This book is written for scholars, graduate students, and researchers working in peace and conflict studies, comparative politics, political theory, South Asian studies, and Middle East studies. It is particularly suited for advanced university courses on peacebuilding, religion and politics, and citizenship in divided societies. The book examines how civil society actors—faith-based groups, grassroots initiatives, and human rights organizations—engage with religious conflict in India and Israel. It centers on three main ideas: the shortcomings of liberal, state-centered peace models; the politics of citizenship and belonging; and the significance of disputed sacred sites like Ayodhya, Gyanvapi, Al-Aqsa, and Hebron. These issues are important because in both India and Israel religion is not confined to the private sphere; it shapes national identity, legal frameworks, and everyday political life. The book addresses a central problem in peace studies: dominant liberal peace frameworks prioritize institutions, elections, and legal reforms while treating religion as secondary or destabilizing. This approach often fails to grasp how deeply religious identity is embedded in state formation and citizenship regimes. By examining civil society as a politically contested space—shaped by state regulation, shrinking civic freedoms, and ideological struggles—the book offers a more realistic understanding of how peace initiatives operate in religiously divided democracies

Dr. Vyas Muni is an Assistant Professor of political science at the Institute of Legal Studies and Research, GLA University, Mathura. He completed his Ph.D. in Gandhian Thought and Peace Studies from the Central University of Gujarat. His research focuses on peace and conflict studies, civil society engagement in peace processes, identity politics, minority rights, and state–society relations, particularly in the contexts of India and Israel. His doctoral research examined the role of civil society in peacemaking through a comparative study of the two countries. He has published several research articles in internationally recognized, Scopus-indexed journals, including National Identities and Peace Review (Taylor & Francis). His publications engage with themes such as Dalit identity, minority rights in hybrid democracies, and interfaith relations in India. In addition to journal articles, he has contributed scholarly book reviews and opinion pieces on international politics and peacebuilding. He has also presented his research at national and international academic conferences.