Dear Friends,

The election results in Israel have affected us all. We have had a little time to reflect on what it means for our society, to feel a little sad and angry, and to come together to make decisions for the future and rally ourselves for a difficult reality. The rise of the far right is a chilling global trend, and one that seeps into every aspect of our lives, just as the occupation does. Together, we must be louder than ever, and not let the erosion of civil liberty, democracy, and human rights slip further away piece by piece.

Let’s be honest here, the occupation isn’t going anywhere yet. If anything, the election results show that the majority of the Israeli electorate is at best apathetic, and at worst supportive of maintaining the stranglehold on Palestine. So what does this mean for us? And for you who wants to make a change?

In response to the election results, we did what we do best - we came together. Our team of staff made up of Israelis and Palestinians met on Zoom to discuss our plans for the upcoming weeks, and how we can support each other. From Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beit Jala and Ramallah, we talked about how we felt individually, our feelings of despair but also determination, and how much we are looking forward to getting together again next month in person. Meanwhile, dozens of our activists went to Haris, situated south west of Nablus near the Ariel settlement, for the annual olive harvest. Again, we showed the world that Israelis and Palestinians are allies, friends, and partners. The olive harvest is such an important milestone of the year both symbolically and economically for the farmers and families that we support. See photos below of us in action.

So, what can you do? You can put pressure on your governments to prioritise the occupation. Remind those in power and with influence that the ongoing occupation must come to an end, solutions must be found, and that peace must be achieved. You can support us. Trust us to work on your behalf to bring Israelis and Palestinians together, to educate our young people that there is another way, and to find some light in an otherwise dark time.

Thank you for your support and belief in us. This is the time to unite, and to remind those who don’t share our values that we aren’t going anywhere, we will not be silenced or broken and ultimately, we will succeed. 

In Peace & Solidarity from Israel/Palestine,