Peace in the Middle East is something I care a lot about and something that can be very depressing. I often hear, from the Jewish side, that there is no one to talk to, nothing to do. When moderate and reasonable people step forward and say, clearly, that they want to end the conflict in a way that works for both people, it is our duty to respond.

What enables me to write about this here is how the One Voice Movement today used video at the World Economic Forum in Davos to have ordinary Israelis and Palestinians speak directly to their leaders and the other world leaders present at the conference. With their leaders in the room in front of a large video screen, and with leaders from around the world as witness, these people stood up and said, we are telling you here today that there is a mandate from both sides for peace — make it happen. One Voice is a mainstream nonpartisan movement of realists, not a group of wishful thinkers. Their feeling is that leaders can’t make peace without the public support of their people.

Watching these people gives me hope, something that has been in short supply since September 2000, when horrible things began yet again.

Daniel Lubetzky, who founded the One Voice Movement, explained in the press release that what these leaders witnessed didn’t happen overnight: “We’ve been building this human infrastructure for five years, and, in spite of the horrible atmosphere, or perhaps because of it, we are gaining more members and more momentum. People are ready to stand up and say, ‘Enough!’”

Here is what the leaders saw:

A video-cast message from Nisreen Shaheen, the Executive Director of OneVoice Palestine — surrounded by a large crowd of hundreds of Palestinians in Al Qasaba, the largest hall in Ramallah — appeared on an oversized screen at the front of the forum. WATCH NOW

Adi Balderman, the OneVoice Israel Leadership Program Director, stated: “Each and every one of us [needs] to take action and personal responsibility in ensuring a better future. If the millions of moderate Israelis and Palestinians each take a small step, we will unleash the power of the people and reclaim our lives.” WATCH NOW

Saed Mashaal and Eran Schafferman, OneVoice Palestinian and Israeli Youth Leaders, respectively surrounded by scores of supportive Israeli and Palestinian activists, spoke in unison to condemn violent extremism & intervention from foreign militants. WATCH NOW

You can see the whole thing as it looked to the people in the room at Davos here.

Get involved with One Voice and affirm their principles. Watch their overview video here.