ABOUT US
Our Story
The current socio-political reality in Israel is unbearable. Unending occupation feeds violence, fear, and hatred between Israelis and Palestinians. Economic inequality is widening. Poverty is deepening. Israel’s Palestinian minority faces increasing discrimination. Women, Mizrahim, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, the elderly, and people with disabilities are marginalized socially, economically, and politically. Working people must labor for ever longer hours at stagnating wages while the cost of living continues to soar even higher.
Rather than seriously address these problems, our political leaders use fear and racism to divide us. Instead of providing genuine security solutions, they deliver never-ending wars. Rather than serve the majority, they look out only for the rich. Our government is increasingly disconnected and corrupt. Israeli society is in a deep crisis.
Nevertheless, we find room for hope. Most people want to live in a just and equal society. Our country is blossoming with promising initiatives: worker’s unions, anti-occupation campaigns, environmental movements, and so much more.
These struggles inspire hope and help catalyze political change. However, as long as they remain disconnected, their power is sorely limited.
To build peace, equality, and climate justice, we need a mass movement. Currently, the Israeli Left is dominated by professional NGOs, which despite their important work, can never become a political home for the masses. Meanwhile, Israel’s leftist political parties can no longer mobilize wide swaths of the population. Many people want progressive change: they support peace and oppose the occupation, they support equality and oppose racism, they support social justice and oppose rule by wealth. They need a movement to unite them, inspire them to take action, and turn their solidarity into a powerful political force.
Standing Together is this movement. We are building a shared home for all those who refuse hatred and choose empathy. We won’t erase our differences, but rather believe in a true partnership based on shared interests. This is the meaning of Standing Together.
We envision a society that serves all of us. A just and equal society that treats every person with dignity. A society that chooses peace, justice, and independence for Israelis and Palestinians – Jews and Arabs. A society in which we all enjoy real security, adequate housing, quality education, good healthcare, a liveable climate, a decent salary, and the ability to age with dignity.
Such a society is possible – we’re already building it.
Our Theory of Change
First published in 2019, this document guides our movement’s values, strategy, and goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you an NGO? Or a political party?
We are neither! At Standing Together, we see two progressive camps in Israeli society – Left-wing political parties and professional NGO’s. Unfortunately, neither group can generate transformative change. The leftist parties can no longer mobilize wide swaths of the Israeli public. Professional NGOs likewise fail to provide meaningful activism for the average layperson. Standing Together seeks to fill the void between these two camps. As a grassroots movement, rooted in inclusivity and pluralism, we will unite the Israeli masses and propel them to action.
Why purple?
We want our movement to be recognizable! Across the globe, purple is associated with new Leftist movements – we want to identify with this trend. In addition, purple is a depoliticized color in Israeli politics – associated with neither the Right nor the Left. Similarly, we hope to defy current political dichotomies and create a new mass movement centered around hope and change. Finally, purple is the international color of the feminist movement. We know that every fight for justice must be connected to the struggle for gender equality.
What do you do?
Over the past few years, our movement has grown to incorporate a wide range of issues, techniques, and strategies. We operate eight regional chapters – Upper Galilee, Western Galilee, Yizrael Valley/Nazareth, Haifa, Triangle/Sharon, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Jerusalem, and the Negev; six student chapters – Ben-Gurion University, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, Hebrew University, Sapir College, and Rupin College; and a nation-wide climate justice chapter. We organize protests across the country demanding economic equality, climate justice, and an end to the occupation. We hold workshops on grassroots power, organize get-out-the-vote campaigns, and run candidates for student union elections. Our alternative media outlet, Rosa Media, produces Hebrew and Arabic podcasts highlighting underrepresented political stories and perspectives from across Israeli society. We maintain a robust presence in Israeli social media – combatting extremist voices and advancing hope.
How can I support you?
We invite people both inside and outside Israel to join our movement by becoming a monthly contributing donor today! Please also consider following us on social media or making a one-time donation.
Our Leadership
As a grassroots social movement, Standing Together is governed democratically. Every two years, movement members gather for a national convention to decide our broad strategies and national campaigns. Between conventions, the movement is guided by a 60-person National Coordinating Team – which is comprised of directly elected members and representatives from the local chapters. 21 members of the National Coordinating Team form the Secretariat – which directs the movement’s activities on a more intimate basis and provides guidance for the paid staff. Our Secretariat is listed below:
Alon-Lee Green
Heli Mishael
Mehasan Abdelhadi
Oded Rotem
Sally Abed
Yael Agmon
Dani Filc
Itamar Avneri
Nadav Shofet
Ori Schwartz
Shahed Bshara
Ghadir Hani
Manar Kaadan
Naser Odat
Rula Daood
