Liberal Judaism, and our youth movement LJY-Netzer, are supporting CHOOSE DEMOCRACY – a campaign to mobilise thousands of people across the UK Jewish Community to demonstrate solidarity with Israelis fighting for Israel’s democratic future.

We are Jews who care about Israel, whose identities are bound up with Israel.

We want Israel to flourish as a homeland for the Jewish people and a democratic state that seeks to “ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants” – as stated in Israel’s Declaration of Independence.

Our community often finds itself defending Israel from external attacks. But now, more than ever before, the threat comes from within. We cannot be silent as some members of Israel’s new government seek to:

• Undermine the rule of law and curtail human rights
• Limit the freedom of the press
• Remove legal protections for minorities including LGBTQ people, migrant workers, and asylum seekers
• Claim the Jewish people have exclusive rights to all the Land of Israel and the West Bank
• Prevent the viability of a future two state solution
• Rescind the legal status of non-Orthodox conversions undertaken in Israel, meaning these conversions cannot be used to obtain Israeli citizenship.
• Deny those who have a Jewish grandparent but are not ‘halachically Jewish’ refuge in Israel
• Erode religious freedom, pluralism, and freedom of choice
• Endanger women and place restrictions on women’s role in public life

We have a choice.

We either remain silent or stand in solidarity with those across Israel fighting for democracy.

We choose to stand on the side of Israelis protesting against an extremist government.

You can also CHOOSE DEMOCRACY and show your support for Israelis of all backgrounds in the fight for Israel’s democratic future at www.choosedemocracy.org.uk.

Other organisations supporting the campaign include Arzenu UK, Habonim Dror UK, Jewish Labour Movement, Masorti Judaism, Meretz UK, Movement for Reform Judaism, New Israel Fund, Noam Masorti Youth, RSY-Netzer, Union of Jewish Students and Yachad.