#50isEnough: Israeli Civil Society Confronts the Occupation – Talk by Daniel Sokatch

#50isEnough:  Israeli Civil Society Confronts the Occupation

The Occupation is now 50 years old and the current political leadership in Israel seems intent on silencing Israelis who want to see it end. Indeed, the debate over the Occupation – and the damage it is doing to both Palestinian society and Israeli democracy – has been removed from the center of public discourse in Israel.  But no problem that is swept under the rug will ever be solved, and Israeli activists are pushing back. We will examine the roots of the conflict and of the Occupation, discuss the impact it has had on both Palestinians and Israelis, and survey some of the strategies Israeli civil society organizations are implementing to challenge the status quo during these challenging times.

Daniel J. Sokatch is the Chief Executive Officer of the New Israel Fund (NIF), the leading organization committed to equality and democracy for all Israelis. Before joining NIF, Sokatch served as the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. Prior to his tenure at Federation, he served as the founding Executive Director of the California-based Progressive Jewish Alliance (now known as Bend the Arc).

In recognition of his leadership, Sokatch has been named to the Forward newspaper’s “Forward 50,” an annual list of the fifty leading Jewish decision-makers and opinion-shapers, in 2002, 2005 and 2008 and 2010.Daniel has an MA from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, a JD from Boston College Law School, and a BA from Brandeis University. He is married with two daughters and resides in San Francisco.