For decades, the Israeli-Palestinian peace movement has been a story of hope and heartbreak, defined by political negotiations that ultimately crumbled. But in the wake of October 7th, a new, more resilient form of solidarity is emerging from the grassroots. In a recent conversation, activist Alon-Lee Green, National Director of Standing Together, and musician/writer Daniel Maté, explored how a new generation is abandoning the failed models of the past to build a shared future from the ground up.
Daniel Maté, who was active in the left-wing Zionist youth movement of the 1990s, remembers a time when peace felt within reach. “We had this vision that we could be both Jewish nationalists and good hippies,” he recalled. But that dream dissolved after the Second Intifada in the early 2000s, when much of the Israeli peace camp “shrugged its shoulders and said there’s no one to talk to.”
This sentiment has only hardened over time. In the aftermath of October 7th, Israeli Jewish opposition to a Palestinian state jumped from 69% to 79% . By June 2025, only 21% of Israelis believed a peaceful two-state solution was possible—the lowest level of support recorded since 2013 . The old paradigm of top-down, land-for-peace negotiations had not only failed but had left a vacuum of hopelessness.
It is in this vacuum that Standing Together (Omdim Beyachad/Nakif Ma’an) has found its purpose. Founded in 2015, the Jewish-Arab grassroots movement has seen explosive growth, doubling its membership to nearly 7,000 in the months following October 7th . Unlike the politically aligned movements of the past, Standing Together is building a broad-based coalition around a shared vision of peace, equality, and social justice for all.
Their model is fundamentally different. Instead of waiting for politicians, they organize local chapters—nearly 80 of them as of late 2025 —where Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel work together on tangible campaigns. From protesting the demolition of Palestinian homes to organizing humanitarian aid convoys, they are proving that solidarity is not just an ideal, but a practice.
For Alon-Lee Green, the joy of the movement lies in its collective nature. He described the feeling of attending a large event that he had no part in organizing: “It’s a big us feeling that I’m part of it. And I think it’s a joy and pride and a feeling that something exists in all this craziness.”
This philosophy of distributed leadership is the movement’s greatest strength. It’s about, as Maté put it, creating “something that doesn’t require you anymore.” This resilience is crucial in an environment where activists face immense pressure and risk. By building a decentralized network of empowered local leaders, Standing Together has created a movement that can withstand the loss of any single individual and continue to grow.
The most radical shift is in the vision itself. The conversation has moved beyond the confines of the two-state solution. “Hearing Israelis talk about ‘from the river to the Sea, Palestine and Israel will be free’... I wasn’t hearing that before,” Maté observed. “That was very fringe. It’s still fringe, but that now is the peace position.”
This call for equal rights for all people in the land represents a profound departure from the segregationist logic that underpinned previous negotiations. It’s a vision rooted not in separation, but in a shared destiny. Standing Together is demonstrating that this once-radical idea is gaining ground, building a political home for the growing number of Israelis and Palestinians who understand that their liberation is intertwined.
While the political landscape remains bleak, with a vast majority of the Israeli public still skeptical of peace, the work of Standing Together offers a powerful counter-narrative. They are proving that even in the darkest of times, it is possible to build a movement based on shared humanity and a relentless demand for a just future for everyone.
[1] JCFA. (n.d. ). Poll Reveals Dramatic Shift in Israeli Public Opinion after October 7 Attacks.
https://jcfa.org/poll-reveals-dramatic-shift-in-israeli-public-opinion-after-october-7-attacks/
Key findings: Israeli public opposition to a Palestinian state jumped from 69% to 79% after October 7.
[2] Pew Research Center. (2025, June 3 ). Israeli Public Increasingly Skeptical About Lasting Peace.
Key findings: Only 21% of Israelis think Israel and a Palestinian state can coexist peacefully, the lowest share since 2013.
[3] Haaretz. (2025, December 12 ). With a Mass Jewish-Arab Movement Behind Him, Alon-Lee Green Is Reshaping the Israeli Left.
Key findings: Two thousand new members joined Standing Together during the period after October 7, bringing the movement to 7,000 registered members, 35% of them Arab.
https://www.972mag.com/standing-together-israel-palestinians-10-years/
Key findings: Standing Together's rapid expansion over the past two years—the movement now boasts almost 6,000 members, and its website lists nearly 80 local chapters.
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