Mon 7 Oct 2024 at 12pm - 1pm
Contact Michael Chaitow () for more information.
October 7th was the darkest day in Israel's history. It brought with it immense pain and suffering. It ushered in a disastrous war that is still ongoing. And it exacerbated a series of crises within Israel.
Immediately after that day, NIF sprang into action. We helped to fill the void left by the government’s woeful response by – for example – helping internally displaced Israelis with basic needs of shelter, food, and psychological support. We bolstered democratic norms in the face of rising Jewish supremacist rhetoric and intense pressure to shut down dissent. We were among the first to support the families of the hostages. We worked to defend the civil rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel, Palestinians under occupation, and the right to protest. We ramped up initiatives that promote Jewish-Arab partnership and combat extremism. We launched a special campaign to help feed people in Gaza. We did all this and more.
As we approach the one-year mark since October 7th, we are more determined than ever to chart the course towards better futures for everyone in Israel and under its control. These three principles will be our guide:
- Partnership: We can not retreat into silos, it is only through deep partnerships that we can overcome the challenges we face: between Jews and Arabs, religious and secular, between Israelis and people abroad. NIF was built on partnership and through partnership we will move forward.
- Pushback: We must not let the extremists inside and outside the government define a new terrifying normal. We will continue to pushback on policies and practices that further harmful goals like annexation, judicial overhaul and the continued dismantling of democracy and human rights.
- Peace: The only future for Israel is a future of peace with itself and with its neighbors. These are not mere slogans, all of our futures depend on a ceasefire, return of hostages and a negotiated end to the conflict. That's the starting point.
Come join us to hear a series of online conversations (zoom upon registration) with our wonderful partners on the ground, and stay together afterwards to be in community during this difficult date.
