July 2007 Delegation

Interfaith Peace-Builders is pleased to announce that our eleven member delegation to Israel/Palestine entered Israel at the Ben-Gurion airport Monday evening and is now safely on its way to Jerusalem.

The purpose of this delegation, the 24th Interfaith Peace-Builders delegation since 2001, is to educate North American citizens about the region and deepen their understanding of its conflicts.

The delegation comes amidst a tense climate in the Middle East. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority face crises within their respective governing bodies as the Israeli President was recently forced to step down and the Palestinian Authority grapples with factional violence that has split the West Bank and Gaza Strip. As a result, a greater responsibility has fallen to everyday people in Israel and Palestine. Interfaith Peace-Builders delegates have the unique experience of learning about the Middle East through the eyes of those who live there.

The delegation will focus on women?s roles in achieving peace. Delegates will also meet with a diverse array of Palestinians and Israelis who will share their observations on the current situation, the effects of United States foreign policy in the region, and the possibilities for a just and sustainable peace.

Delegates will join with the nonviolent peace movement in Israel and Palestine. The group will visit the Palestinian village of Bili?in, which organizes weekly demonstrations against the building of Israel?s Separation Wall and the confiscation of their village lands. Delegates will also participate in a weekly vigil by the Israeli organization, Women in Black, which takes place every Friday in West Jerusalem.

A photo of the delegates at orientation in Washington, DC.

The group will meet with additional women?s and feminist groups in Israel including New Profile, Zochrot and Checkpoint Watch and Palestinian women leaders in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Hebron and elsewhere. Women play a leading role in the peace and justice movement in the region and delegates will gain a greater understanding of their leadership and activism.

Individual meetings will also be held with Jeff Halper who was recently nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and Rami Elhanan, an Israeli whose daughter was killed by a suicide bomber and who currently works for peace and justice with the Bereaved Parents? Circle. Additionally, delegates will meet Israelis and Palestinians who once took up arms in the conflict and who now work with an organization called Combatants for Peace which has rejected violence and promotes reconciliation between the two peoples.

The delegation includes the following people:

-Stephanie Avant, from Pelham, Alabama
-Mark Braverman, from Washington, DC
-Martha Di Giovanni, from Manchester, Connecticut
-David Di Giovanni, from Manchester, Connecticut
-Jill Flores, from San Marcos, Texas
-Tish Gardener, from Washington, DC
-Ken Hayes, from Austin, Texas
-Laila Liddy, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama
-Ann Loikow, from Washington, DC
-Ray McGovern, from Washington, DC
-Meera Shah, from New York, New York

Interfaith Peace-Builders believes in the power of eye-witness experience and transformation. Given the opportunity to speak directly with Israelis and Palestinians, delegates return to the United States better informed, more energized, and with a deeper understanding of the possibilities for true justice in the Middle East.

Upon their return to the United States in August, delegates will share their experiences with the public, the media, and their political representatives. Media interested in interviewing the participants when they return, and groups wanting information about speaking engagements, should contact Interfaith Peace-Builders ( and 202.244.0821)

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