Standing Together is an organisation based in Israel which is currently celebrating its tenth anniversary. It was born out of what is described as the unbearable socio-political reality in Israel as never ending occupation feeds fear, hatred and violence, between Israelis and Palestinians. Standing Together seeks to change that reality and build a more hopeful future for all the people in the region.
At present, poverty is deepening as economic inequality is widening, while the Palestinian minority faces increasing discrimination. Mizrahim immigrants. women, the elderly, the LGBT community and people with disabilities are socially, economically, and politically marginalised.
Meanwhile working people in Israel must work longer hours at stagnating wages while the cost of living continues to relentlessly rise.
In response to this, Standing Together says that the Israeli government is merely looking out for the wealthy and failing to provide answers to the deep-seated problems in Israeli society and the wider region. Standing Together works for a fairer and more hopeful Israel and wider region, where all people will be valued and can lead fulfilled lives.
On 27 November a ceremony took place to mark the tenth anniversary of Standing Together.
Standing Together National Convention
The Convention began with a series of pictures illustrating Standing Together work, followed by a warm welcome and introductions in Hebrew and Arabic.
We began with the hosts saying who they are and celebrated recent victories, including the courage of Standing Together co-director Rula Daood in putting herself forward to lead Israel’s Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, representing Arab citizens in Israel, even though she was unsuccessful in her bid.
We heard about Standing Together activities on campuses, bringing hope in the immediate aftermath of 7 October 2023, with demonstrations by Standing Together in support for equality, social justice and peace, despite all the difficulties they faced.
We were reminded that Standing Together is a movement of thousands of Jewish and Arab people working for the future of all in unity despite people having their differences. It must move towards the end of occupation and peace for all and a society based on freedom and equality for all.
There must be solidarity, and it is important to remember that the land is home to all who live there. Everyone’s roots are there and the land belongs to all.
A beacon of hope
Then the audience were asked to put the torches on their phones in the air if they feel the need to feel together, or if they have demonstrated for hostages and peace on campuses, or in collecting aid for people in Gaza
Then the audience was asked who believes change is possible; each time many phones went up into the air like so many beacons of hope in the darkness of the current situation.
Standing Together must win
We heard from an Israeli speaker who spoke about helping Palestinian olive farmers, along with Rabbis for Human Rights,
Standing Together intends to win, building a community, and while there is much violence and discrimination, they have faced it.
Hope and aid not war and occupation
This was followed by a short film about the struggle for hope, speaking out against war, occupation and sending aid to those who need it.
And there are sane voices in Israel who want to see an end to war and killing and build a sense of hope. It has been a struggle at times to maintain Jewish Arab solidarity, but they have succeeded.
The aftermath of 7 October
Next up we heard from Israeli activists talking about the immediate aftermath of 7 October, how there was terrible tension with Palestinians but on a personal level, friends from both sides still got on and talked about their shared hurt.
Soon Standing Together were setting up action groups across the country to push back against the voices of war and hate, with Jews and Arabs together helping Jews and Arabs.
It was pointed out that in early 2024, opinion polls showed that only 20% supported a hostage deal to end the war. But Standing Together kept going, persuading and slowly building a majority. It took a year but it did become the majority view.
Standing Together activists even broke into the Big Brother studio and told the viewers the truth that the war was hurting everyone, while they also raised money to build protective shelters.
Now they reflect on the activity and consider the next steps after the disaster of war and how people can move forward together.
Standing Together and dealing with loss
Then we saw another film of Standing Together activists protecting Palestinians in Israel from the far-right and how this proved to be a powerful way to go forward and how a lot of collective action grew out of it.
When they stand together, they protect each other.
There was mention made of how the education system for Palestinians is broken and moving personal testimony from a Palestinian talking of how a loved one had been shot. She said how Standing Together had stood with her, until she was ready to talk about her loss.
Working Together
We were reminded that there were many painful stories from Palestinian society, with a speaker talking of the problem of violence in Arab society, and how children deserve a better future, while there is terrible neglect from the current Israeli government.
Standing Together is the organisation that can succeed together in fighting crime and violence in Arab society, while building community resilience, with Arabs organising for justice and an end to violence and crime, not waiting for the police.
A speaker spoke of being opposed to the war, starvation and violence in the West Bank and how violence and crime were shared problems of Jews and Arabs and so can only be defeated together.
While despair looms on the horizon, Standing Together insists on a better future for their children.
Music and film
There was also a very moving musical contribution, not in English but I was moved by the heartbreakingly sad music.
This was followed by another video about Standing Together’s mission for social justice and equality and defending the environment, including demanding a green new deal.
Emphasis was laid on the democratic nature of Standing Together and that it is the biggest grassroots Jewish-Arab movement in Israel.
Rula Daood and Alon-Lee Green
Rula and Alon-Lee are co-national directors of Standing Together. They reminded us of all those who have stood up to war, racism and hatred and are helping to build a better future for all in the region.
We are now at a historical crossroads and can carry on the path which has led to such suffering or take a new path, leading to historical reconciliation between Jews and Arabs and a shared future. Israel must not go back to 6 October 2023, but build something better. The world has shifted towards recognising a Palestinian state and as if in a restaurant, peace must be on the menu for the future. It is not good enough to just manage the conflict; it must be ended. Alon-Le talked of looking forward to the day when Jews and Arabs can swim together on the beach at Tel Aviv.
Israel is at a crossroads and must choose to turn left and work for peace, equality and social justice.
Rula reminded us that after the war, there is a huge need to not only rebuild Gaza, but also Israel, rebuilding it on better foundations, as a state that lives in peace with those around it. All have responsibility in the face of rising fascism of building a better state.
There must be full equality for Palestinians in Israel and the path to equality goes through a joint Arab and Jewish struggle. People are capable of taking responsibility and building a better future and a Standing Together victory will give victory for all marginalised people in Israel, not only Palestinians.
Rula concluded by saying: “Where there is struggle, there is hope and we have only just begun”.
Taking the right road
Standing Together never fails to move me deeply when I watch their ceremonies and events. There are true fighters for justice and peace, so that in the words of the prophet Amos, justice can “roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream”.
For all those who think that there is no hope for a resolution to the conflict between Jews and Arabs, Standing Together is the antidote and the answer to all those who have prayed for a lasting peace in the Middle East.
With a powerful mixture of idealism and pragmatism, they are showing what a shared and peaceful future for all in the region could look like and how Israel and Palestine can take the correct road from the crossroads that they are at presently, towards a better, shared future with equality, social justice and peace for all.
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