How to Support Peace for Israel-Palestine

Since the massacre in Israel on October 7 by Hamas, I have faced death threats, harassment, slurs, blood libels, and other acts of antisemitism here at home. My family in Ramat Gan, just outside of Tel Aviv, have endured rocket attacks and evacuations. Some of my friends and acquaintances in Southern Israel are either missing or presumed dead. Meanwhile, Palestinian civilians, including thousands of children, are being killed in airstrikes that have done nothing to stop Hamas and endanger the hostages currently still being held somewhere in Gaza.

At the same time, global unrest has erupted, from attacks on synagogues and Jewish cultural centers, to the murders of Palestinian-Americans and proposals to deport Muslims and Arabs. It would be impossible for me to list all of the tragedies and bigotries that are coursing through America, and globally, against Jews, Muslims, Arabs, Israelis, and Palestinians. However, I hope you understand that what you have heard happening to myself and others is but a small window into the horror that has gripped our nation and our world.

It is because of this that I have decided to show you how you can rise to meet the needs of this moment in history.

1. Write to your representative.

Ask Congress to support a humanitarian pause in the war between Israel and Hamas. I believe this is necessary to make a good-faith attempt to negotiate the release of the hostages held by Hamas, for the international community to expedite the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from war zones while providing much-needed aid, and for the Israeli government to listen to their American allies in how to stop the wanton slaughter of innocent people in their campaign to stop Hamas once and for all. Because of the support our country gives to Israel, I believe we have the right to ask this of them. Because we have been through this before during 9/11, I believe we have the experience to help them.

As a proud progressive Jewish Zionist, I want a safe and secure Israel. But I also want a free and liberated Palestine. I want to end the cycle of violence that has dominated the region for decades. Not just for my family in Israel and my family here at home, but also for the families of my friends, my community, the Jewish people, the Israeli people, the Palestinian people, and so many others affected by this conflict.

Please tell your representative to support a humanitarian pause so that we can work together with our allies and the international community in prioritizing the safety of innocent lives. By doing this, we can help build a world where peace is possible for everyone.

2. Donate to humanitarian organizations.

There are people on the ground who are already doing the hard work of saving lives, healing the sick, helping the lost, feeding the hungry, and so much more. By donating, you can provide them with the resources to continue doing so. For Jews, meaningful contributions are measured in multiples of 18, which is the number representing the Hebrew word, "chai" which means life.

The New Israel Fund (NIF) helps Israel live up to its founders’ vision of a society that ensures complete equality for all its inhabitants. Their aim is to advance liberal democracy, including freedom of speech and minority rights, and to fight the inequality, injustice, and extremism that diminish Israel. Currently, NIF's emergency safety net fund is being used to care for the most vulnerable and affected, prevent intercommunal violence, combat hate speech and disinformation; provide trauma counseling, as well as respond immediately to human and civil rights violations. Donate now using this link.

The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) provides free medical care to thousands of injured and ill children yearly who lack local access to care within the local healthcare system. They are one of the primary relief groups operating in Palestine to distribute medical supplies, provide doctors and nurses, train local surgeons and medical personnel, as well as build pediatric hospital departments and mental health programs. Their work is particularly invaluable in Gaza during this war as they provide treatment to those injured or maimed during the fighting. Donate now using this link.

World Central Kitchen (WCK) provides meals to people impacted by every type of crisis imaginable, from hurricanes and wildfires to poverty and crime. Right now, they are working with partners to serve meals to families impacted by the extreme escalation of violence and ensuing humanitarian crisis. WCK teams on the ground have established a network of partners that are providing thousands of meals daily to impacted families in Gaza, Israel, Egypt, and Lebanon. They have already provided over 200,000 meals in Israel, and their partner in Gaza has provided more than 1.4 million meals—both in the form of cooked meals, as well as kits of produce and dry goods that can sustain a family for several days. Donate now using this link.

3. Educate yourself.

I didn't set out to become an expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was a necessity when experiencing antisemitism and understanding my heritage. In fact, the more I learn the more I realize how little I actually know. In a region with over 3,000 years of history, it can be daunting to try and grapple with the grievances and histories of the people whose homeland the Levant has been and whose home it still is. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't start or try. There are many resources available to help you understand the context and complexity of this conflict so that you can hold space for the many narratives present there.

Books to read: Daniel Sokatch's, Can We Talk About Israel? It's a great introduction to Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Indeed, Sokatch is head of the NIF and has been a leading voice for peace for a long time. Rashid Khalidi's, The Hundred Years' War on Palestine. This is a challenging but critical introduction to Palestine and Palestinian history during this conflict. Khalidi is considered one of the greatest scholars of his people and his book really shows that. Hillel Cohen's, Year Zero. This text traces the actual beginning of the conflict to 1929. Cohen weaves together historical threads from many Hebrew and Arabic sources that help understand modern Israel and Palestine, and what that means for the war in Gaza.

Groups to watch: pro-peace organizations that support a democratic Israel and a free Palestinian state, like J Street. They advocate at every level, from college campuses to the halls of Washinton D.C. In my opinion, if you're a liberal, progressive, or leftist who supports self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians, then J Street is for you. Pro-peace organizations with detailed solutions to the conflict that ensure the right to self-determination for all peoples living between the river and the sea, like The S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace. Their mult-track strategy for generating momentum toward a stable two-state solution that involves all parties to the conflict is ambitious, but also much-needed for the urgency of this moment. Pro-peace spiritual movements that help guide people through grief, fear, and even bigotry, such as Reconstructionist Judaism. This denomination provides a religious, spiritual, and emotional analysis of the conflict that recognizes the shared humanity of everyone. They are part of the Progressive Israel Network which includes many other organizations committed to peace and social justice values. Because of this, they also offer many ways to get involved and support innocent people caught up in the war and those in the diaspora watching it unfold.

I hope this guide is helpful for those of you, like me, who are struggling at this moment. Indeed, hope is the one thing that I have found the hardest to hold on to. But I have found that while hope may be fragile, it can never be extinguished. Hope rekindles itself in each new day that we're given and every new choice that we make. If despair has wracked you like it has me over the past few weeks and you're feeling lost, try these ways of helping to have hope again. You may find, in doing so, that we're not as alone as it might feel.

Take note and take care.

Shavuah tov.