Israel needs you: Volunteer to join the struggle for justice for West Bank Palestinians

For those of us witnessing the unfolding catastrophe in Palestine, the past years have delivered blow after devastating blow. Gaza lies in ruins, its population decimated by relentless bombardment. The West Bank faces an unprecedented surge in settler violence and military raids. Israel's plans for E1 construction threaten to sever Palestinian communities entirely from one another.

Each loss compounds those from before, suffocating any hopes of remedy. Yet surrendering means abandoning these communities entirely. It means forsaking the potential for transformation. It means giving up on ourselves.

We need you, our fellow Jews from abroad. We need you to leverage your privilege as Jews to help us resist the advance of fascism and racism.

Currently, the horizon ahead offers little cause for optimism. An increasingly aggressive and racist government governs this land, while the prospect for a change in government remains vanishingly slim. U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the presidency has already begun transforming the West Bank into a playground for settler leadership and allowing this Kahanist government to do as they please in Gaza. The international community's will to use their once substantial influence seems to have waned.

One of the only meaningful forms of resistance left for those of us who oppose the occupation is protective presence: Human beings willing to stand literally alongside these vulnerable communities. Although there are Israelis participating in this work, we need more bodies, more people willing to put their physical presence on the line.