Events

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The Fight to Save Israeli Democracy

Join us to hear directly from NIF Global CEO Daniel Sokatch and NIF Israel Executive Director Mickey Gitzin in conversation with Dr. Ayala Panievsky (Cambridge University, Molad) on Wednesday 19th February, 6.30 pm- 8 pm.  

Daniel and Mickey will discuss the ceasefire and hostage deal, NIF’s work to save democratic values and institutions in Israel, and our current priorities. Through an American and Israeli lens, and in the wake of the Trump inauguration, understand better how 2025 might unfold for Israel and what NIF is doing to make a difference.

The conversation will be chaired by Dr. Ayala Panievsky, Gates-Cambridge scholar and Molad research associate.  

Get your tickets now.

 

Women Waging Peace

Palestinian & Israeli Activism and Leadership

In honour of International Women’s Day, we will be hosting the inaugural winners of the Vivian Silver Impact Prize, May Pundak and Rula Hardal, co-directors of A Land for All, on Sunday 9th March, from 4.30-6.30 pm.

They will be joining us, along with Vivian’s son, Yonatan Zeigen, and Shira Ben-Sasson Furstenberg, Associate Director of NIF in Israel.

Dr Rula Hardal is a lecturer in political science at Palestinian universities as well as a research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute for Israeli and Jewish Identity in Jerusalem. She is a fellow in the Forum for Regional Thinking. Originally from Peki’in, she currently lives in Ramallah.

May Pundak is a lawyer and a feminist activist. May deals with the seam between policy, education, and community activism. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Law. May is a graduate of the Mandel School for Educational Leadership, and lives with her family in Jerusalem.

Tickets are available here.

 

The Battle for Israel’s Soul

Join us at Jewish Book Week on Sunday 9th March, at 3.30 pm.

Israel stands strong in a hostile region, bolstered by military prowess and global business innovation. Yet, it is more divided than ever. The old guard of socialist elites and idealists is fading, while the country’s democratic foundations face unprecedented challenges. The New York Times Jerusalem correspondent Isabel Kershner, in conversation with journalist Jenni Frazer, presents a wide-ranging portrait of the Israeli people at a pivotal moment in their history. In The Land of Hope and Fear, she introduces us to a diverse array of voices—Jews and Arabs, religious and secular, liberals and zealots—grappling with perennial conflict and existential threats.

Buy a copy of The Land of Hope and Fear by Isabel Kershner

Get your tickets here.

 

Previous Events

Webinar on the Hostage Deal

NIF US is hosting a webinar on Thursday 23rd January at 6 pm to help us understand why this deal happened now and what it may mean for the future. They will discuss the political implications of the US-brokered deal, and what this may foreshadow for the incoming Trump administration’s policy in Israel and Gaza.

With speakers:

Noa Landau, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Haaretz

Aaron David Miller, former State Department analyst and negotiator

Mickey Gitzen, Director of NIF Israel

 

Human Rights Awards Rising Stars

We are delighted to hold our flagship Human Rights Awards event, ‘Rising Stars’ on Sunday 10th November.

The event, hosted by award-winning activist and comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi, featured our award winners, Eran Nissan and Rawyah Handaqlu, two of the most inspiring young activists and leaders working in Israel today for a fairer future tomorrow. They were in conversation with CNN’s Ami Kaufman. Read more about our winners here.

The evening featured superb, thought-provoking content followed by a relaxed reception and delicious hot bowl food and drinks.

Read more about the evening and see some clips from the night here.

 

Haaretz Israel Conference, Israel after October 7: Allied or Alone?

We were honoured to co-sponsor the Haaretz Conference on Sunday 27th October at JW3.

The aftermath of the 7th of October and the war in the southern and northern regions have far-reaching implications for Israel, the Middle East, and the broader international order.

Since 7th October, the UK has assumed a pivotal role, emerging as one of the primary global powers engaged in resolving the crisis and shaping a post-war landscape.

In light of these developments and the new government in the UK, the conference engaged our community, allies, and thought leaders in reflecting on the situation in Israel, Palestine, and the wider region.

There were speakers from across Israeli and UK media, politics, academia, and leadership, including representatives from our grantees, Standing Together, Land for All, Mehazkim, Fake Reporter, and Jerusalem Open House.

Speakers included; Ehud Olmert– Former Israeli Prime Minister, Aluf Benn– Haaretz Editor in Chief, MK Naama Lazimi– Member of the Knesset; Chair of the Knesset’s Youth Committee, and Noa Landau– Haaretz Deputy Editor-in-Chief; Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, Advisory Board Member

Click here to see our Director of Content and Leadership, Atira Winchester, chair a panel on Israeli democracy. See here to watch a live stream of selected sessions from the event.

 

7th October Anniversary: Mourning Loss and Looking to the Future

Together with Yachad, we marked the anniversary of 7th October, on Tuesday 8th October.

Our event had two parts: first, a memorial to mourn all loss of life on and since 7th October; then, a panel of Israeli and Palestinian speakers who reflected on how to create a more hopeful future in the region.

During the memorial, we heard from both Israeli and Palestinian victims of 7th October and joined together to honour their and our own grief for all lives lost on and since October 7th.

The panel comprised Palestinian and Israeli speakers, who look to the future, sharing their views on how we move beyond the war and towards a resolution to the conflict which can create a reality of safety and security for all Israelis and Palestinians:

 

Protecting Human Rights in a Time of War with Noa Sattath

We were honoured to host Noa Sattath, in conversation with Adam Wagner, on Sunday 15th September.

Noa has been executive director of the Association of Civil Rights Israel (ACRI), the oldest and largest civil and human rights organisation, since 2021. She is the former executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) and the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance.

In this time of ongoing war and tension in Israel, and with the most extreme right-wing government at the helm, human rights abuses and threats to democracy and the rule of law pass under the radar. ACRI is at the forefront of protecting minorities whose rights have been severely infringed and ensuring that regulations remain in place.

Click here to learn more about their work.

Click here to watch a recording of the event.

 

Mikhael Manekin Event

We were thrilled to host Mikhael Manekin earlier this month for an ‘in conversation’ event with Alona Ferber.

Mikhael is 2023’s Human Rights Award winner and an inspiring and impactful leader, who has worked to advance equality, justice and a safer, shared future for Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Arabs. A published author, Mikhael is also one of the founders of the Faithful Left, who campaign to offer a religious alternative to extremists who profane Judaism.

To read more, see his bio in English here and in Hebrew here.

Their conversation explored the themes of religious extremism, defending democracy, arab-jewish partnership and finding hope and a way forward during the current war.

Click here to watch a recording of the event.

 

An Evening with Ayelet Gundar-Goshen

New Israel Fund was delighted to host Ayelet Gundar-Goshen in conversation with Alona Ferber, to mark International Women’s Day. They discussed the fallout and recovery of Israeli society after October 7th. Click here to watch a recording of the event.

 Ayelet Gundar-Gosher

Ayelet Gundar-Goshen is a leading Israeli psychologist, who has been dealing with the trauma caused by the events of October 7th, as well as a prize-winning author. Her best-selling book, Waking Lions, explores immigration, identity and communities seeking asylum and was a New York Times Book of the Year.

Her work, which has been translated into over 20 languages, touches upon American-Israeli diaspora identity, dynamics of power, isolation and the experiences of outsiders. Her newest book, The Wolf Hunt, is a psychological thriller that touches upon themes of isolation, racial tensions, familial ties, and what it means to be an Israeli living in the diaspora. The story is told through Lilach, an Israeli-American, living in California with her husband and their teenage son, who has to come to terms with her identity when her son is accused of a terrible crime.

 

Alona Ferber

Alona Ferber is the senior editor of Spotlight, the New Statesman special policy section and supplement.  She specialises in coverage of Israel and was formerly a senior news editor and reporter for Haaretz. She writes on politics and policy, including her specialist coverage of Israel, and interviews major public figures. Her Substack, The Backlash, covers the struggle for gender equality.

New Israel Fund is one of the leading organisations in the world promoting the rights and equality of women, as well as their presence in public and political life. We work with a wide cross-section of women in Israeli society, from the ultra-orthodox to Bedoin.

Over the years NIF has worked to empower women in Israeli society, from helping found the Israel Women’s Network, to supporting organisations like Itach Ma’aki- Women Layers for Social Justice, and advocating for Alice Miller who successfully sued the military for the right to become a pilot.

 

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