This is a follow-up to my previous article “Will the new Jewish-Arab party help to defeat Netanyahu and defend Israeli democracy?” It’s based on the fact that on Friday I went to a house meeting in north Tel Aviv with Alon Lee-Green, the co-leader of the party who was one of the co-heads of “Standing Together” who has taken a leave of absence from the movement to devote his energies to promoting the new party towards the coming critical elections.Alon Lee-Green at the house meeting in north Tel Aviv. (Photo: Author)

As I said during the Q and A part of the meeting, I agree with virtually all of the points that he made.  Yes, we need younger generation leaders to emerge, we need both male and female leaders – the party leader is the Palestinian-Israeli female co-head of “Standing Together,” Rula Daoud, making it the only party today led by a woman. And yes, we must place the fact of the horrors of Gaza and the occupation on the Israeli agenda, what it is doing to the Palestinians, and also to the prospects for Israeli democracy. And yes, we must place the need for a negotiated peace back on the Israeli agenda, where it was during the days of the Oslo Process. And Israeli Jewish-Arab cooperation is essential for achieving a democratic state, an end to the occupation and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Workers’ rights activist and Standing Together

Alon described his own personal development, as a successful activist for workers’ rights when he was working at a café, together with an Arab colleague. This eventually led to the founding of the impressive “Standing Together” movement, based on joint Jewish-Arab partnership. He also noted that he was a parliamentary assistant to MK Dov Khenin, in his and my view one of the best members of Knesset in recent times, so he knows his way around the political arena. And unlike older politicians, he has a lot of followers on TikTok and Instagram!

Alon noted that he is 38 years old, and that many members of his generation are saying that if Netanyahu isn’t defeated in the coming elections, they will leave.  He added that this is not only true for young Jewish Israelis, it’s........

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