The current political situation inside Israel, the anti-government protests, and the prospects for a war with Lebanon (19 September)
Standing Together’s National Field Organiser Uri Weltmann writes to supporters.
Dear friends,
I returned home recently after giving a talk to our annual seminar of Jewish and Palestinian student leaders of Standing Together, who met for three days to prepare for the upcoming academic year, draw up a plan of action for the student chapters they are leading, and educate themselves on questions of theory, strategy and politics.
It was held in a campus, 50 minutes’ drive from Tel-Aviv, but my arrival there was delayed. because of serious GPS jamming. Apps on my phone – such as those used for using public transportation – did not register my actual location. This GPS jamming – which in northern parts of Israel has become a matter of daily life since the start of the war – is another indication that the current government in Israel is moving fast towards an all-out war in Lebanon, escalating the violence on a daily level, putting at risks the lives of many innocent Lebanese and Israelis.
The decision of our government to go towards a deterioration in Lebanon comes as the ongoing war in Gaza continues to take a terrible human toll on the civilian population there.
I recently gave an interview to the Spanish-language magazine Aporrea, about the current political situation in Israel and the mass anti-government protests. An English translation is available here.
Last month, we launched a campaign to collect food donations to Gaza in Arab-Palestinian cities and towns inside Israel. What was meant to be a small endeavour, exploded with support and became a mass event, involving thousands of people, and receiving some news coverage abroad.
However, some ultra-leftist and nationalist activists within the Palestinian national minority inside Israel were quick to criticise: how come it is a joint movement of Jews and Palestinian that is doing this initiative? Perhaps their motives should be questioned?
Sally Abed, a member of the leadership of Standing Together, and a member of the City Council of Haifa, responded with an op-ed published in the English edition of Ha’aretz. (Click here for a non-paywalled version.)
Finally, Alon-Lee Green and Rula Daood, our two national co-directors, will be visiting Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels in the next few days, with several speaking engagements and public events. The details can be found here and here.