Parents Against Child Detention (PACD) is a grassroots Israeli organization, established in 2018 by a group of Israeli parents deeply concerned about the harm Palestinian children endure under Israeli occupation. PACD works to raise awareness within the Israeli public about the phenomena of the mass detention of Palestinian children, to be a pressure group that will pursue a policy change and eventually influence decision-makers.
Since October 7, 2003, we have expanded our work beyond advocating for detained children, aiming to expose the full scope of harm experienced by all children – Israeli and Palestinian – living under war and occupation, with a special focus on Palestinian children.
Since the outbreak of the war, children on all sides of the conflict have been displaced, injured, and orphaned, and they are suffering severe impacts on their mental health.
Palestinian children are paying the heaviest price – and yet, their stories remain largely absent from Israeli public discourse.
Scroll down to see our ongoing activities under the shadow of war.
The Empty Pots Installation
In major public spaces, at the heart of bustling leisure districts where thousands eat and drink, we set up The Empty Pots Installation.
Our activists stand silently, surrounded by empty cooking pots, in a clear and urgent protest against the starvation policies imposed on the population of Gaza.This is a call to awareness: starvation is a war crime. Silence is complicity.
Opening the Conversation
We hold conferences, open discussions, and community events across the country to put children at the center of the public discourse on war.
Through lectures, testimonies, and educational tools, we raise awareness about the devastating impact of war on children – both Palestinian and Israeli – and invite the public to take part in this essential conversation.
Speaking out is resistance. Listening is the beginning of change.
Campaigning on Social Media
Our activism lives on in the digital space as well. Through social media campaigns, we bring children’s voices to the forefront.
Using videos, graphics, personal stories, and powerful messaging, we expose the impact of war on children and call on the public to share, amplify, and engage.
Social media is a space of influence and we use it to break the wall of silence.
Art Against Silence
In collaboration with leading artists from Israel and around the world, we curate exhibitions that place children’s experience of war at the heart of artistic expression.
These exhibitions appear not only in established galleries, but also in public spaces – on the streets, in squares – reaching wide and diverse audiences. Art tells what words often cannot – stories of pain, loss, hope, and the demand for justice.
Join Us
Take part in our meetings on and offline, exhibitions, street rallies, conferences and more