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In standing side-by-side with Israelis fighting for a just, safe, and equal Israel

In the last nine months, we have been inspired by millions of Israelis of all backgrounds defiantly defending democracy in the face of an extremist government. 
 
They are demanding a future where everyone can live with equality, justice, and safety. 

With your support the New Israel Fund and our grantees are fuelling the fight back against ultra-nationalists and religious fundamentalists. We know this is not something we will win in a day or month. The pace and scale of the challenge has radically changed and will require a sustained and collective effort by all of us now and in the months and years ahead. 
 
That is why this New Year we are asking you to stand with us for a future where democracy triumphs over extremism and we can achieve our long-term ambition of delivering a fairer Israel for all.  

 

 

For decades the New Israel Fund has been at the forefront of striving for a better and fairer future for all communities in Israel. We have created, developed, and funded hundreds of impactful organisations that empowered minorities and marginalised people, defended human rights for Israelis and Palestinians, and advanced partnership between Arabs and Jews.  

NIF is leading the fight today – tripling emergency grants, proving practical assistance to protect civil society leaders and organisations, and harnessing our work in education and local communities to demonstrate the better future that is possible.   

 

 

Empowering minorities and marginalised groups 

We are proud that NIF have advanced the rights of women, LGBTQ+ citizens, people seeking asylum, Palestinian citizens, and all communities in Israel. 
 
Today, many of these groups are the most at risk under the current government with laws being proposed that will erode hard won rights, such as access to surrogacy for same sex couples, healthcare for asylum seekers, and necessary funding for Palestinian communities in Israel.   

 

How we are addressing these issues 

For today

  • Providing parents and educators with tools, such as a website, to ensure that racism, sexism, and homophobia have no place in education 
  • Protecting space for tolerance in Jerusalem by supporting the growth of the annual Pride march as part of the larger pro-democracy movement.
    This year Jerusalem Pride parade drew over 30,000 participants.
  • Weakening the Orthodox monopoly on conversion.
    After a 20 years battle, this April it was ruled that non-Jewish children adopted in Israel will no longer be required to undergo a strict Orthodox conversion process.
 For tomorrow

  • Nurturing leaders and communities from diverse backgrounds committed to democracy and equality, who are often misrepresented and generalised as supporting this extremist government. 

This includes:

  • Supporting the “Leftists of Faith” movement that launched with 700 people earlier this year.
  • Establishing a grassroots group of pro-democracy Russian speakers 
  • Growing a Mizrachi Civil Collective.

 

  • Amplifing the profiles of female candidates in this year’s municipal elections – currently only 16% of local council seats are filled by women 
  • Bringing together refugee charities to protect non-Jewish refugees from a hostile government 

 

 

Defending Israelis & Palestinians’ Human Rights  

NIF have been challenging the groups and trends that have brought this government to power for fifteen years.  
 
By supporting lawyers, LGBTQ+ groups, Arab-Jewish protestors and all the early demonstrations, NIF lead the way. Now, over a million Israelis including military reservists, hi-tech entrepreneurs, and trade unions are part of a political awakening for a growing pro-democracy camp. 
 

For today  

  • Educating the public in Hebrew, Arabic, and Russian, on the threats to their freedoms 
  • Seed funding the first protests and supporting groups in the social and geographic periphery to reach central protests. 
  • Protecting the right to protest, providing legal support to protesters, and challenging the surveillance & violence of the police
 For tomorrow  

  • Running pre-military programmes about the reality in East Jerusalem & the West Bank 
  • Training local politicians from multiple parties to protect their communities 
  • Providing legal & technical support to dozens of organisations and hundreds of activists to prevent the government from silencing civil society 

 

 

Your support has funded and protected the Bonot Alternativa (Building An Alternative) Handmaid’s Tale demonstrations

 

 

Advancing Arab-Jewish Partnership  

NIF believes that genuine Arab-Jewish partnership and building a fairer shared society can fulfil Israel’s founding vision—one based on equality for all its citizens.  

For today  

  • Establishing the Palestinian Society Protection Hub, confronting threats to Palestinian society 
  • Supporting Jewish-Arab organisations that show the power of a unified vision for the future 
  • Nurturing local Arab and Jewish communities organisers in mixed cities to build trusting relationships 
 For tomorrow   

  • Joint school programmes to remove fear, reduce ignorance, and create dialogue 
  • Investing in Palestinian leadership across the civil service, politics, and the media 
  • Fighting discrimination and securing legal consequences for Palestinian victims. In a groundbreaking win we got a service offering exclusively Jewish taxi drivers shut down and Arab drivers compensated. 

 

The Hub is training volunteer coordinators in 20 Arab localities to organise legal aid

As we have been for over 40 years, we are funding and developing the projects, people, and policies that will deliver the Israel described in the Declaration of Independence. Unlike the extremists in Israel’s government, we are the ones fighting for a secure Jewish homeland that is a democratic state for ALL its citizens and residents.   

These are unprecedented times, and it has never been more necessary to do the work that we do and that you make possible.   

 

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