March 22, 2023
As we watch with increasing alarm the existential crisis unfolding in Israel and the mass protests there and in the Diaspora against the agenda of Israel’s current hard right-wing government, the DJC Board has realized that we must assert our position and get involved. If this Israeli government’s agenda is implemented, the implications for Israelis, Palestinians, Jews worldwide and for us as members of a progressive Jewish community are extremely serious.
Many of us have strong connections to Israel. Many have family living there. Some of us consider ourselves to be Zionists while others do not. However, what unites us are the progressive values we share. We are egalitarian and include members from diverse Jewish backgrounds and cultural traditions, interfaith and intercultural families, and the full spectrum of sexual orientations and gender identities. We advocate for human rights and social justice.
This Israeli government’s policies and plans constitute a serious threat to democracy and to Israel’s security. They will adversely impact the rights of women, LGBTQ individuals, non-Orthodox Jews, Palestinian citizens and other minorities. They will also jeopardize a just and peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
We support Israeli citizens and the Israeli civil society organizations that have mobilized to protest this Israeli government’s policies and plans. The DJC Board asks our members to get involved and denounce this government’s agenda and its anti-democratic legislation.
Many progressive Jewish organizations and individuals in Canada and around the world have already signed onto this open letter to Israel’s President HERE. We encourage you to do so.
You can stay up to date on ways to get involved by subscribing to mailing lists of JSpaceCanada, New Israel Fund of Canada and Canadian Friends of Peace Now. You can also support the Israeli expat movement UnXeptable, whose members are fighting in the Diaspora to save their country’s democracy. UnXeptable Toronto holds regular activities and urges Canadian Jews to help their efforts. To find out more, see their Facebook page HERE.