The grassroots movement Standing Together brought two Israeli citizens — one Jewish, one Palestinian — to Evanston on Monday night to lead a conversation about “peace, equality, and justice in Israel.”
Angela Mattar, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, and Itamar Avneri, a Jewish citizen of Israel, participated in a Q&A with Rabbi Andrea London of Beth Emet Synagogue during the “Fighting for Justice in Israel-Palestine” event.
Mattar and Avneri hold elected positions within Standing Together, which has advocated for a ceasefire and hostage deal in the Israel-Hamas war since the Oct. 7 attacks.
Mattar started by sharing her journey to activism. Though she felt it was “safer to stay silent” growing up as a Palestinian in Israel, she said an early experience hiding in a bomb shelter with a Jewish family sparked her commitment to speaking out on social justice issues.
“When my parents had two days to get out of the house in Haifa, the only people who took care of me and my brother like we were their own were Jews,” Mattar said. “I never look at (the conflict) as Jews versus Palestinians.”
Mattar said she is working to change the climate in Israel. She said she is proud to call herself both a Palestinian and an Israeli.
Avneri added he sees Standing Together as a way to achieve peace and bring Jews and Palestinians together. As one of the movement’s founding members, he hopes to act as a voice for change when politicians like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promise nothing but a “perpetual war.”
“If no one is going to give us hope from above, we are going to build it from below,” Avneri said.
Avneri emphasized the importance of collective action in fighting against oppressive governments. As an elected city council representative in Israel, Avneri said oftentimes the power rests with the people — rather than elected officials — to seek change.
Zach Harris, one of the event’s organizers, said the movement toured Chicago last year, including an event in Evanston. Standing Together came back this year, he said, in hopes of bringing civilized discussion to an issue often marked by polarized debate.
“I think people who come to the event will maybe be surprised as to how much (Avneri and Mattar) agree and how much they show that,” Harris said. “Being Jewish, being Palestinian, doesn’t mean that your interests are opposed to each other, but rather, they mean that you can share some of the same interests.”
After an hour-long moderated Q&A session, the speakers opened the floor to questions from the audience. Community members shared feelings of fear and helplessness, and asked the speakers how they recommend Americans cope with the conflict in the Middle East.
Mattar and Avneri urged the crowd to stay strong and never lose hope. Then, the speakers said, it is necessary to take action and make meaningful change.
“You cannot bomb your way to peace,” Mattar said.
Ninth Ward resident Todd Hasak-Lowy, previously a Hebrew literature professor, said he came to the event as a supporter of peace and coexistence.
“I think organizations like this are really important,” Hasak-Lowy said. “I think they offer a different kind of model for how people should be thinking about what’s going on right now.”
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