Celebrating the Israelis who believe in hope

As we approach the 75th Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, it is difficult to find anything to celebrate about Israel’s government.

Instead, I choose to celebrate Israel’s civil society organisations who bring hope at a time when the far-Right government is attacking its own democracy and threatening peace with its neighbours.

Civil society organisations work tirelessly to build democracy for all peoples in Israel and beyond. They build bridges across national borders, gain an understanding of those with whom Israel has historically warred, and develop partnerships that will have an impact despite the actions of any one government.

One example is EcoPeace. Led by Australian Gidon Bromberg, it operates as a partnership between Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians on both sides of the Jordan Valley. It addresses the common challenge of climate change and water security and works to build peace around common solutions.

At a political level, tensions are mounting. The Netanyahu government is threatening the fragile peace with Israel’s neighbour, Jordan, a peace that has existed for almost two decades. Israelis and Jordanians are calling on Emiratis and Americans to help de-escalate a highly tense environment.

But at a grassroots level, EcoPeace is able to improve water quality and create environmentally sustainable energy solutions.

Its Green Blue Deal provides a framework for reducing emissions to zero across these states by 2050, leveraging private business investment and building on the commitments made by the Israeli government in 2020 and the Jordanian government in 2017, to achieve sustainable development that not only improves environmental outcomes, but also advances social equity.