How you can support Standing Together
We’re reposting a briefing from Standing Together in Israel about what international supporters can do to help them.
The full briefing is online here.
Thank you for joining our mass mobilization efforts.
In this moment of crisis, the central action of Standing Together is the preservation of solidarity and relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel. You can strengthen our mission by
1) Sharing a message of humanity to combat the calls for revenge and more bloodshed and
2) by helping to fundraise for our efforts on the ground.
1) Share the message of humanity:
Social media is not something that happens adjacent to wars. It is used as a front in the war by both Israel and Hamas. People form their opinions and understand how they should react to events via the messages they see on social media. Here is what you can do:
- Share content from our English Instagram account
- Share a genuine message using your personal narrative of why you care, and try to include the following points:
- Nobody deserves to be murdered. Nobody deserves to lose their loved ones, their homes, and their communities.
- The war is bad for everyone: Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have died and will continue to be killed in this war.
- Don’t buy into the illusion that security can be achieved through military action. There is no future in Israel-Palestine without ending the occupation and guaranteeing independence, freedom, and security for both nations.
2) Help fundraise for the mutual aid network on the ground in Israel-Palestine:
The Jewish-Arab Solidarity Networks are a response to this violent and dangerous moment. Instead of succumbing to despair and racism; Palestinians and Israelis are coming together to look out for each other. You can watch our interview in English about the networks.
There are 15 groups nationwide: in the south and north, in mixed cities, and in shared regions. The solidarity networks have a calming presence capable of de-escalating conflict within Israel and expanding Jewish-Arab solidarity.
The activities of the solidarity networks:
• Pooling efforts for humanitarian aid initiatives (prepare and clean bomb shelters, collect food and products for people in need, and accompany people afraid to go out).
• Physical and Zoom meetings bringing Jews and Arabs together.
• Meetings between Jews and Arabs with psychologists.
• Monitoring calls for violence and discrimination on social networks, in the media and on the streets, and reporting them to authorities.
• Pressuring the police and the media to intervene in cases of violence.
• Supporting communities of Arabs and Jews who want to work towards solidarity and safety in mixed cities.
• Creating and bolstering a calming presence on streets in cases of calls for violence and discrimination.
Thank you for supporting Israelis and Palestinians in this difficult time.
May we know peace in our generation. May we end the bloodshed that has cost the lives of our loved-ones.