Rachael Liss is the European Policy and Development Coordinator for ALLMEP, working on the design and implementation of ALLMEP’s European and UK advocacy projects. She argues that even without consensus in the international community about governance, reconstruction and final status diplomacy issues, there is broad support among the UK and its G7 and Arab allies about the need for Israeli and Palestinian civil society to rebuild strong and stable societies in the wake of so much destruction, fear and hate. The UK can and should lead the way in the creation of an International Consortium for Civil Society Peacebuilding (ICCSP).

As the crisis in the Middle East continues into the UK’s general election year, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dominates the foreign policy agenda.

Divisions over (in)actions and statements within and across political parties have fanned the flames on both sides of this horrific conflict. In attempting to move toward a sustainable resolution, the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) looks to an area of rare common ground: support for civil society peacebuilders in Israel and Palestine. The International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace (IFP), ALLMEP’s flagship advocacy campaign, is a multilateral body designed to coordinate and scale civil society and economic investments at a level that would disrupt the very civic, political, and attitudinal conditions which led to the horrific violence of recent months.

Considering how divisive the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be, the IFP stands out because of its remarkable cross-party support. The UK, as the first country to endorse the IFP in May 2018, has sustained this backing, support from all major political parties remaining solid. Notably, current