• “People inspired by democracy, human rights and economic opportunity will turn their back decisively against extremism.”
    – Benazir Bhutto, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan,
    Human Rights Activist

About

Invest in Peace is a coalition of Bay Area community activists, business owners, academics, elected officials and leaders from labor, non-profit and faith-based groups. We believe the best way to end violence in the Middle East is to create economic and people-to-people partnerships among Palestinians and Israelis. As Californians, we can also play a role in expanding economic opportunities for all of us through shared ideas, direct investment and creative non-profit, business and environmental practices.

The Invest in Peace community believes in a two-state solution with an independent, autonomous and economically viable Palestinian state living side-by-side with a democratic, Jewish state of Israel.

We champion non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and businesses in Israel and Palestine that are building a shared future among Palestinians, Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs. We oppose measures that would discourage coexistence and/or limit employment opportunities for Palestinians and Israelis.

These partnerships are more powerful than any military action or economic sanction. They have the potential to change history. Espen Barth Eide, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, said it best: “Never underestimate the role of economic opportunity in creating secure and just societies and stopping violence and extremism.”

Who We Are

Who We Are

Supporters

Aaron Peskin, San Francisco Supervisor*
Abe Friedman, Former Mayor of Piedmont*
Abel Guillén, Former Oakland City Councilmember*
Adhi Nagraj, Senior Vice President, McCormack Baron Salazar*
Ahsha Safai, M.C.P., San Francisco Supervisor*
Alex Bernstein, JCRC Board of Directors*
Alex Randolph, San Francisco City College Trustee*
Alexander Fromm Lurie, JCRC Board of Directors*
Alison Bernstein, Former Berkeley Police Review Commissioner*
Allan Low, San Francisco Recreation & Park Commission Vice President*
Amy Bacharach, former San Francisco City College Trustee*
Andrea Shorter, San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women Commissioner*
Angeles Roy, Commissioner, San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission*
Anna Damiani, LGBTQ Community Activist*
Annie Campbell Washington, Former Oakland City Councilmember*
Cantor Arik Luck, Congregation Emanu-El*
Armand Domalewski, San Francisco community activist*
Rev. Arnold Townsend, San Francisco Chapter NAACP Vice President*
Art Agnos, Former Mayor of San Francisco*
Arthur Wachtel, Haifa-San Francisco Sister City Committee Chair*
Rabbi Aubrey Glazer, Congregation Beth Sholom*
Barbara Leslie, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce CEO & President / Oakland Port Commissioner*
Barbara Parker, Oakland City Attorney*
Rabbi Batshir Torchio, Jewish Community Center of San Francisco Senior Educator*
Becca Perata, City of Alameda Civic Leader*
Ben Allen, California State Senator*
Ben Klafter, JCRC Board of Directors*
Rabbi Beth Singer, Congregation Emanu-El*
Pastor BK Woodson, Bay Area Christian Connection*
Brian Leubitz, Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club Board of Directors*
Bruce Agid, Eastern Neighborhoods Democratic Club President*
Bruce Quan, Community Activist*
Bryan Parker, Former Oakland Port Commissioner / Trustee, Holy Names University*
Rabbi Camille Angel, The Brandeis School of San Francisco*
Rabbi Carla Fenves, Congregation Emanu-El*
Carmen Chu, City and County of San Francisco Assessor*
Carol Ruth Silver, Freedom Rider, former San Francisco Supervisor*
Catherine Dodd, RN, LGBTQ Health Community Activist*
Catherine Stefani, San Francisco Supervisor*
Rabbi Corey Helfand, Peninsula Sinai Congregation*
Chris Cunnie, San Francisco Police Officers Association Past President*
Chuck Collins, YMCA of San Francisco President and CEO*
Corey Smith, United Democratic Club President*
Rabbi Dan Feder, Peninsula Temple Sholom*
Dan Kalb, Oakland City Councilmember*
Danielle Banks, Project Level Co-Founder*
Darryl Moore, Oakland Housing Authority Senior Management Analyst*
David Broza, Musician and Humanitarian*
David Campos, San Francisco Democratic Party Chair / Former San Francisco Supervisor*
David Canepa, San Mateo County Supervisor*
David Chiu, California State Assembly Member*
David Kiachko, JCRC Assembly Member*
De'Anthony Jones, Neighborhood Services Liaison, San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services*
Debra Walker, Commissioner, San Francisco Arts Commission*
Dennis Herrera, San Francisco City Attorney*
Dennis Kelly, United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) Past President*
Derick Brown, Senior Community Engagement Advisor at San Francisco Police Dept.*
Rev. Doug Huneke, Chaplain to the Southern Marin Fire Protection District, Sausalito Police Department and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office*
Douglas Boxer, Business Owner*
Ed Lee, Former Mayor of San Francisco* z"l
Elmy Bermejo, San Francisco Commission on the Environment President*
Emily Murase, Former San Francisco Board of Education Commissioner*
Eva Seligman-Kennard, JCRC Board of Directors*
Fiona Ma, Board of Equalization Member*
Francis Tsang, Former Member, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee*
Gabriel Medina, Community Activist*
Gabriel Metcalf, SPUR President & CEO*
Gavin Newsom, Governor of California*
George Gascon, Former San Francisco District Attorney*
Gladys Soto, California Democratic Party AD17 Delegate*
Heidi Kuhn, Roots of Peace Founder & CEO*
Hene Kelly, California Democratic Party Region 6 Director*
Henry Stern, California State Senator*
Ignacio De La Fuente, Labor Activist and former Oakland City Councilmember*
Igor Tregub, Berkeley Rent Board Commissioner and Zoning Adjustments Board Chair*
Isaac Kos-Read, Propulsar MX CEO
Jacquelyn Omotalade, Community Activist*
James Loduca, Community Activist*
Jasmine Conrad, Community Arts Activist*
Jason Elliott, Director of Executive Branch Operations for California Governor Gavin Newsom*
Rabbi Jason Gwasdoff, Temple Israel*
Jason Pellegrini, Commissioner, San Francisco Human Rights Commission*
Rabbi Jason Rodich, Congregation Emanu-El*
Jaqui McCabe, Faith Leader, Congregation Beth El*
Jeff Adachi, Former San Francisco Public Defender* z"l
Jeff Bialik, Catholic Charities SF Executive Director*
Jeff Kositsky, SF Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing Director*
Jeff Sheehy, Former San Francisco Supervisor*
Jennifer Wolfe, JCRC Board of Directors*
Jerilyn Gelt, JCRC Board of Directors*
Jerry Hill, California State Senator*
Jess Montejano, Vice President at Riff City Strategies*
Jesse Arreguin, Mayor of Berkeley*
Jewel Conrad, Former SFYD Committee Member*
Jill Wynns, Former San Francisco Board of Education Member*
Jilma Meneses, Catholic Charities of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo CEO*
Jim Salinas, Sr., Former San Francisco Carpenters Union Executive Officer*
Joaquin Torres, San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development Director*
Jody London, Oakland School Board Vice President*
John Cunningham, Executive Director, National AIDS Memorial Grove*
John Perez, California State Assembly Speaker Emeritus*
John Protopappas, Oakland Community Activist*
John Trasviña, University of San Francisco School of Law Dean*
Rabbi Jonathan Singer, Congregation Emanu-El*
Josephine Zhao, AsianAmericanVoters.org Founder*
Judson True, Director of Housing Delivery, San Francisco Mayor's Office*
Judy Bloom, JCRC Board of Directors*
Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller, Congregation Sherith Israel*
Justin Jones, former United Democratic Club President*
Katie Colendich, Junior League of San Francisco President*
Karen Keys, JCRC Sacramento Member*
Karen Kronick, JCRC Board of Directors*
Karen Schiller, JCRC Assembly member*
Kathy Neal, 15th AD Vice Chair, Alameda County Democratic Party*
Kaushik Roy, Executive Director of the Shanti Project*
Ken Tray, Former Political Director, UESF*
Kevin Mullin, California State Assembly Member*
Kim Kruckel, Executive Director, Child Care Law Center*
Kimberly Brandon, San Francisco Port Commission President*
Kish Rajan, Former Director of the CA Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development*
Kriss Worthington. Former Berkeley City Councilmember*
Larry Griffin, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Western Region Vice President*
Larry Reid, Oakland City Councilmember*
Leah Pimentel, RiseSF Committee Member, Bayview Advocate*
Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland*
Linda Plack, UESF Past Member*
Louise Fischer, Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club Board of Directors*
Malia Cohen, Board of Equalization Chair*
Mario Rendon, Office of Assemblymember Kevin Mullin*
Marjan Philhour, Senior Advisor to San Francisco Mayor London Breed*
Rabbi Mark Bloom, Temple Beth Abraham*
Mark Farrell, Former San Francisco Supervisor*
Mark Leno, former California State Senator*
Marc Levine, California State Assembly Member*
Cantor Marsha Attie, Congregation Emanu-El*
Marty Schenker, JCRC Board of Directors*
Rabbi Marvin Goodman, Former Board of Rabbis of Northern California Executive Director*
Mary Jung, San Francisco Democratic Party*
Matt Haney, San Franciso Supervisor*
Megan McTiernan, Consultant
Rabbi Menachem Creditor, Pearl and Ira Meyer Scholar-in-Residence at UJA-Federation New York, founder of Rabbis Against Gun Violence*
Reverend Michael Burch, Berkeley Organizing Congregations for Action (BOCA) Vice Chair*
Michael E. Carr, San Francisco Office of Workforce Development Director*
Michael Colbruno, Port of Oakland Commission Member*
Michael Janis, General Manager, SF Wholesale Produce Market*
Michael Sutton, Executive Director, Goldman Environmental Foundation*
Michael Sweet, JCRC Board Member- Civic Engagement Committee Co-Chair*
Michael Watenpaugh, San Rafael City Schools Superintendent*
Mike Shriver, Chair of the Board, National AIDS Memorial Grove*
Myrna Melgar, Former San Francisco Planning Commission President*
Rabbi Nathaniel Ezray, Congregation Beth Jacob*
Nick Josefowitz, Former Member, BART Board of Directors*
Nicole Derse, Co-Founder and Principal, 50+1 Strategies*
Nicole Wheaton-Elliot, Governor Newsom's Senior Cannabis Advisor*
Olga Miranda, SEIU 87 President*
Patti Joselewitz, Former JCRC Board of Directors*
Father Paul Fitzgerald, University of San Francisco President*
Paul Henderson, Community Activist*
Rev. Dr. Paul Watermulder, First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame Retired Pastor*
Phil Ginsburg, San Francisco Recreation & Park Department General Manager*
Dr. Pratima Gupta, San Francisco Democratic Party 3rd Vice-Chair*
Rafael Mandelman, San Francisco Supervisor*
Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Council President*
Rebecca Prozan, LGBT Community Leader*
Richard Bougere, Project Level Co-Founder*
Richard Gordon, California State Assembly Member*
Rick Bonilla, San Mateo City Council Member*
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, Union for Reform Judaism President*
Rodney Fong, Commissioner at San Francisco Planning Commission*
Rosalind Franklin, JCRC Board of Directors*
Rudy Corpuz, Jr., United Playaz Executive Director*
Rabbi Ryan Bauer, Congregation Emanu-El*
Sandy Mori, Kimochi, Inc. Senior Community Center Founding Member*
Scott Wiener, California State Senator*
Shamann Walton, San Francisco Supervisor*
Shanell Williams, President, San Francisco City College Board of Trustees*
Shawn Whalen, Senior Project Officer of College Futures*
Shereda Nosakhare, Chief of Staff, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf*
Sophie Hahn, Berkeley City Councilmember*
Steve Nakajo, Kimochi, Inc. Senior Community Center Executive Director Emeritus*
Steve Ngo, Former San Francisco City College Trustee*
Stevon Cook, San Francisco School Board President*
Stuart Schuffman, Writer, Performer, Activist
Susan Wengraf, Berkeley City Councilmember*
Suzy Loftus, San Francisco Police Commission Immediate Past-President*
Rabbi Sydney Mintz, Congregation Emanu-El*
Tara Moriarty, SFO Internal Communications Manager*
Teddy Gray King, Piedmont City Council Vice Mayor*
Theo Ellington, Homeless Initiatives & Community Development Director, Salvation Army*
Tom A. Hsieh, Political Consultant*
Tom Temprano, San Francisco City College Board of Trustees Vice President*
Tomiquia Moss, Hamilton Families Executive Director & CEO*
Tracy Brown, Tracy Brown, San Francisco District 10 Legislative Aide*
Vallie Brown, Former San Francisco Supervisor*
Vince Courtney, Jr., Laborers' International Union of North America, Local 261, Recording Secretary*
Zach Wasserman, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission Chair*
Zoe Dunning, Former San Francisco Democratic Party 1st Vice-Chair*

*Titles for Identification Purposes Only