Almost six months into the war there is still no end in sight. The massacre of October 7th still sits heavy on the minds of the Jewish people and Israeli society, and many of the hostages are still not home. There is ongoing right-wing settler violence in the West Bank, there is an invasion looming in Rafah, there is catastrophic hunger in Gaza, and the number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli assault is rising every day, including staggering numbers of civilians. This reality does not represent the vision of Habonim Dror North America for Israel and Palestine. A few weeks ago, HDNA, in partnership with the Progressive Israel Network, signed a letter urging President Biden and the United States government to call and work for the following three items:

1. A bilateral ceasefire that brings a stop to fighting and a release of all hostages;
2. A surge in humanitarian assistance;
3. A plan for peace, security, freedom, and self-determination for all.

We want to be clear that this is the educational stance of Habonim Dror North America. We also want to be clear that we are a youth movement composed of diverse individuals and situated within varied communities. The views represented in HDNA are numerous and impossible to summarize in one set of positions. Movement members and alumni hold a diverse array of opinions that consistently lie in tension with each other. As an educational youth movement, we have emphasized the need to hold those tensions and to work within them, and to hold Shivyon Erech Ha’adam – the equality of human value – at the center of our pedagogical practice.

As the Mazkirut Artzit, whose role it is to hold these multiplicities contained in HDNA while also leading and setting an educational direction, we have chosen to affirm this stance. We add to this stance that it is time for Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist government to be voted out of office. There needs to be a new government to achieve peace and self-determination for all. His fight to remain in office has only prolonged the war in Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank, while also eroding democracy in Israel. Further, we demand a reality where there is a return to a negotiated, diplomatic process as a way to end the cycles of bloodshed and war. HDNA remains committed as a Socialist-Zionist youth movement to democratic Jewish self-determination. This stance cannot be divorced from our position that as a social justice oriented and socialist movement, there needs to be Palestinian self-determination. We are committed to working towards a shared future based on equality and peace. The struggle for liberation necessitates the freedom of all peoples in Israel and Palestine. 

At Veida 2022, HDNA reaffirmed its commitment to educational action on Israel, Palestine and Zionism. Since the war, HDNA has exemplified this by running a week of education focused on choosing life, running numerous peulot in-person and online that delved into the educational dilemmas of the moment, and organizing the PIN network to run an educational program on shared futures. In this way, we are an educational movement, but there are also many important political organizations whose work we want to highlight and support. These include but are not limited to: Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, JStreet, A Land for All, New Israel Fund, Partners for Progressive Israel, Standing Together, T’ruah, and Women Wage Peace. We invite our ma’apilimot and bogrimot to join this work as many have already done.

We strive for a shared future in Israel and Palestine based on partnership and community. We do so educationally, by bringing our members into dilemmas – ones that not everyone will agree with – so that meaningful thought can be developed to then be turned into action, either by individual action, or through building education that explores these principles this summer at machaneh. It is only in the moments of deep disagreement that we move towards our vision for a shared future and we rely on every member of the movement to embrace the impact of those moments of disagreement. As HDNA, we invite you to take educational action and enter into dialogue and dilemmas, both to remember our shared core, but also to grow together. Here we have emphasized our shared core. It is by no means our final stance, but rather the beginning of an educational conversation.

Aleh v’Hagshem, 
Mazkirut Artzit 5784

October 11, 2023

Following is a statement by members of the Progressive Israel Network (PIN), a coalition of organizations representing Americans who are committed to pursuing democracy, equality and peace in Israel.

As we grasp the dimensions of the horror in southern Israel, the magnitude of the carnage, injury and destruction, we mourn the lives lost and wish a speedy and full recovery for those injured. We also urge the government of Israel, the Biden administration and all other stakeholders to immediately start negotiations over returning the hostages taken by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Their savage attack on Israel, beginning on Saturday, targeting civilians and murdering them in cold blood, is an inexcusable war crime.

We stand with the people of Israel in this very difficult time. Our hearts are with the Israeli public. We urge our members and supporters to assist our sisters and brothers in Israel in every way possible.

We express our deep appreciation to President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken for supporting the people of Israel and for their diplomatic efforts to prevent a regional crisis.

Following the catastrophic security failure of the Netanyahu government, we urge Israeli authorities who are carrying out military operations in the Gaza Strip to act responsibly and respect international law. An irresponsible, rash reaction that violates the laws of war is likely to result in disastrous repercussions, further civilian casualties on both sides, and calamitous political consequences. Hamas’s horrific war crimes cannot justify further war crimes.

Going forward, we urge our government in Washington and the government of Israel to pave a path toward a political settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which would put an end to the ceaseless cycle of violence and suffering between Israelis and Palestinians.

The following PIN organizations signed the statement:

Alliance for Jewish Renewal
Ameinu
Americans for Peace Now
Jewish Labor Committee
J Street
Habonim Dror North America
Hashomer Hatzair USA
New Israel Fund
New York Jewish Agenda
Partners for Progressive Israel
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
Reconstructing Judaism
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

Dear Tnua,

Aleh v’Hagshem, 
Mazkirut Artzit 5784

Dear Tnua,

This morning we woke up to the sound of sirens. From the stairwell of Garin Tzur’s apartment complex, we followed the news as the unanticipated attack that we are currently witnessing began to unfold on this traditionally joyous holiday. We watched with shock and heavy hearts as Hamas opened an attack on Israel on the scale of some of the largest conflicts in Israel’s history. Rockets continue to hit Israel, air attacks continue to hit Gaza, and ground fighting continues in Israeli towns near the Gazan border. We as a Mazkirut Artzit are safe, and the Workshoppers are safe. We have many partners in Israel, and we encourage the ma’apilimot and nachshonimot to reach out to their madrichimot and friends in Israel who are affected by this violence. Your messages and care matter to them. We also recognize that this violence impacts anyone who is invested in the region and in the Jewish people, and we encourage all chanichimot of the movement to reach out to friends, partners and madrichimot in these difficult times.

On a personal note for Habonim Dror, Ofir Libstein, the chair of the board of directors of Habonim Dror Olami, was killed in a gunfight defending his Kibbutz near Gaza. Ofir was a lifelong Kibbutz member who served as the chair of Habonim Dror for many years. He was the mayor of the Sha’ar HaNegev regional council, working diligently to take responsibility for the towns in the region including improving relations with Gazan neighbors and promoting cooperative efforts. His death is a shock and a tragedy for many in the Habonim Family and for all of the people of Israel. Our condolences go out to his family and the entire world Habonim Dror team. Zichrono Livracha. May his memory be for a blessing.

We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of life and the violence that this conflict has caused. We as a movement stand in solidarity with all peoples in Israel and Gaza, and we call for peace. In these disturbing times, we struggle, as always, for shared liberation.

Aleh v’Hagshem, 
Mazkirut Artzit 5784

Dear T’nua, 

As most of you know by now, 8 people, a majority of whom were Asian American women, were murdered in an anti-Asian hate crime on Tuesday. We mourn for them, for their families, and for the Asian community who are forced to live in fear of violence resulting from xenophobia and racism. 

We wanted to share the attached statement with you, which includes a list of resources and ways that you can take action. May the memories of those whose lives were ended on Tuesday be a blessing and a revolution.

Aleh v’Hagshem, 
Mazkirut Artzit 5781

Statement Condemning Anti-Asian Racism