“The longest year”
Standing Together’s National Field Organiser Uri Weltmann writes to supporters.
Dear friends,
I write to you on the eve of the anniversary of October 7th, and these are troubling times on this land. It was difficult to imagine, after the war broke out, that we would find ourselves a year later with the war still raging in Gaza, and even broadening in scope, to include Lebanon and Iran. The death toll rises. More innocent lives ruined.
In times like this, we draw strength from persistence. Despite the difficult objective circumstances, new young activists joined the fight against the war, and we were able to popularize the demand for an immediate and permanent ceasefire agreement and a withdrawal of the army from Gaza. Reflecting on the passing year – with all its horrors – some satisfaction can be derived by our ability to make an impact in numerous ways. To say what is right, and to get a hearing. To shift the political climate, and to sway people’s hearts and minds.
It is incredibly encouraging that our efforts won recognition, and that Standing Together’s two national Co-Directors – Alon-Lee Green and Rula Daood – were chosen to be included in TIME100 Next list of emerging leaders from around the world:
It is a recognition of not only the personal merits of Alon-Lee and Rula, but also of the collective role that our movement has in the fight for ending the war and for building an alternative for our land.
I was recently interviewed in the UK based podcast Byline Times Podcast, recorded just after the Iranian missile attack on Israel and the increasing Israeli attack on Beirut. I spoke – alongside Israeli peace activist Eran Nissan – about the current political conditions in our country and the prospects of the peace movement:
We created a booklet of eulogies and speeches. collected since the October 7th, and published in English.
Over the weekend, we celebrated the Jewish New Year’s eve. Let’s hope the coming year will be better than the one before. Shana Tova.
Posted on 7 October