From 6 to 10 October, Tallinn and Tartu offer a rare chance to hear Israeli and Palestinian perspectives in the same room: what it takes to maintain partnership and search for solutions in deeply divided society, and to consider what this means for our own region.

Our guests are Sulaiman Khatib (Palestine) and Mia Biran (Israel) from Combatants for Peace, a movement founded by Israeli and Palestinian ex-combatants. It has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize twice, and it has managed to keep partnership between Israelis and Palestinians ongoing even after 7 October 2023 attacks and the war in Gaza.

Our Guests

The programme offers something for different audiences, so check it out (below) and choose the one(s) that appeal to you!

Sulaiman Khatib · Palestine Co-founder and Director of International Relations at Combatants for Peace. In his youth he took part in the Palestinian resistance movement and spent more than ten years in an Israeli prison. For two decades, he has worked on dialogue, cooperation and conflict resolution.

Mia Biran · Israel Head of Combatants for Peace’s Israeli programmes, and a former solider of the Israeli army. With having nearly 20 years of experience in human rights and complex social initiatives, Mia offers a unique perspective on cooperation under conditions of intense division.

Schedule & registration:

Tallinn, 6th of October: Combatants for Peace: Perspectives on the Israel-Palestine Conflict from the Ground

Sulaiman Khatib and Mia Biran will share their experiences and perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The discussion will examine current realities and their broader political and historical context, as well as possibilities for acting together in the present situation.

Time: 6. October, 18:00–20:00   Venue: Tallinn University, room A543   Language: English  
Registration required

Information & registration  ·   See the map

7th of October, Tartu: DeFacto Dialogues: War no more?

What happens to a society at war, how do people´s attitudes change and what narratives get the floor? Khatib and Biran will discuss how to continue to look for solutions at a time of deepening violent confrontation, when people are consumed by fear, anger and wish to retaliate. The conversation will be moderated by Shpend Kursani, lecturer in International Relations at the University of Tartu. The even is open to everyone interested.

Time: 07. October, 16:15–17:45   Venue: Lossi 36–214, Tartu University building Language: English  
Registration not required, just walk in!

Event information   ·  See the map

9th of October, Tallinn: Dialogue in the Hardest Conditions: Lessons from Divided Communities

This workshop is intended especially for people working with dialogue, social cohesion, integration, peacebuilding, communities or polarisation. This is not a general discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The focus is practical: what keeps dialogue alive when trust runs short, tensions are high and communities are deeply divided? Khatib and Biran will be joined by Finland-based dialogue practitioner Anna Sidorova.

Time: 9. October, 14:00–16:30   Venue: Telliskivi 60a, A3, Tallinn   Language: English   Participation limited to 25 places; Registration required!

Info & registration   ·  See the map

10th of October, Tartu: There Is Another Way movie screening (free entry)

After 7th October 2023 and the Gaza war that followed, the idea of partnership between Israelis and Palestinians can seem almost impossible. That impossibility is exactly what the documentary There Is Another Way explores. In just 67 minutes, Israeli and Palestinian stories are woven together, asking what happens when, even in the deepest grief, a person can still recognise the humanity of the other. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Sulaiman Khatib and Mia Biran; Khatib is also featured in the documentary.

Time: 10. October, 14:00 – 16:00  Venue: Tartu Elektriteater, Jakobi 1   Film: 67 min   Language: English subtitles; Q&A in English   Registration: via event page

Info & registration   ·  See the map

Media

Sulaiman Khatib and Mia Biran will be in Estonia from 5–11 October and are available for interviews in Tallinn and Tartu. 

Possible interview topics: Israeli and Palestinian societies after 7 October, maintaining cooperation during deep divisions, polarisation and rebuilding trust, and Sulaiman Khatib’s personal journey from armed resistance to co-founding Combatants for Peace.

Interview language: English

Media contact: info@internationalhouse.ee, (+372) 5132891 Nastja Pertšjonok

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Combatants for Peace representatives were invited to Estonia by International House Tartu. 

The travel of Suleiman and Mia is support by Anna Lindh Foundation.

The events are organised in cooperation with Tallinn University, the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu, Estonian Dialogue Academy, Tartu Elektriteater, Progressiivne Liikumine and the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia.