Standing Together is an organisation based in Israel, which works across communities to promote independence and peace for Israelis and Palestinians; trusting that true social, economic, and environmental justice and full equality for everyone in this land is possible. To achieve such a future, they believe that all people in the region must stand together.
On 17 November, I had the privilege to hear directly from Nati Hanadari, a Standing Together activist who has participated in the movement’s recent protective presence in the occupied West Bank, where activists have supported Palestinian olive farmers against ‘settler’ terror.
Standing Together in the West Bank
Nati told us it had been a difficult day – a friend from one of the Standing Together groups in Nazareth lost one of its members, a friend from one of the groups in Israel. It had been in his mind and heart, and understandably he wanted to share the information.
He lives in Israel and is both part of national leadership, and leadership of a local group. Since the start of the war, it was obvious that it was going to be bad, and things just got worse and worse as time went on. As the war wound on, things that were happening in the West Bank were being ignored as eyes were turning in a different direction. We need to pay more attention to what was happening there.
The work of Standing Together activists in the West Bank
Standing Together started by visiting people whose family members were killed and were hostages. Nati said that Palestinian women were being attacked and taken into custody for calling out the horrors in Gaza on social media. So, he explained, we have shown solidarity with them around that issue.
At one point, Standing Together started standing at one of junctions near Arab towns. After the war began there were demonstrations in Jewish towns and villages, just as there were in Arab towns and villages. Standing Together decided to stand in solidarity with Arab villages. Arabs were also in a lot of pain and it was important to stand with them.
Standing Together also started a collection of food for Gaza, and near the end of the war they started paying attention to the West Bank. Nati explained that one of the most notable things is their interactions on Jerusalem Day, when settlers parade through the old city of Jerusalem, the anniversary of the 1967 war. For a couple of years Standing Together activists have tried to stand between racist marchers and people in the old city of Jerusalem.
Most people barricade houses against the violence, but some are not willing to go behind their doors, just because settlers are demonstrating. Nati showed a film of this. Settlers were chanting ‘death to the traitors’ – meaning the activists of Standing Together. There was also a video of a small woman trying to protect a Palestinian man.
Standing Together is often standing between two groups of people: the Palestinians – the settlers and the police. Consequently, they can never tell which direction the problems will come from. If settlers come and police come, police don’t usually arrest settlers, but they will attack Palestinians.
The annual olive harvest is a difficult time for Palestinians who attempt to access their farmland. A lot of areas in the West Bank were closed off during the war, and Palestinians were not allowed to go into the agricultural land. In consequence most land was not cultivated and olives were not picked for two years.
There was a promise that at the end of the war that Palestinians could return to pick olives. This autumn has been olive picking time again, but settlers and the army have often not allowed Palestinians to gather olives and much of the crop was actually picked by settlers. The ways into orchards were cut off and trees were cut down. Along with other organisations, Standing Together have stood and helped with picking and made sure that farmers were allowed to do their work. On one occasion, a drone crashed onto someone working alongside Standing Together activists. When people tried to make sure others were not harmed, two settlers in military fatigues attacked and shot into the air dangerously close to a peace activist.
One new project is working with a group of families of Bedouins outside of Jerusalem, who have been pushed away from ancestral lands by large settlements. In addition, new settlements are now being created, trying to push them further out again. Different families are moving to Jericho; they are very poor, with no wealth, and living conditions are hard. One of the Bedouin brothers asked Standing Together to be with them, so they sit in his house on weekends. They sit from Thursday night to Sunday morning and there are fewer attacks when Standing Together are there.
Settlers come with sheep and goats and move into the houses. Settlers have burnt houses deserted by families that had left. These things happen less when Standing Together are there. They can’t be there all the time, but Standing Together is making a difference.
Laying the foundations of a lasting peace
We can only hope that the ceasefire holds. When peace does truly come to the area, there will be a huge need for reconciliation. Palestinians and Israelis are going to have to live and work together in a shared society. Standing Together is laying the foundations for that now; they need and deserve our support. To learn more about the UK Friends of Standing Together, please see here.
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