Musalaha Core Funding: April / May 2020

This initiative is a critical emergency request designed to provide a financial safety net for core Palestinian staff members who have been left without assistance or benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a governing policy issued by the Musalaha board on April 3rd, the organisation committed to covering 50% of the salaries for three specific staff members who were impacted by the mid-March closure of borders between the West Bank and Jerusalem. This funding serves as a vital bridge to ensure these dedicated individuals can maintain their livelihoods while standard reconciliation projects are suspended due to global health restrictions.

Central to this proposal is Musalaha’s commitment to equality and organisational integrity. The organisation recognises that the current crisis risks exacerbating existing regional tensions if one group of people receives benefits while another suffers. By securing core funding for Palestinian staff, Musalaha aims to prevent the loss of experienced team members and protect its reputation as an organisation that practices the same principles of equality and reconciliation internally that it promotes through its public programming.

This emergency support is essential for maintaining the multinational and multiethnic framework of the office during a period of extreme financial paralysis. While other potential donors have been unable to provide assistance, this request to Musalaha UK represents a necessary step in sustaining the human infrastructure required for future peacebuilding efforts. Ensuring the retention of these staff members allows Musalaha to emerge from the pandemic with its team intact and ready to continue its 30-year mission of facilitating reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians