About the Ceremony

The Joint Memorial Day Ceremony, organized by Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle Families Forum, is one of the largest Israeli-Palestinian jointly organized peace events in history. The Joint Memorial Ceremony provides a unique opportunity for Israelis and Palestinians to grieve together and stand strong in demanding an end to the occupation and ongoing 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.

History & Impact

By mourning together each year, we increasingly shift public opinion on a massive scale. Since the first Joint Memorial ceremony in 2006, which had less than 100 attendees, the number of people who have participated has grown tremendously. In 2023, over 15,000 Israelis and Palestinians attended the Joint Memorial Day Ceremony in person in Tel Aviv, while hundreds of thousands of people around the world joined online. In 2024, in the wake of the devastating events of October 7, 2023, and the immense suffering and bloodshed that followed, the ceremony continued in a private, undisclosed location with groups watching remotely throughout Israel, Palestine, and in over 200 venues abroad. The ceremony took on even greater significance as it brought together people from both societies and across the globe, united both in grief and in the commitment to a future of shared peace, justice, and safety for all. Throughout the years, participating guests have included leading intellectuals and artists such as Desmond Tutu, Tushar Gandhi, Mubarak Awad, Richard Gere, Achinoam Nini (Noa), Mira Awad, Eliezer Yaari, Dr. Amal Abu Said, David Grossman, and many others.

2025 Ceremony

More details regarding the 2025 Ceremony will be announced soon. This year will be the 20th annual joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony organized by Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle-Families Forum. The ceremony will take place on April 29, 2025, at 8:30 pm Jerusalem time / 1:30 pm ET.