For the sixth Candid Conversation on Palestine, Israel, and Europe, we are joined by Sulaiman Khatib, co-founder of Combatants for Peace - a grassroots movement built by former Palestinian and Israeli fighters who chose joint nonviolence to work toward ending the occupation and creating a just, shared future. Sulaiman reflects on his personal transformation from armed resistance and a decade in prison to rejecting military solutions and zero-sum thinking. The conversation traces the history, beliefs, and ideas behind Combatants for Peace, explores their current work and projects, and examines what it takes to open up to the narrative of the “other” while staying grounded in one’s own. Sulaiman highlights nonviolence not only as a political strategy but as a way of living and a path toward collective liberation. The discussion also addresses the importance and impact of youth education in Palestine and Israel, the challenges the movement faced after October 7, and the forms of international support that are most needed today.

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