Avi Meyerstein
@avimeyerstein.bsky.social
Founder, ALLMEP. Shameless promoter of Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding. Trying to spread some light.
A #ceasefire b/w #Israel and #Iran is a moment of #hope. Hope of respite for millions of people from living in fear. Respite from planes & missiles filling their skies, disrupting life & sleep, & terrifying kids. But it requires notes of caution, too, and careful steps forward.🧵
June 24, 2025 at 3:52 PM
A #ceasefire b/w #Israel and #Iran is a moment of #hope. Hope of respite for millions of people from living in fear. Respite from planes & missiles filling their skies, disrupting life & sleep, & terrifying kids. But it requires notes of caution, too, and careful steps forward.🧵
For those who ask how it's going w/peacebuilding, this @ittay78.bsky.social 8 piece captures it. "The energy was electric, but so was the pain." W/families under fire, 100s planned future programs, putting civil society for 1st time "at the heart" of diplomacy.
bit.ly/how-its-going
bit.ly/how-its-going
Five days from hope to hell - The Jewish Independent
bit.ly
June 19, 2025 at 7:18 PM
For those who ask how it's going w/peacebuilding, this @ittay78.bsky.social 8 piece captures it. "The energy was electric, but so was the pain." W/families under fire, 100s planned future programs, putting civil society for 1st time "at the heart" of diplomacy.
bit.ly/how-its-going
bit.ly/how-its-going
Surprise! New data from ALLMEP's AI Pulse survey says some of the loudest voices are wrong when they claim #Israelis can't accept any day-after plans b/c they can't accept a #Palestinian state. In fact... 🧵
bit.ly/75palstate
bit.ly/75palstate
The Blogs: The Surprising Majority: Most Israelis Are Ready for a Palestinian State
From the blog of Avi Meyerstein at The Times of Israel
bit.ly
June 6, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Surprise! New data from ALLMEP's AI Pulse survey says some of the loudest voices are wrong when they claim #Israelis can't accept any day-after plans b/c they can't accept a #Palestinian state. In fact... 🧵
bit.ly/75palstate
bit.ly/75palstate
USAID had "substantial expertise in designing, delivering and monitoring humanitarian programming, tailored to the politically sensitive environment." It "engaged constructively" with Israel. It's "considerable... know-how" is "so desperately needed" now.
bit.ly
May 8, 2025 at 4:36 PM
USAID had "substantial expertise in designing, delivering and monitoring humanitarian programming, tailored to the politically sensitive environment." It "engaged constructively" with Israel. It's "considerable... know-how" is "so desperately needed" now.
From Texas Lyceum, working on civil politics in TX for 45 yrs: 69% of Texans say it's possible to disagree respectfully about politics and avoid the nasty. "Your political opponent is not your enemy.... how we argue matters as much as what we argue." Tips and a call to action...
We need a return to civility and respect in politics. Here's how we get there | Opinion
Your political opponent is not your enemy. This Campaign for Civility is a call to all Texans to listen, understand and engage in finding solutions.
bit.ly
May 6, 2025 at 4:36 PM
From Texas Lyceum, working on civil politics in TX for 45 yrs: 69% of Texans say it's possible to disagree respectfully about politics and avoid the nasty. "Your political opponent is not your enemy.... how we argue matters as much as what we argue." Tips and a call to action...
ICYMI: "'Many people saw the lie,' one expert says. 'Fewer saw the correction'"
"How conspiracy theories about Palestinian arsonists spread like wildfire in Israel
Old videos, misleading maps and political rhetoric turned a natural disaster into a national scapegoating campaign."
"How conspiracy theories about Palestinian arsonists spread like wildfire in Israel
Old videos, misleading maps and political rhetoric turned a natural disaster into a national scapegoating campaign."
How conspiracy theories about Palestinian arsonists spread like wildfire in Israel
Old videos, misleading maps and political rhetoric turned a natural disaster into a national scapegoating campaign. 'Many people saw the lie,' one expert says. 'Fewer saw the correction'
bit.ly
May 5, 2025 at 4:36 PM
ICYMI: "'Many people saw the lie,' one expert says. 'Fewer saw the correction'"
"How conspiracy theories about Palestinian arsonists spread like wildfire in Israel
Old videos, misleading maps and political rhetoric turned a natural disaster into a national scapegoating campaign."
"How conspiracy theories about Palestinian arsonists spread like wildfire in Israel
Old videos, misleading maps and political rhetoric turned a natural disaster into a national scapegoating campaign."
Reposted by Avi Meyerstein
This line is going to stick with me for a very long time.
“One of them is a 4-year-old with Stage 4 cancer who was deported without medication or the ability to contact their doctors…”
“One of them is a 4-year-old with Stage 4 cancer who was deported without medication or the ability to contact their doctors…”
Three U.S. citizens, ages 2, 4 and 7, swiftly deported from Louisiana
The cases have renewed concerns that the Trump administration’s expedited deportations are violating the rights of both citizens and noncitizens.
wapo.st
April 27, 2025 at 12:31 AM
This line is going to stick with me for a very long time.
“One of them is a 4-year-old with Stage 4 cancer who was deported without medication or the ability to contact their doctors…”
“One of them is a 4-year-old with Stage 4 cancer who was deported without medication or the ability to contact their doctors…”
Anahnu: "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the civil disputes within Israel are not separate issues but are intertwined. Israel's social, political, and identity structure creates a situation where solving one issue requires addressing the other."
The Enduring Hope
This article explains how the connection between the Palestinian conflict and Israel's internal crisis endangers the Zionist project and what we must do to overcome this crisis. In 1897, the First…
buff.ly
April 24, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Anahnu: "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the civil disputes within Israel are not separate issues but are intertwined. Israel's social, political, and identity structure creates a situation where solving one issue requires addressing the other."
RBF statement: "Philanthropy is the economic engine of civil society" & "[i]ndependent from partisan agendas." W/non-profits under attack, it says its "philanthropic practices are built to weather these storms."
RBF's Commitment to Civil Society
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund remains dedicated to our grantees, committed to aligning our investments with our mission, united with fellow philanthropies, and firm in our values.
buff.ly
April 24, 2025 at 9:20 AM
RBF statement: "Philanthropy is the economic engine of civil society" & "[i]ndependent from partisan agendas." W/non-profits under attack, it says its "philanthropic practices are built to weather these storms."
Israeli/American Jewish letter on Ben-Gvir's visit: "He is not welcome in our country. He does not represent us as Jews or as Israelis. We steadfastly oppose his dark vision for Judaism, Israel and for the Middle East.”
Itamar Ben-Gvir is coming to America, with stops at Yale and in New York City already set - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
The far-right Israeli minister will visit a Yale Jewish society and a Chabad synagogue in Brooklyn.
buff.ly
April 23, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Israeli/American Jewish letter on Ben-Gvir's visit: "He is not welcome in our country. He does not represent us as Jews or as Israelis. We steadfastly oppose his dark vision for Judaism, Israel and for the Middle East.”
In today's cartoonish politics, some would call it betrayal to even ask or consider the questions, but struggling w/these issues is the most loyal act -- not only to humanity & morality but to one's own society & security.
'We're Champions at Repression': Israel Air Force Pilots Open Up About the Moral Dilemmas of the Gaza War
The question of harming innocent civilians in the Gaza war was mentioned briefly in the so-called pilots' letter, but for members of the Israel Air Force, it is more prominent than ever. Pilots, drone operators and officers in the military command tell of moments when they suddenly saw the faces of people they killed, the inner struggle regarding the legitimacy of the war and the efforts to block it all out
buff.ly
April 23, 2025 at 9:20 AM
In today's cartoonish politics, some would call it betrayal to even ask or consider the questions, but struggling w/these issues is the most loyal act -- not only to humanity & morality but to one's own society & security.
There is no victory after so much death. 1000s families can never be whole. The closest thing to winning is saving those still alive -- hostages & civilians alike. For them & their kids, it's not too late to end the death and actually secure the future.
Israeli Minister Says Freeing Hostages Not ‘Most Important’ Aim of the War
The far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said the more crucial goal was ensuring that Hamas no longer ruled the Gaza Strip.
buff.ly
April 22, 2025 at 4:36 PM
There is no victory after so much death. 1000s families can never be whole. The closest thing to winning is saving those still alive -- hostages & civilians alike. For them & their kids, it's not too late to end the death and actually secure the future.
I have personally seen professors unwilling to post lecture slides... even on subjects like the Holocaust, out of fear of retaliation.... Some urge students to frontload courses now before they vanish from the catalog."
Trump's war on higher ed doesn't end at Columbia. Take a look at Iowa. | Opinion
Antisemitism persists at the University of Iowa but goes unheard as campus resources are shut down, writes Alliyah Kazan.
buff.ly
April 22, 2025 at 9:20 AM
I have personally seen professors unwilling to post lecture slides... even on subjects like the Holocaust, out of fear of retaliation.... Some urge students to frontload courses now before they vanish from the catalog."
A silent protest changes the conversation: Instead of being "jeered and even threatened" as in the past, "when they first sat silently with the photos, they were met initially with questions and, eventually, support."
Israel’s anti-war protests avoid Gaza. These women are changing that.
Their movement is small, but the women say anger in Israel after the ceasefire ended has given them space to talk about the war’s toll on Gaza’s children.
buff.ly
April 21, 2025 at 4:36 PM
A silent protest changes the conversation: Instead of being "jeered and even threatened" as in the past, "when they first sat silently with the photos, they were met initially with questions and, eventually, support."
@indivisible.org: "Courage is contagious."
April 17, 2025 at 7:16 PM
@indivisible.org: "Courage is contagious."
Reposted by Avi Meyerstein
Four Russian journalists have been convicted of extremism and jailed for working with an anti-corruption group founded by the opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, highlighting the perils of independent journalism amid an intensified Kremlin crackdown on freedom of expression.
Russia Jails 4 Journalists for Working With Navalny’s Organization
The case highlighted the perils of independent journalism amid an intensified Kremlin crackdown on freedom of expression.
www.nytimes.com
April 16, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Four Russian journalists have been convicted of extremism and jailed for working with an anti-corruption group founded by the opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, highlighting the perils of independent journalism amid an intensified Kremlin crackdown on freedom of expression.
"Mahdawi's advocates say he spent the months leading up to his arrest doing something unexpected: forging relationships with Israeli & Jewish students... His vision was clear, including a two-state solution..." Israeli: "His compassion blew me away."
Jewish, Israeli Peers Condemn Arrest of Palestinian Columbia Student Over Activism
Despite leading the Columbia's Gaza solidarity encampment, Mohsen Mahdawi spent months fostering ties with Israeli and Jewish students, even holding meetings with university administrators to promote dialogue
buff.ly
April 16, 2025 at 4:36 PM
"Mahdawi's advocates say he spent the months leading up to his arrest doing something unexpected: forging relationships with Israeli & Jewish students... His vision was clear, including a two-state solution..." Israeli: "His compassion blew me away."
Reposted by Avi Meyerstein
I’m about to board my flight to El Salvador, where I hope to meet with senior government officials to discuss the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
I also hope to see Kilmar and check on his condition — and remind him that we won’t stop fighting until he’s home.
I also hope to see Kilmar and check on his condition — and remind him that we won’t stop fighting until he’s home.
Headed to El Salvador to meet with government officials and discuss return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
YouTube video by Senator Chris Van Hollen
youtube.com
April 16, 2025 at 10:13 AM
I’m about to board my flight to El Salvador, where I hope to meet with senior government officials to discuss the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
I also hope to see Kilmar and check on his condition — and remind him that we won’t stop fighting until he’s home.
I also hope to see Kilmar and check on his condition — and remind him that we won’t stop fighting until he’s home.
Reposted by Avi Meyerstein
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia who was illegally deported to El Salvador asks for the U.S. government to return him outside a court hearing on the matter.
April 16, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia who was illegally deported to El Salvador asks for the U.S. government to return him outside a court hearing on the matter.
Ilan Amit: "The convergence of USAID’s funding freeze, the Kallner Law... & budget cuts form a perfect storm." The hardest hit? Not "a handful of Tel Aviv leftists sipping coffee," but "an employment engine pulling an entire economic train."
buff.ly/qhSDT2w
buff.ly/qhSDT2w
The perfect storm of funding cuts crippling Arab society
Drastic policy changes in the US and Israel, along with shrinking philanthropy, are leaving the country's poorest citizens behind
blogs.timesofisrael.com
April 9, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Ilan Amit: "The convergence of USAID’s funding freeze, the Kallner Law... & budget cuts form a perfect storm." The hardest hit? Not "a handful of Tel Aviv leftists sipping coffee," but "an employment engine pulling an entire economic train."
buff.ly/qhSDT2w
buff.ly/qhSDT2w
Universities must train us for democracy. They "equip students with the skills to evaluate evidence critically, consider issues from multiple perspectives, participate... in the exchange of ideas, and grapple with the difficult and the complex...."
Opinion | Universities Like the One I Run Aren’t Afraid to Let People Argue
Higher education cannot cede the space of public discourse and the free exchange of ideas.
buff.ly
April 8, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Universities must train us for democracy. They "equip students with the skills to evaluate evidence critically, consider issues from multiple perspectives, participate... in the exchange of ideas, and grapple with the difficult and the complex...."
"US international assistance protects our interests." Concise 30-second case.
Lead
buff.ly
April 3, 2025 at 9:20 AM
"US international assistance protects our interests." Concise 30-second case.
Hostage relative: "We don't want revenge," Alziadana says. "Revenge over whom? A mother in Gaza who no longer has children? I don't want Hamas, I don't want this organization to run Gaza, our entire family agrees on that. But what would revenge do? Will it bring back Hamza? Youssef?"
'What Would Revenge Do? Will It Bring Back Hamza or Youssef?'
For 460 days, Bashir Alziadana fought to return his family members, who were taken hostage alive, but their bodies were returned to Israel by the IDF two months ago. 'People aren't talking enough about what to do instead of revenge,' he said
www.haaretz.com
April 2, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Hostage relative: "We don't want revenge," Alziadana says. "Revenge over whom? A mother in Gaza who no longer has children? I don't want Hamas, I don't want this organization to run Gaza, our entire family agrees on that. But what would revenge do? Will it bring back Hamza? Youssef?"
"a summary for the year 2024 finds that a record-low 1.4 percent of interviewees, analysts and personalities who appeared on [Israeli] broadcasts were Arab, even though Arabs make up 21.1 percent of the population"
Arab Representation on Israeli Television and Radio Hits Historic Low During 2024
Only 1.4 percent of interviewees, analysts and others heard and seen on broadcasts were Arab, despite Arab Israelis accounting for one-fifth of the population
www.haaretz.com
April 1, 2025 at 4:36 PM
"a summary for the year 2024 finds that a record-low 1.4 percent of interviewees, analysts and personalities who appeared on [Israeli] broadcasts were Arab, even though Arabs make up 21.1 percent of the population"
IDF punished "officers and troops for vandalizing Palestinian property, during an unwarranted search of a village in the southern West Bank over the weekend... IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir went to Jinba himself to investigate the incident."
IDF punishes soldiers who vandalized Palestinian property during raid
The IDF has handed down punishments to several officers and troops for vandalizing Palestinian property, during an unwarranted search of a village in the southern West Bank over the weekend.
www.timesofisrael.com
April 1, 2025 at 9:20 AM
IDF punished "officers and troops for vandalizing Palestinian property, during an unwarranted search of a village in the southern West Bank over the weekend... IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir went to Jinba himself to investigate the incident."