After our recent trip to Israel, I’ve decided to add the New Israel Fund to my sidebar as an organization I want to publicly support. Why?
- The Fund is Zionist, and believes in the establishment and continuation of the Jewish state in its present, historic location.
- The Fund works for political and economic equality for Israel’s traditionally less empowered populations: women, immigrants, Arabs, Bedouin, and Druze. Much of Israel’s international, political, and diplomatic strength comes from its position as the Middle East’s only free and democratic society. The New Israel Fund’s work helps to ensure that continues.
- The Fund supports organizations I know, believe in, and have worked with in a brief stint doing fundraising during college.
The war and recent battles between Israel and Hezbollah further demonstrate that modern wars cannot be won against weaker states or non-state actors. Military victory becomes political defeat, and anything less than total military victory becomes an implicit victory for the defeated. Israel could have learned that from American experience in Iraq. The only way Israel will win is to continue to be the only country in the Middle East where Arab citizens can vote freely, pursue economic interests freely, and criticize the government freely and without fear of persecution or violence. I hope that my support of the Fund will help to strengthen Israel for these continuing victories.
In their words: “NEW ISRAEL FUND works to strengthen Israel’s democracy and to promote justice and equality for all Israel’s citizens. The leading funder of social change in Israel, NIF supports grassroots organizations working to safeguard civil and human rights, bridge social and economic gaps, and foster tolerance and religious pluralism.”
