Thirty years have passed since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin z”l, and we continue to feel the deep wounds it left behind. His murder was not only a tragedy but a national rupture; one that shook Israel’s democracy and derailed the momentum toward peace that had once felt within reach. In the decades since, and especially in the past two years, the vision of peace and security that Rabin embodied has seemed farther away than ever. The forces of extremism that silenced him continue to grow and endanger the moral and democratic foundations of Israeli society today.

We must remember Rabin not only with words, but with conviction and action. His legacy calls us to reject despair and persist in the struggle for peace, justice, and democracy — even when that struggle feels uphill. As Rabin said in his address to the youth of HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed in 1994, “There must be a movement of young people… who will choose to stand up, to support peace, and to resist those who want to assassinate it.” Today, Habonim Dror North America looks to all those working towards peace, equality, and a just and democratic Israeli society, to the hundreds of thousands that have poured into the streets this year in the name of those ideals, and recommits to that call. May Rabin’s memory be a blessing, and a lighthouse guiding us toward the world he dared to imagine.

After two long, devastating years, we feel immense relief and joy watching hostages finally return home and reunite with their loved ones. To Alon Ohel, Ariel and David Cunio, Avinatan Or, Bar Kupershtein, Eitan Avraham Mor, Elkana Bohbot, Evyatar David, Gali and Ziv Berman, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Maksym Harkin, Matan Angrest, Matan Zangauker, Nimrod Cohen, Omri Miran, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, and Yosef-Chaim Ohana, and Eitan Horn, boger of Habonim Dror Argentina — welcome home.

At the same time, our hearts ache for the families of the killed hostages who are still being held and have yet to be brought home for burial. We stand by the hostage families in their demand for everyone to be brought home — until the last hostage.

This moment, which at times felt like a distant dream, reminds us that even what once seemed impossible can be within reach. We hold onto hope that it can open the door to something greater — a real end to the violence and the beginning of lasting peace. Habonim Dror North America stands with the hostages and their families, and with all who are celebrating, grieving, rebuilding, and striving for a future where Israelis and Palestinians can live with safety, dignity, and freedom.

Today marks two years since October 7th, 2023 — one of the darkest days in recent Jewish history and the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. On this day we remember the lives stolen, families torn apart, and communities forever changed. May the memories of all the victims be for a blessing (zichronam livracha).

Today also marks 730 days of captivity for the 48 remaining hostages. We are heartbroken that, two years later, we are still calling for the return of those who remain in captivity. To the families of the hostages, we send our love, strength, and unwavering solidarity as you continue to endure the unimaginable.

Many members of Habonim Dror were personally impacted that day. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose family is part of HDNA, was taken hostage two years ago today and murdered in captivity. Vivian Silver, a Habonim bogeret, chalutza, and lifelong peace and coexistence activist, was murdered in her home that same day. And Ofir Libstein, chairperson of Habonim Dror Olami and visionary leader devoted to a better future for Gazans and Israelis based on cooperation and shared humanity, was killed defending his family and community that morning.

We hold closely Ofri and the Brodutch family, who endured the terror of abduction and captivity, as well as the Shdaimah family, whose beloved mother and grandmother Ditza Heiman was kidnapped and held hostage until her eventual release. We also hold in our hearts Iair and Eitan Horn, Habonim graduates who were taken hostage — Iair has since been released, while Eitan remains in captivity to this day.

May the memories of all those we lost be not only a blessing but also a revolution — a call to action toward a more just, peaceful, compassionate world.

As we grieve these open wounds, we renew our clear call for an immediate end to this devastating and seemingly endless war and the senseless loss of innocent lives on both sides. We call for the release of all remaining hostages and a lasting solution that brings security, dignity, human rights, and peace to both peoples. May we build a future worthy of all we have lost.

Habonim Dror North America unequivocally condemns Trump’s recent statement calling for a US occupation of Gaza and the forcible displacement of Gazans and Palestinians from the region. This plan is not only a deliberate call for ethnic cleansing, but it is also blatantly illegal under international law.

As Peter Baker wrote in the New York Times, such an act would irreparably harm the possibility of a future two-state solution and will only lead to continued occupation, displacement and death. Sadly, Trump’s statement is not just the ravings of an American politician, but reflects the far-right language of Israeli politicians like Smotrich and Netanyahu who continue to undermine efforts for the complete return of the hostages, peace in the region, and Palestinian sovereignty.

As a Jewish youth movement built upon the philosophy of Shivyon Erech Ha’adam (the equality of human life) and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world, or social justice), we join the call of so many other Jewish organizations that are disgusted by such a blatant disregard for humanity. Israeli and American politicians must continue to condemn the words and actions of Trump and Netanyahu to prevent further war crimes and deaths.

As youth, we will continue to educate and fight for the safety and liberation of all peoples in Israel and Palestine, knowing that Jewish self-determination and safety cannot be fully realized in the absence of Palestinian self-determination and safety.

Today, as we mark the one year anniversary of October 7th, we sit in grief. We sit in mourning for the victims of the massacre on October 7th. We sit in longing for the safe return of the hostages, all 101 of them that remain in captivity. We sit, anguished at the immeasurable losses of the last year. Habonim Dror North America holds our community in our heart, and we wear our memories on our sleeve.

We remember Hersh Goldberg-Polin, we remember Vivian Silver, we remember Ofir Liebstein. We pray for the safety of Yair and Eitan Horn and hold Ofri Brodutch closely. We know that our community is wide-reaching and the damage from these losses continues to be devastating. On this day, we must bear the weight of our community’s pain together, and reach out to each other to share the burden.

Today is a day to sit, to hold a space, to remember the beautiful lives taken from us and to not forget the 101 hostages who are still held in Gaza one year later. However, when we do stand, we will stand for the future. For an immediate return of all the hostages and a ceasefire agreement. For an end to this war. For the safety of all the civilians, throughout Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. A future that has evaded us this past year. As we sit in grief today, we are deeply aware that the turmoil has only grown, and will continue to grow until we say dayenu.

Habonim Dror North America continues to stand up for the rights of Israelis, Palestinians, and all peoples to live in peace, security, and dignity. Let this day be a day to sit in grief for all that has been and to hold that pain in our memories. Tomorrow, we will not forget: tomorrow, we will fight for a better future.

Almost six months into the war there is still no end in sight. The massacre of October 7th still sits heavy on the minds of the Jewish people and Israeli society, and many of the hostages are still not home. There is ongoing right-wing settler violence in the West Bank, there is an invasion looming in Rafah, there is catastrophic hunger in Gaza, and the number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli assault is rising every day, including staggering numbers of civilians. This reality does not represent the vision of Habonim Dror North America for Israel and Palestine. A few weeks ago, HDNA, in partnership with the Progressive Israel Network, signed a letter urging President Biden and the United States government to call and work for the following three items:

1. A bilateral ceasefire that brings a stop to fighting and a release of all hostages;
2. A surge in humanitarian assistance;
3. A plan for peace, security, freedom, and self-determination for all.

We want to be clear that this is the educational stance of Habonim Dror North America. We also want to be clear that we are a youth movement composed of diverse individuals and situated within varied communities. The views represented in HDNA are numerous and impossible to summarize in one set of positions. Movement members and alumni hold a diverse array of opinions that consistently lie in tension with each other. As an educational youth movement, we have emphasized the need to hold those tensions and to work within them, and to hold Shivyon Erech Ha’adam – the equality of human value – at the center of our pedagogical practice.

As the Mazkirut Artzit, whose role it is to hold these multiplicities contained in HDNA while also leading and setting an educational direction, we have chosen to affirm this stance. We add to this stance that it is time for Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist government to be voted out of office. There needs to be a new government to achieve peace and self-determination for all. His fight to remain in office has only prolonged the war in Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank, while also eroding democracy in Israel. Further, we demand a reality where there is a return to a negotiated, diplomatic process as a way to end the cycles of bloodshed and war. HDNA remains committed as a Socialist-Zionist youth movement to democratic Jewish self-determination. This stance cannot be divorced from our position that as a social justice oriented and socialist movement, there needs to be Palestinian self-determination. We are committed to working towards a shared future based on equality and peace. The struggle for liberation necessitates the freedom of all peoples in Israel and Palestine. 

At Veida 2022, HDNA reaffirmed its commitment to educational action on Israel, Palestine and Zionism. Since the war, HDNA has exemplified this by running a week of education focused on choosing life, running numerous peulot in-person and online that delved into the educational dilemmas of the moment, and organizing the PIN network to run an educational program on shared futures. In this way, we are an educational movement, but there are also many important political organizations whose work we want to highlight and support. These include but are not limited to: Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, JStreet, A Land for All, New Israel Fund, Partners for Progressive Israel, Standing Together, T’ruah, and Women Wage Peace. We invite our ma’apilimot and bogrimot to join this work as many have already done.

We strive for a shared future in Israel and Palestine based on partnership and community. We do so educationally, by bringing our members into dilemmas – ones that not everyone will agree with – so that meaningful thought can be developed to then be turned into action, either by individual action, or through building education that explores these principles this summer at machaneh. It is only in the moments of deep disagreement that we move towards our vision for a shared future and we rely on every member of the movement to embrace the impact of those moments of disagreement. As HDNA, we invite you to take educational action and enter into dialogue and dilemmas, both to remember our shared core, but also to grow together. Here we have emphasized our shared core. It is by no means our final stance, but rather the beginning of an educational conversation.

Aleh v’Hagshem, 
Mazkirut Artzit 5784

October 11, 2023

Following is a statement by members of the Progressive Israel Network (PIN), a coalition of organizations representing Americans who are committed to pursuing democracy, equality and peace in Israel.

As we grasp the dimensions of the horror in southern Israel, the magnitude of the carnage, injury and destruction, we mourn the lives lost and wish a speedy and full recovery for those injured. We also urge the government of Israel, the Biden administration and all other stakeholders to immediately start negotiations over returning the hostages taken by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Their savage attack on Israel, beginning on Saturday, targeting civilians and murdering them in cold blood, is an inexcusable war crime.

We stand with the people of Israel in this very difficult time. Our hearts are with the Israeli public. We urge our members and supporters to assist our sisters and brothers in Israel in every way possible.

We express our deep appreciation to President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken for supporting the people of Israel and for their diplomatic efforts to prevent a regional crisis.

Following the catastrophic security failure of the Netanyahu government, we urge Israeli authorities who are carrying out military operations in the Gaza Strip to act responsibly and respect international law. An irresponsible, rash reaction that violates the laws of war is likely to result in disastrous repercussions, further civilian casualties on both sides, and calamitous political consequences. Hamas’s horrific war crimes cannot justify further war crimes.

Going forward, we urge our government in Washington and the government of Israel to pave a path toward a political settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which would put an end to the ceaseless cycle of violence and suffering between Israelis and Palestinians.

The following PIN organizations signed the statement:

Alliance for Jewish Renewal
Ameinu
Americans for Peace Now
Jewish Labor Committee
J Street
Habonim Dror North America
Hashomer Hatzair USA
New Israel Fund
New York Jewish Agenda
Partners for Progressive Israel
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
Reconstructing Judaism
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

Dear Tnua,

Aleh v’Hagshem, 
Mazkirut Artzit 5784

Dear Tnua,

This morning we woke up to the sound of sirens. From the stairwell of Garin Tzur’s apartment complex, we followed the news as the unanticipated attack that we are currently witnessing began to unfold on this traditionally joyous holiday. We watched with shock and heavy hearts as Hamas opened an attack on Israel on the scale of some of the largest conflicts in Israel’s history. Rockets continue to hit Israel, air attacks continue to hit Gaza, and ground fighting continues in Israeli towns near the Gazan border. We as a Mazkirut Artzit are safe, and the Workshoppers are safe. We have many partners in Israel, and we encourage the ma’apilimot and nachshonimot to reach out to their madrichimot and friends in Israel who are affected by this violence. Your messages and care matter to them. We also recognize that this violence impacts anyone who is invested in the region and in the Jewish people, and we encourage all chanichimot of the movement to reach out to friends, partners and madrichimot in these difficult times.

On a personal note for Habonim Dror, Ofir Libstein, the chair of the board of directors of Habonim Dror Olami, was killed in a gunfight defending his Kibbutz near Gaza. Ofir was a lifelong Kibbutz member who served as the chair of Habonim Dror for many years. He was the mayor of the Sha’ar HaNegev regional council, working diligently to take responsibility for the towns in the region including improving relations with Gazan neighbors and promoting cooperative efforts. His death is a shock and a tragedy for many in the Habonim Family and for all of the people of Israel. Our condolences go out to his family and the entire world Habonim Dror team. Zichrono Livracha. May his memory be for a blessing.

We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of life and the violence that this conflict has caused. We as a movement stand in solidarity with all peoples in Israel and Gaza, and we call for peace. In these disturbing times, we struggle, as always, for shared liberation.

Aleh v’Hagshem, 
Mazkirut Artzit 5784