Britain, Australia and Canada have launched a £3 million ($4 million) peace initiative aimed at promoting reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians and addressing the root causes of their decades-long conflict.
The programme, known as the International Peace Fund, seeks to encourage dialogue and strengthen efforts toward a two-state solution.
Drawing on Britain’s peacebuilding experience in Northern Ireland and ongoing initiatives in the Western Balkans, the fund will support community projects, youth-led initiatives and civil society organisations working to foster peace.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said; “the initiative would assist individuals and organisations committed to building understanding, trust and cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian communities.”
Cooper noted that after generations marked by repeated cycles of violence and hostility, greater support is needed for grassroots groups working to promote lasting peace and meaningful dialogue.
The fund is set to be formally launched at a meeting involving Cooper and her counterparts from Australia and Canada, Penny Wong and Anita Anand, at Chevening, the UK Foreign Secretary’s official residence in Kent.
Britain, Australia and Canada have each contributed £1 million to establish the fund, which is expected to attract additional international donors once fully operational. The organisations that will receive the grants are yet to be announced.
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The meeting is also expected to cover broader Middle East tensions, including Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as concerns over the security of Jewish communities following recent antisemitic incidents in the UK, Canada and Australia.
Earlier in the week, the three countries, alongside France and Norway, imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers involved in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
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