Reassessing Their Stance: Israel's Peace Activists Rethink the War
Israeli peace activists face a crucial turning point as they confront the aftermath of a devastating terrorist attack Ziv Stahl, a human rights activist, shares her shocking experience of calling the police only to be met with indifference Will this tragedy reshape their stance?
Human rights activist Ziv Stahl was jolted awake by the sound of rocket fire on October 7 while visiting her sister's home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. She never expected the extent of the terrorist attack happening around her, or the shock and horror she would experience when she called the police and was told they would not be coming. The attack by Hamas militants resulted in the murder of her sister-in-law and several well-known peace activists living in the kibbutz, which was one of the most heavily affected communities in the assault on Israel.
Stahl, the executive director of human rights organization Yesh Din, emphasizes that she is not advocating for retaliation over the events of that day, nor is she adopting a pacifist stance regarding Israel's response to the war with Hamas in Gaza. "I am not advocating for a ceasefire at any price," she stated. "Israel has the right to defend itself and its citizens," she clarified, emphasizing that this should not be done indiscriminately or at the expense of thousands of Palestinian lives.
Her viewpoint, which she described as "complex," underscores the dilemma faced by Israel's peace movement when confronting the most devastating attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust.
An Israeli settlement in Hebron is covered in flags and signs on November 17.
Tara John/CNN
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Jewish Israelis who have dedicated themselves to peaceful coexistence with Palestinians are now grappling with concerns about the ongoing cycle of violence resulting from Israel's conflict and the security needs of Israelis amidst significant personal loss.
As solidarity protests for Palestinians occur across the West, some of Israel's minority of leftists, peace activists, and human rights advocates, such as Stahl, have opted to step back from the public discourse on a lasting ceasefire. Others argue that ending the war and establishing a two-state solution is more crucial than ever, even if it may be an unpopular standpoint in a country that has shifted politically rightward over the years.
The radical left
Some activists are raising concerns about authorities trying to conflate peace activism with support for Hamas. It has become extremely difficult to obtain permits for anti-war protests, with the exception of one held in Tel Aviv by the left-wing Arab and Jewish Hadash party. Additionally, in early November, four prominent Palestinian political leaders in Israel were arrested for participating in a silent anti-war protest.
In a left-wing community space in Tel Aviv adorned with a red banner bearing the words "a nation that occupies another nation will never be free," a gathering of young Israelis are discussing their newly established anti-war group, "Gen Zayin," meaning Gen Z. The group members have requested CNN to use aliases for them due to the recent arrests of individuals in Israel for allegedly inciting violence and terrorism. Many of those arrested are Palestinian, and activists argue that their detentions are unjust and based solely on their support for the Palestinian people.
"A nation that occupies another nation will never be free," reads a banner at a left wing community space in Tel Aviv, November 27, 2023.
Tara John of CNN reports that in Israel, the younger generation is more conservative compared to their grandparents, as opposed to the typical liberal trend seen in the West. According to a 2022 poll by the Israeli Democracy Institute, 73% of Jewish people between 18 and 24 years old identified as right-wing, while only 46% of those over 65 did. Rafael, one of the co-founders of Gen Zayins who goes by a pseudonym, shared this insight with CNN.
The Gen Zayin members quietly promote their anti-war, anti-government manifesto, posting posters and sharing pamphlets at high schools in the dead of night. Rafael, 24, strongly advocates for a two-state solution and criticizes the country's right-wing leaders for fueling conflict with attempts to suppress a Palestinian state. He believes that peace, an end to occupation, removal of settlers from the West Bank, and the right of return for an estimated 5.9 million Palestinian refugees are necessary for a just and democratic society.
Members of Gen Zayin feel fearful of Israeli public opinion and also abandoned by parts of the Western leftist movement that advocate for the abolition of the Israeli state. Rafael expressed frustration at an anti-war slogan he came across online, questioning whether it supports decolonization as an abstract concept or a tangible event. He emphasized the need for understanding and unity, highlighting the coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians as the only way forward.
Doxed and threatened
Showing support for Palestinians in public can have serious repercussions. According to activists, some Israeli citizens of Jewish descent have faced termination from their jobs or public reprimand for advocating for Gaza. Ofer Cassif, a member of the Knesset representing Hadash, disclosed to CNN that he was suspended for 45 days in October after stating that "the Israeli government wanted confrontation."
He was additionally charged with drawing a parallel between Israel's Gaza plan and the Nazi Final Solution, he explained. "That's not the message I intended to convey. However, they were not genuinely concerned because the committee was focused on politically persecuting and silencing opposition and dissenting voices protesting against the war," he stated.
Maoz Inon speaks of his peace activism from the Abraham Hostel in Tel Aviv, November 26.
Tara John/CNN
Left-wing, ultra-Orthodox journalist Israel Frey describes being doxed and forced out of his home in Jerusalem on October 15 along with his wife and two children by far-right football ultras. The incident was sparked by a video of him reciting the Kaddish, the Jewish mourners prayer, in which he prayed for those killed by Hamas and for Palestinian women and children under fire in Gaza.
"The street was slowly filling up. They reached my house. I attempted to look through the peephole but they shut it. They knocked and tried to harm me. Even though I can now talk about it with some humor, at the time it was very frightening. Hundreds of people came and tried to harm me," he told CNN from a hidden location, as he is currently in hiding.
Grieving families consider the future
He said that the riot police officers who came to remove him from his apartment also harassed him, with one of them even spitting on him. CNN has contacted Yasam, the Israel Police Special Patrol Unit, for their comment.
While enjoying a hot cup of tea made with herbs from the rooftop garden of a Tel Aviv hostel he co-owns, Maoz Inon shared with CNN that he became a peace activist just a week after his parents were killed in the October 7 attack. It was then that he realized the significance of peace in bringing security to all those living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
Inon has not faced the same scrutiny as other peace activists, attributing it to his personal connection to the Hamas attack. "I'm using my privilege and 15 minutes of fame as a victim to prevent others from suffering the same fate," he stated.
Elana Kaminka speaks from her home in Tzur Hadassah, November 27.
Tara John/CNN
Not many Jewish peace activists are ready to vocally advocate for peace "because everyone is traumatized - but I have the words," Inon said.
Elana Kaminka, an Israeli American living in a suburban community near Jerusalem, was once able to buy vegetables from a small Palestinian village near the Green Line. However, everything changed after her 20-year-old son Yannai was tragically killed while defending the Zikim training base near the border with Gaza on October 7. Since then, she has not been able to visit the village as the checkpoints have become more strict and many Palestinians have had their work permits in Israel revoked.
If Israelis were truly aware of the reality in the territories - the actual implications of the occupation - I believe their perspectives would be different," she shared with CNN from her home, where she resides with her husband and three children. "And for Palestinians, it's also tempting to vilify Israelis and view every Israeli soldier as a terrible person. It's incredibly easy to exist in a bubble where there is no interaction with the other side."
Pictures of Yannai Kaminka, who was killed in the October 7 Hamas attack, are seen in Elana' s home.
Tara John/CNN
She is consumed by grief over the loss of her son, making it difficult to continue her volunteer work which involves supporting victims of racist violence and transporting sick Palestinian children to Israeli hospitals. Kaminka has not taken a clear stance on the war and, like Stahl, acknowledges the significant security concerns, particularly with over 100 hostages still in Gaza. However, she firmly believes that long-term Jewish-Palestinian coexistence is the only viable path forward.
While pointing to the Palestinian village she used to visit, she said: "We have to find a way to build a common society that feels fair and feels just to as many people as possible."
