Israeli-Palestinian Joint
Memorial Ceremony
Israeli-Palestinian Joint Memorial Ceremony
The Joint Memorial Ceremony, organized by Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle Families Forum, is the largest Israeli-Palestinian jointly organized peace event in history. It provides a unique opportunity for Israelis and Palestinians to grieve together and stand strong in demanding an end to the occupation and violence.
The ceremony occurs yearly on the eve of Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Memorial Day). In Israeli mainstream culture, the ceremonies that are most often held to honor this day serve to reinforce cultural narratives of pain, victimhood, and hopelessness. The Joint Memorial transforms this narrative by bringing Palestinians to the Memorial alongside Israelis to mourn side by side and model another way forward.
By mourning together we begin to shift public opinion on a massive scale. Since the first Joint Memorial ceremony in 2005, the number of people who attend has grown tremendously. In 2022, 300,000 people participated in the live broadcast event and over one million streamed it. In 2023, over 15,000 Israelis and Palestinians attended the Joint Memorial Day Ceremony in person in Tel Aviv.
Throughout the years, participating guests have included leading intellectuals and artists such as Mubarak Awad, Yoni Rechter, Professor Yehuda Ne’eman, Alon Oleartchik, Achinoam Nini (Noa), Mira Awad, Professor Eva Illouz, Eliezer Yaari, Dr. Amal Abu Said, David Grossman, Dr. Sami Shalom Shitrit, Richard Gere, and many others.
Past ceremonies
-
![]()
We are the Day After
2026 CEREMONY
Even while war, death, and injustice engulf us, we must imagine and build the reality that comes after - a day beyond violence and pain, beyond occupation, and beyond the belief that our lives must remain trapped in this cycle. Together, we show that there is another way - and that despite it all, hope is still alive. -
![]()
Choosing Humanity, Choosing Hope
2025 CEREMONY
This year, grief weighs heavier than ever. Since the horrors of October 7th and the devastating war in Gaza, too many families - Israeli and Palestinian - have been shattered by unbearable loss and while the pain is overwhelming, we refuse to let it harden our hearts. Instead of allowing grief to be manipulated into hatred, and instead of accepting revenge as justice, we choose a different path. -
![]()
Sharing our Humanity, Honoring our Children
2024 CEREMONY
The lives of everyone connected to Israel and Palestine will never be the same since October 7, 2023. With tens of thousands of lives lost, families torn apart, and children traumatized, now more than ever we need to continue to show up for one another to mourn, remember, and call for an end to the violence and demand a political solution that brings freedom, justice, and safety for all. -
![]()
Sharing Sorrow, Bringing Hope
2023 CEREMONY
In its 18th year, the Ceremony is a chance to reflect, to mourn all of those lost to conflict, and to acknowledge the pain, suffering, and sorrow of the other. For the first year since the Corona outbreak, we were joined by over 15,000 people in Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv, in a huge show of defiance, of strength, and of humanity. -
![]()
Sharing Sorrow, Bringing Hope
2022 CEREMONY
Even in difficult times, when violence is rising its head, even under closures and during Corona times and despite the criticism and cynicism - every year we repeat our message loud and clear: that we are all human beings, that we all feel pain and loss in the same way, that war is not the only path we can choose, and that we must do everything to avoid more violence and bloodshed.
