We stand with Palestinians against apartheid

Dear Friend,

Ziv here. With Refuser Solidarity Network’s support, I lead the Changing Direction movement, which promotes civil disobedience to combat the Israeli government. Throughout Israel’s assault on Gaza, we led protests and direct actions outside the Israeli military headquarters and the Ministry of Defense. We barricaded ourselves in Benjamin Netanyahu’s party headquarters. We organized direct actions calling attention to the people of Gaza. And now, we are also fighting alongside Palestinian citizens of Israel, who are rising up against years of state neglect, rampant violence in their communities, and an apartheid regime that treats their lives as expendable. They are being killed at record rates: since the start of 2026, 47 Palestinian citizens of Israel have been killed in homicides. That is one person everyday. The far-right government has completely abandoned them as part of a state policy of total neglect and disinvestment, and we refuse to stand by. Changing Direction is not only showing up in solidarity; we are actively organizing to build Jewish-Palestinian partnerships that can challenge this injustice together. If you believe in this work, please make a donation today to help us expand and sustain it.

Over the last few years crime organizations have flourished in Palestinian towns while the state has failed to enforce the law or provide basic safety as part of a policy of neglect. Weapons flood communities. Families are left to fend for themselves. This is not accidental dysfunction, it is discriminatory policy. When violence devastates Palestinian society and the government does nothing, it reinforces a clear message about whose lives matter.

But communities are refusing to accept this reality. Palestinian organizers, local leaders, and families have led powerful protests demanding safety, dignity, and accountability. And we have made the decision to stand with them, not symbolically, but materially and organizationally.

That means showing up in the streets when they call for protest. It means placing ourselves between demonstrators and far-right extremists who arrive to intimidate and provoke violence. It means using our networks to bring more Jewish Israelis into this struggle to witness, to listen, and to act.

Last week, during a nationwide day of disruption led by Palestinian citizens, families blocked roads and organized nonviolent protests across the country. Changing Direction escalated alongside them. We blocked the entrance to the Ministry of National Security, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose policies have deepened discrimination and abandonment. For an hour, we disrupted business as usual and demanded an end to the two-tier system that devalues Palestinian lives.

But protest alone is not enough. We are investing in leadership development and coalition-building so this movement grows stronger, broader, and more resilient. Last week, we held a community organizing training for our activists focused on cultivating new leadership and expanding our capacity. Our goal is clear: to help build a shared movement to confront this unjust reality.

This is the long game. Building trust across communities. Expanding circles of courage. Turning solidarity into sustained power. The government is counting on division and despair. We are building partnership and action instead.

Your support makes this possible. It allows us to train organizers, mobilize quickly when communities call for action, protect demonstrators from violence, and build the coalitions necessary to challenge systemic discrimination at its roots.

If you want to see a different future here, one built on equality, safety, and shared struggle, please donate today to power this work.

In solidarity,

Ziv Roi-Cohen

Changing Direction