Protect Human Rights & Democracy in Israel Today

It is a rare and beautiful thing to have a voice -- even more so for that voice to be heard both in its place of origin and an ocean away. While polarizing rhetoric continues in both America and Israel and it becomes increasingly difficult to be progressive in either country. In this unprecedented era of #FakeNews, the fight for democracy and equality is being led by NIF, its grantee organizations, and its generous supporters. As an NIF/Shatil Social Justice Fellow, I am proud to ask you, too, to raise your voices against the delegitimization of progressive civil society and for human rights.

They tell me at my fellowship placement, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)—the country’s ACLU-equivalent—that to work in human rights, one must be optimistic. I am not a naturally optimistic person, but the work that I partake in at Israel’s oldest, largest human rights organization does give me hope, especially as democracy feels to be slowly slipping away, like sand in an hourglass.

As a fellow, I have spent this past year learning about and working in the social change and human rights field at ACRI. Every day I learn more about the anti-democratic legislation taking place in the Knesset and the uphill battle that my host organization has been fighting for almost fifty years. Meanwhile, the hill has transformed into a mountain range.

Please join me and my peers, ACRI, and all of the NIF grantees, in keeping  hope alive for a more just and democratic Israel. Do not let anyone tell you that your voice doesn't count because it's an ocean away. Take it from me - we can hear you. 

Right now, I need your help to make sure that NIF's huge and tangible thumbprint on civil society remains unhindered. Please donate today to strengthen Human Rights & Democracy in Israel via NIF.