By Libby Lenkinski, New Israel Fund VP of Public Engagement

Things are happening in Israel that I’ve never seen before.

On Saturday night, July 25 – and again on this past Saturday – I went to join the protests in Balfour Street, Jerusalem, in front of the Prime Minister’s residence.

The scale of this civic mobilization is spectacular. The media is reporting that last Saturday night’s protests brought as many as thirty thousand Israelis into the streets. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people were first-time activists, many who had never been to a demonstration before.

I’ve been to my fair share of protests in Israel and the West Bank, and this was really different.  Continue reading →

While much of the world talks about the “new normal” as COVID-19 has disrupted old routines, one thing about life in the West Bank has not changed: Jewish settler violence against Palestinians.

B’Tselem: The Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, an organization funded by the NIF global network, continues to document incidents of violence against Palestinians by Jewish settlers. “In June, we recorded 31 different violent events, including 9 physical assault cases, 5 house assaults and 11 cases in which damage was caused to property and agricultural produce. In three other cases, damage was caused to private property.” Continue reading →

The anti-corruption demonstrations against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are becoming larger and more widespread. Last Saturday night, 10,000 demonstrators gathered outside the Prime Minister’s Residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem. Thousands more rallied in Tel Aviv’s Charles Clore Park and there were nearly 1,000 protestors outside of Netanyahu’s private home in Caesarea. Hundreds more Israelis stood on highway bridges throughout the country. Continue reading →

When the Israeli government pursues failing policies, someone is going to blame the backlash on the New Israel Fund.

This week was no exception when Israel’s Minister of Transportation Miri Regev falsely blamed NIF for the widespread protests and criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While being interviewed on Channel 12 she claimed, “There is a campaign of incitement against the prime minister, which is fuelled by the New Israel Fund and the media. Continue reading →