our new Israeli coordinator. Find out about his background and motivations, as well as how he hopes to use his experience to build up the Encompass community in Israel here.