Someone once described being progressive in Israel as “a tiny blue dot surrounded by a sea of red.” And that reality has never felt more tangible than in these past several months. With the rapid spread of disinformation and reductive infographics consuming my social media feeds, lately, it’s felt like the world is closing in, losing its ability to hold multiple truths. There’s been no space for me to grieve as an American-Israeli devastated by both the horrors of October 7 and the violence of the war that followed. 

In the initial weeks following the outbreak of the war, I felt increasingly isolated, stuck between those who believed Israel could do no wrong and those who wanted to see it wiped off the map. So began my journey looking for other Israelis who see the world as I do, those who want better for our home, stand firmly against the unending cycle of violence, and believe in coexistence. To my surprise, I found them. 

Here are some of their stories.

The idea for Olim HaSmolanim came from my desire to combine my passion for writing and photography with my core beliefs in democracy and human rights in Israel. If you’ve never experienced war for yourself, you may not understand how much courage it takes to choose empathy over hatred when your people are under attack. My goal is to share the stories of those who have managed to find the strength, even when everyone else has told us a better future isn’t possible. 

In Hebrew, Olim HaSmolanim is a cry of support for the left in Israel, roughly translating to “the leftists are rising up.” But it’s also a play on the Hebrew word for Jewish immigrants to Israel, olim. The name of this project speaks to my hope for a stronger political left and my desire to showcase the incredible progressive olim who make Israel-Palestine a better place.