{"id":47375,"date":"2025-08-22T01:55:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T08:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=47375"},"modified":"2025-08-21T16:27:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T23:27:30","slug":"encouraging-another-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2025\/08\/22\/encouraging-another-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Encouraging \u201canother way\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Interim leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada Don Davies, centre, with Itai Bavli and Avril Orloff of Vancouver Friends of Standing Together. <\/i>(photo from Vancouver FOST)<\/i><\/p>\n

This summer, Vancouver Friends of Standing Together has been holding weekly vigils in front of City Hall to continue the call for the return of the hostages, an end to the war in Gaza and an end to settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe organize rallies, vigils and information sessions to raise awareness of the situation in Israel\/Palestine and promote \u2018another way\u2019 that is not exclusively pro-Israel or pro-Palestine but pro-humanity,\u201d Avril Orloff, who started the Vancouver Friends of Standing Together (FOST) chapter, told the Independent<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Adi Keidar, one of the chapter\u2019s co-administrators, said, \u201cIf you are willing to accept that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live freely and safely on this land, I will be standing with and supporting you. Someone told me, \u2018if you need to choose between pro-Israel or pro-Palestine, it is obvious for me, as a Jew\/Israeli where I stand. However, if I knew and trusted that there is another way, I would choose both.\u2019 Standing Together, for me, brings that other voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI joined the FOST group in June 2024 because it reflects my values and my belief that finding a just solution to the conflict is the only way forward,\u201d Itai Bavli, also a Vancouver FOST co-administrator, said. \u201cI care about all people living between the river and the sea and believe that both peoples can thrive if given the chance. I support Israelis and Palestinians alike and believe they both have the right to live freely and safely. Which means ending the occupation and supporting a Palestinian state. For me, it\u2019s a responsibility I carry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, there are nine local co-administrators, who play active roles as their other work and responsibilities permit, Orloff explained. \u201cWe try to divide up responsibilities, so no one is overburdened,\u201d she said, noting that everyone involved is a volunteer. \u201cWe meet on an ad hoc basis as needed to brainstorm ways to increase awareness, bring out the voice of Standing Together and address issues that come up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Standing Together is an Israeli grassroots social movement made up of Jewish and Palestinian citizens that, according to its website, \u201cenvision[s] a society that serves all of us and treats every person with dignity. A society that chooses peace, justice and independence for Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Arabs. A society in which we all enjoy real security, adequate housing, quality education, good healthcare, a liveable climate, a decent salary and the ability to age with dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing war, Standing Together in Israel has been organizing demonstrations \u2013 attended by tens of thousands \u2013 calling for a hostage deal and a ceasefire agreement. They also have been engaging in public campaigns \u201caimed at re-humanizing the discourse, retaining humanity, mourning all lives lost and rejecting violence on social media in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.\u201d Last May, they launched the Humanitarian Guard initiative at Tarqumiyah checkpoint to protect \u201caid trucks headed to Gaza from attacks by extremist settlers that come out to attack the trucks.\u201d This month, they started a campaign to collect food and humanitarian aid for residents of Gaza.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the eight chapters of Standing Together that operate in Israel, there are Friends of Standing Together chapters worldwide that have formed since Oct. 7. The chapters in the diaspora raise awareness of and funds for Standing Together, as well as offer a local communal space for people who share the movement\u2019s values and goals. Orloff is an ambassador for ST\u2019s global crowdfunding campaign and recently surpassed her personal goal of raising $6,000 for the movement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started the Vancouver FOST group in February 2024, when I first learned about Standing Together and discovered they had support groups around the world,\u201d said Orloff. \u201cI was drawn to ST because I felt that a lot of groups advocating for either Israel or Palestine focused on only one side or the other, which seemed short-sighted to me. Standing Together\u2019s stance, by contrast, is that, with seven million Jews and seven million Palestinians living \u2018between the river and the sea,\u2019 none of whom are going anywhere, the only sustainable future is a shared one grounded in equality, security, peace and justice for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orloff, Keidar and Bavli said they appreciate that ST is about more than ending the war and that it\u2019s \u201ca broad-based social movement that goes beyond the specifics of Jewish\/Palestinian issues to encompass social change at all levels of society, from the bottom up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest concerns and confusions I had on Oct. 7 and the events that followed was the rise of hate and polarization on both sides,\u201d said Keidar. \u201cIt was rare that I could agree with much that was said, and I was constantly trying to hold two thoughts at the same time. I felt alone and was not seeing the benefit of supporting one side \u2013 it felt wrong and unjust and it didn\u2019t fit my values.<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
Adi Keidar at one of Vancouver Friends of Standing Together\u2019s vigils. (photo from Vancouver FOST)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhen I learned about Standing Together, it was the closest group that I felt spoke to my values and beliefs, as their focus is not one side or the other but humanity, which was the voice I felt was drowning in the hate that was brewing. I wasn\u2019t willing to accept just one side. I believe that the only way to get out of this cycle is by compassionately seeing both sides, taking responsibility, finding the people that speak these values and bringing their voices out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keidar participates in the weekly Bring Them Home rallies. Both she and Bavli spoke at a BTH rally this summer to raise the voice of Standing Together, to show \u201cthat it\u2019s possible (indeed, necessary) to support both Israel and Palestine, and remind people that the immediate end of this war is only the beginning of the work to build a shared society in which all peoples live in peace and security.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vancouver FOST does local community-building through their WhatsApp group, social events (for example, film evenings, picnics, in-home gatherings), rallies and other activities. They raise awareness on social media via Instagram and work to build their membership, liaising with Standing Together and FOST groups globally. They meet monthly on Zoom with other Canadian FOSTs and build relationships with groups that share ST\u2019s values and principles, like Women Wage Peace and various faith organizations. They have started doing outreach to Canadian politicians.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have endorsed Canada FOST\u2019s Call to Action to the Canadian government and politicians to advance key priorities,\u201d said Orloff, \u201cincluding taking urgent diplomatic action to permanently end the war in Gaza; providing long-term support for peace and equality, not war; and supporting solidarity and partnership in our own society.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group organized and hosted an event in June last year, which brought Raja Khouri and Jeffrey Wilkinson to Vancouver to talk about their book, The Wall Between: What Jews and Palestinians Don\u2019t Want to Know About Each Other<\/i>. (See jewishindependent.ca\/not-such-a-great-divide.) They have plans to host an information table at the University of British Columbia in the fall.<\/p>\n

In an email, Orloff, Keidar and Bavli described Vancouver FOST as being \u201cfor<\/i> more than we\u2019re against<\/i>. We don\u2019t argue about terminology or labels or traffic in simplistic black-and-white \u2018solutions,\u2019 but are comfortable living with complexity and difference. We love to have juicy discussions, but, more than talk, we\u2019re about supporting action that will bring about real, practical, sustainable change. We aren\u2019t pro-Israel or pro-Palestine but pro-humanity,\u201d they reiterated, \u201cand we don\u2019t see this as a left-right divide or an Israel-Palestine divide, but a divide between those who want peace and life for everyone and those who traffic in death and destruction. We\u2019re here to offer a different way of thinking about the conflict and a different path forward, not to convince people that we\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orloff said group members aren\u2019t \u201csettling for simplistic, one-sided solutions that make heroes of one side and villains of the other, but recognize that geopolitical issues have history and context that create layers of complexity, compounded by historical and intergenerational trauma on both sides. What I tell people is that, in this ongoing conflict, there is no win\/lose: it\u2019s either win\/win or lose\/lose. If we don\u2019t find a way to justice, equality, peace and security for all<\/i>, there won\u2019t be justice, equality, peace or security for anyone<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are involved with Standing Together,\u201d the three co-administrators stressed, \u201cbecause of deep feeling for Israel and the people living in the land. Many of our FOST members are Israelis who are heartsick at what Israel is doing in Gaza, the West Bank, and to its own Palestinian Israeli citizens. We believe in Israel\u2019s promise and want to hold Israel to its highest ideals. There is no other way. It\u2019s our responsibility to bring about the change.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Interim leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada Don Davies, centre, with Itai Bavli and Avril Orloff of Vancouver Friends of Standing Together. (photo from Vancouver FOST) This summer, Vancouver Friends of Standing Together has been holding weekly vigils in front of City Hall to continue the call for the return of the hostages, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":47376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[22905,24232,24231,4330,22729,22725,3597,22180,22857],"class_list":["post-47375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","tag-ceasefire","tag-fost","tag-friends-of-standing-together","tag-israel","tag-israel-hamas-war","tag-oct-7","tag-politics","tag-rallies","tag-vigils"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47375\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}