12 June 2026

NIF Australia welcomes the establishment of an international fund for peace building in Israel and Palestine

New Israel Fund Australia responds to the recent announcement in conjunction with our partners NIF Canada and NIF UK.

‘Our governments’ decision to create the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace is both brave and welcome. It recognises a simple truth: peace is good for Jews and Muslims, for Israelis and Palestinians, and for the diverse societies we share in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. By investing in those working across divides, our governments are affirming that security and dignity are not a zero-sum proposition.’ 

The establishment of this fund recognises and bolsters decades of work by NIF and our grantees which are fighting to build and sustain the conditions for a long-lasting peace. It also adds to the donations that thousands of Jewish Australians have made via NIF Australia to support the work of civil society in Israel and Palestine and to keep the prospects of a two-state solution on the table. 

NIF Australia has been advocating for over a decade for the Australian government to invest meaningfully in Israeli and Palestinian civil society organisations, and this announcement is a welcome boon. It reflects the collective success of many partners, both in Australia and abroad. We commend our friends at the Alliance for Middle East Peace, Principles for Peace, the Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, the Victorian Council of Churches, Women Wage Peace, Women of the Sun, Friends of Standing Together Melbourne, and countless others for their efforts in advocating for the creation of this fund.

Peace, equality, dignity and self determination for both peoples can neither be imposed nor sustained without the international community. As the Netanyahu government continues to push for legislation designed to weaken pro-democracy and civil rights organisations inside Israel, this announcement provides both practical and symbolic weight.

NIF Australia will continue to provide a pathway for Australians to support the work of organisations that will be empowered through this fund.