We honored two Israeli and Palestinian organizations that are working together to mobilize mothers who want safety, peace and freedom for their children and future generations Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun.

Reem Hajajreh represented the organization she founded, Women of the Sun, which works to increase women’s participation in Palestinian leadership, empowering women economically and politically and ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Angela Scharf, the foreign relations coordinator for Women Wage Peace, the largest grassroots peace movement in Israel, accepted the award on behalf of her organization. Women Wage Peace is working to promote a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with women involved in all stages of negotiations.

“We are tired of wars, we are tired of death, so we decided to create a partnership… and speak in a loud voice and say that Palestinian mothers and Israeli mothers, we refuse for our children to be killed,” said Hajajreh.

The groups work to advance what they’ve called a Mother’s Call to “stop the vicious cycle of bloodshed.” The organizations have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“When women from both sides of the conflict come together, good things can happen,” said Scharf.