Uri Avnery (1923-2018) was one of the best known peace activists in Israel. He served in the Israeli military in the 1948 war and then set up a hugely popular anti-establishment magazine, Haolam Hazeh (This World), which forced the issue of Palestinian rights into the mainstream. He created a political party and, against all odds, won a seat in the Israeli parliament in 1965. For years he was the only member of parliament calling for negotiation with the Palestinians and was the first Israeli to meet with Yasser Arafat. In 1992 he founded the Gush Shalom peace movement, which takes part in direct action to improve the day-to-day lives of Palestinians and to end the occupation. He is the author of Israel's Vicious Circle (Pluto, 2008).

Sara R. Powell is an activist, artist and writer. She is the editor of Israel's Vicious Circle (Pluto, 2008).