Recently, I have become involved with IfNotNow - a movement of young American Jews resisting anti-semitism and fighting for freedom and dignity for all Palestinians and Israelis. IfNotNow is grounded in the belief that the liberation of Jews is bound up with other oppressed groups, both in this country and in Israel/Palestine.
Donald Trump’s first year as president of theUnited States is also the 50th year of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinianterritories. The Israeli government stands poised to makethe occupation a permanent reality and Trump has given every indication thatWashington will support them. We are asking the mainstream AmericanJewish establishment to end its support of the Trump agenda and the occupationand are proving to them that they don't represent us.
We're in this because like so many others in thismoment, we are afraid for ourselves, for our friends and family, for ourneighbors, and the planet. Through IfNotNow, wehave found hope, strength, community, and a deepening sister bond as we grappleTOGETHER with these issues and fight to have our voices heard.
On March 26, we are participating in thelargest demonstration of #JewishResistance in a generation: weare joining thousands of other Jews in D.C. at the annual AIPAC (AmericanIsrael Public Affairs Committee) conference.
The Jewish community needs to be resisting the Trump agenda,but the Jewish establishment is unwilling/unable to take moral leadershipboth in Israel/Palestine and in this country because of all the fear aroundIsrael.
As long as Trump is on the books as "pro-Israel,"then all other things -- racism, xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia, etc. -- seemto get a pass amongst our Jewish communal leaders and establishmentinstitutions.AIPAC is the biggest, most significant example of this.
And by the way – if Trump is "pro-Israel," then hisdefinition of "pro-Israel" is very, very different than ourdefinition of it.
As we say in IfNotNow: "We will be the moral leaders theJewish establishment refuses to be." Sowhilemembers of the Trump administration will be inside the AIPAC conference . . .we'll be outside, and if you want to join us, we'd love to be there withyou! Here are more details,including a schedule at a glance, for protesting AIPAC.
We can’t make any of this happen without the support of ourfriends and family. We have pledged to raise $1,000 to support folks fromaround the country to get to D.C. for this powerful action, and we havealready committed$100 ourselves.
Can you make a gift before March 24? We are asking you toconsider contributing $72, the cost for one person to attend the AIPACprotest. Any amount you are able to give is welcome!
Either way, we want to be in conversation with you aboutthis. We recognize that people have many feelings and perspectives aboutIsrael/Palestine and would love to talk!