Victory! PCFF’s Dialogue Program Returns to Schools

14/06/26

On June 14, the Jerusalem District Court accepted a petition filed by The Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) together with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, ordering the Ministry of Education to restore the “Dialogue Encounters – From Pain to Hope” program to the ministry’s educational programs database.

For more than 20 years, The Israeli-Palestinian Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) has been active in educational and public spaces, including through its long-running “Dialogue Encounters” program in schools. The program gives students the opportunity to meet bereaved families from both sides of the conflict who have lost those closest to them—including families of people killed on October 7—and who have chosen to work for dialogue, peace, and the prevention of further loss.

Since taking office, Minister of Education Yoav Kisch has repeatedly sought to remove the Forum from schools, falsly describing it as “a hostile organization made up of terrorists’ families.” This is political persecution, not an educational position.

More than 2,200 people joined the Forum’s campaign on Zazim Community, calling for the program’s return to schools. We were proud to share with supporters that the campaign had succeeded.

In its ruling, the court made clear that addressing complex and controversial issues is part of the education system’s role, and that the fact that a program sparks debate or presents the human pain experienced on both sides of the conflict is not grounds for disqualifying it.

This is an important victory for the rule of law, freedom of expression, peace and reconciliartion. . Public support for the campaign and the broader public discussion around the issue helped create the conditions for this important court hearing.

The Parents Circle – Families Forum can now continue bringing its educational programs to as many schools and pre-military academies as possible.