Vote for the HATIKVAH: Progressive Israel Slate, to Support a Democratic Jewish State!

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We are inspired by Israel’s Declaration of Independence –which proclaimed the State “will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace as taught by the Prophets; and will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed, or sex; and will guarantee full freedom of conscience worship, education and culture.” Our commitment is to democracy and the rule of law, believing that all citizens of the State of Israel must be treated equally, and their civil and human rights protected. We oppose policies of discrimination, fear, and tribalism.

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We fiercely oppose the current policy of permanent occupation and annexation. It is unjust and will end Israel’s democracy. The occupation is sustained by ongoing policies of repression that only serve to exacerbate conflict and require daily violence to maintain it.

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We proudly stand with those Israelis searching for peace with Palestine. Their understanding, broadly shared at the highest levels of Israel’s security services, that the current policies ultimately harm Israel’s security, needs to be supported publicly and energetically so that a meaningful peace process can gain the popular support necessary to nurture and develop it. Peace-seeking Israelis and Palestinians urgently need the encouragement and assistance of the Zionist movement to support their programs of dialogue, combined with political action to achieve our shared vision of a negotiated, mutually accepted two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and mutual security. This will also enable full and open peace with the Arab world and end Israel’s growing pariah status.

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We wholeheartedly support religious and cultural pluralism in Israeli society. For the State of Israel to be a primary engine for Jewish creative continuity, it must empower, not oppose, the wide range of Jewish cultural and religious expression.

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We stand with Israelis demanding the protection of the rights of women, including equal pay for equal work, equal opportunity in politics, an end to enforced segregation, and an end to discrimination against women’s full participation in public events, both military and civilian. We stand with Israelis fighting against vigilante “modesty patrols” and other acts of harassment against women.  

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We stand with Israelis that welcome asylum seekers, treat foreign workers with the dignity that they deserve, and fight against racism in their society, be it against Jews of color or people of other faiths.  

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We stand with Israelis striving to ensure full legal and social equality for the LGBTQ community, including marriage rights. 

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We also stand with Israelis working to promote environmental sustainability and support working with Palestinians and neighboring countries to deal with regional threats to climate and to water resources.

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Within our communities in North America, we also have much work to do. Against the challenge of anti-Semitism and white supremacist movements, we will work with communal partners, especially Muslim organizations, to promote a common defense to our shared safety and values through interfaith and intercommunal dialogue. 

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We are aligned with the values and policies of the Israeli Labor Party, Meretz, the Green Movement, and other like-minded Israeli movements, organizations, and activists. Together, we work to ensure that the Israel we leave to future generations reflects the best of the values, traditions and hopes we inherited from previous generations, while moving past endless conflict and toward a brighter future of peace.