A Call to Join a Study and Action Group on Realizing the Right of Return and Building a Future of Justice and Equality

*The course will be held in Hebrew and Arabic to allow Palestinians and Israelis to join.

In the current political climate, there are no real initiatives or solutions based on justice and accountability. The prevailing sentiment is one of paralysis, despair, and disbelief in the possibility of a just resolution and peaceful coexistence.

Zochrot invites you to break through this paralysis and denial with us and to offer hope for a possible future.

The "day after" the genocide in Gaza should not stop at repairing the devastation caused by Israel in the past year. It cannot continue to offer life under Israeli control for Palestinians or life on the sword for Israelis. The "day after" must mean the end of Israeli-Zionist colonialism and the rectification of the injustices inflicted on the Palestinian people since the Nakba began in 1948. At the heart of these injustices is the right of return for Palestinian refugees expelled from their cities and villages.

In these times, as ideas about Gaza's future are debated, we invite you to think outside the colonial box. Resist ethnic cleansing plans and go beyond rehabilitation or improved living conditions in Gaza's besieged prison. Together, let us envision a space of justice, return, and equality for all the inhabitants of this land, including the returning Palestinian refugees.

Zochrot is forming a working group of diverse residents of the land to create a vision for the return of Palestinian refugees, focusing on those from Gaza—over 75% of the strip's population—returning to places they were uprooted from in 1948, such as Jaffa, Ashdod, Majdal (Ashkelon), and the area known as the "Gaza envelope."

The three-year project will begin with a year-long workshop of 12 sessions, including lectures, field visits, and collaborative writing of a shared vision document. Subsequent years will focus on engaging local and international stakeholders, gathering feedback, and developing concrete models for return with input from experts and communities.

To apply, fill out the registration form and email it to umar@zochrot.org by February 15, 2025. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview. Participation is free of charge.

Join us in creating a bold, transformative vision for justice, return, and equality.