Israel/Palestine

Once we permit and accept restricting another’s freedom of expression, the restriction will spread and reach each and every one of us. Those in power won’t give up on attaining more and more power and will expand the attack against any source expressing opposition, even against those who sit and watch what’s happening in silence…

During this period, a series of bills are being actively promoted, aimed at imposing a policy of silencing and persecution in Israel’s higher education institutions, not just against students but also against professors. Against all these proposals and others, the Association for Civil Rights has fought in the Knesset and courts to protect all our rights as citizens and human beings…

Because of this simple truth: the true test of any regime claiming to be democratic is the status of the minority within it, and the true protection of freedom of expression begins with protecting the narrative of the other. When the wind of fascism breathes down your neck, you don’t bow your head hoping it will pass, you don’t “sell out” parts of the public hoping it will satisfy the incitement machine. You fight fascism face to face, with the full truth, and without bending and compromising your principles. This is what history taught us. Otherwise, the winds of fascism will uproot everything… Finally, it’s important to remember this isn’t a lost battle… And we at the Association for Civil Rights will be partners in this journey. We will lead Jewish-Arab partnerships and work with anyone who holds these values dear—until it’s better here.