These powerful words were spoken by Sylvia Marjeyeh, an Arab Israeli Palestinian and Program Director of the Radical Aliveness Institute in Jaffa, Nazareth, Israel—shortly after the devastating Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th.

Rooted in deep personal experience and decades of emotional healing work across the divides of her homeland, Sylvia brings a rare and courageous perspective. Before that tragic day, she led transformative workshops where Palestinians and Israelis came together to understand each other’s pain—exchanging stories not to agree, but to witness, to feel, and to begin the process of heart justice. After these sessions, participants often said they had come to respect each other’s truths.

In her interview with Peace Through Commerce on The Matrix of Peace Show, Sylvia shared a profound realization:

“We need to step out of the illusion of separation. One thing I’ve learned from my life is that separation is an illusion. I truly believe that now, more than ever, we must step into a new space—a deeper truth—that my peace is bonded with your peace. This is not just a hope—it is the only truth of survival.”

At Peace Through Commerce, founder and CEO Phyllis Blees explains how we partner with the Radical Alive Institute and that this philosophy is not abstract. It is embedded in the Matrix of Peace Whole Systems Model—a powerful framework that helps societies heal by bringing justice, prosperity, sustainability, and ecosystem balance into alignment.

Michelle Waters

 VP, Peace Through Commerce Inc.

[Pictured above: Kaltum (Arab) and Sima (Israeli)]