The prolonged Israeli-Palestinian conflict and stagnation in the peace process has generated intense intercommunal distrust and disillusionment around the prospects for peace. Domestically, optimism regarding a viable two-state solution has reached an all-time low. Regionally, an image of a ‘dehumanised other’ promotes extremism and weakens faith in negotiations. Internationally, high expectations of an externally-led return to the negotiation table further compromise local ownership and direct action. There are three major areas for action: grassroots public opinion; policy; and the media’s role in framing the public debate.
The lack of interaction between Israelis and Palestinians due to travel restrictions, roadblocks and the security barrier means that the media plays a major role in the way people view each other and the conflict. The region reports some of the highest media consumption rates in the world. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, in Israel 63 per cent of adults read at least one newspaper, 68 per cent listen to the radio, and 40 per cent visit internet news portals on a daily basis. In the Palestinian Authority (PA) 58 per cent read the newspaper, 62 per cent listen to local radio stations, and 34 per cent read internet news.
Israeli and Palestinian mainstream media organisations tend to highlight extremism and violence, relegating peace initiatives and moderate voices to the margins. On the Palestinian side, a lack of independent media outlets prevents real discussion of political, socio-cultural and economic issues from a critical perspective and excludes marginalised voices such as those of youth and women.
The All for Peace Radio station is currently the only fully independent, Israeli-Palestinian collaborative communications venture operating in the Middle East. It promotes cross-border dialogue, human rights and collaborative civil society peacebuilding initiatives in order to break down misperceptions and strengthen democracy in the region. All for Peace comprises 24 staff members and 48 volunteers. Roughly half are Israelis and half Palestinian. Volunteers dedicate time to research, develop and host diverse programmes together. Their intercommunal perspective is reflected in the station’s content, which is broadcast continually on FM airwaves and online.
The station’s content is diverse, ranging from political talk shows to cultural programmes and music to engage listeners on topical issues while also cultivating shared tastes and cultural exchanges. It supports civil society to promote understanding and reconciliation through regular coverage of their work on programmes like Civil Society Hour, interviews with peace activists from different sides, or special programmes focusing on innovative civil society initiatives, such as the only joint Palestinian-Israeli public policy think tank, the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI), the Palestinian Centre for the Dissemination of Democracy and Community Development (Panorama), or Rabbis for Human Rights.
All for Peace creates a channel that allows Israeli perceptions of Palestinians to be played back to the Palestinian community and vice versa, to reflect dominant narratives across the divide as well as helping alternative perspectives to filter through.
The station also raises issues that ‘trickle through’ to the mainstream media. For example, its popular morning show featured interviews and a discussion on the issue of illegal foreign workers’ and asylum-seekers’ children being held unsupervised in detention centres in violation of international and Israeli law. A month later the topic received widespread coverage in Israeli and some international media.