Standing Together resists police ban on showing faces of children killed in Gaza

Standing Together writes to supporters…

This is crazy, and it’s happening right now. As we prepared for one of our biggest anti-war protests yet, scheduled for tomorrow in Tel Aviv, the Israeli police issued an official order banning us from carrying signs with the faces of children killed in Gaza or photos of Israeli hostages. But we refused to comply, and we made the ban public, mobilized immediately, and under pressure — the police backed down.

We answered with action. Billboards were bought and we put up the very images they tried to hide on bus stops, walls, and public squares across the country. These posters are declarations that say: we refuse this war, we refuse ethnic cleansing and we demand the hostages be brought home now.

A billboard with photos of Gazan children, with the headline “18,000 children have died in the bombing of Gaza”, and the Standing Together slogan “Refuse War”, with details of the anti-war protest in Habima Square, Tel Aviv, on 24 April.

But this cannot stop here. People are responding, but we need to go bigger. We need to reach more cities, print more posters, and ensure tomorrow’s protest is louder, more visible, and more powerful than anything we’ve done before. We’ve shown that pressure works. Now we have to turn it up.

Donate to Help Fund the Protest and Expand the Photo Campaign

And while this government tries to silence, divide, and isolate us, we’re doing the exact opposite. We’re coming together, louder and broader than ever before. On May 8–9, thousands of Palestinians and Jews from across the country will gather in Jerusalem for the It’s Time Conference — a powerful act of collective vision in the face of violence and fear. Organized by over 60 civil society groups, this summit will bring together those who believe that freedom, dignity, and safety are rights for all.

And it won’t stop in Jerusalem. In solidarity with the conference, more than 20 cities around the world, from New York to Berlin, Montreal to Sydney, will be holding local events, actions, and livestreams to amplify our message: It’s time for peace, it’s time for justice and it’s time to stand together.

As we continue this work on the ground, we’re also connecting with supporters and partners abroad. In the next two weeks, two members of our leadership will be visiting communities in Chicago, Canada, and the U.K. to share our vision, connect with supporters, and build partnerships across borders.