From Our Executive Director
"Israel is not merely a country; it is a living rebuke to despair. It embodies the tenacity of a people who refused to be erased from history, who rebuilt their shattered world on a sliver of contested land and flourished against all odds. Israel’s very existence is an affront to tyranny and a triumph over persecution, a demonstration that resilience and hope can indeed defy the forces of hatred. It stands as a reminder that courage, not compliance, is the path to survival."
ABOUT US -
At We Believe in Israel (WBII), our mission is to champion a fair, nuanced, and balanced understanding of the State of Israel. Our endeavours transcend mere political discourse, striving to encapsulate and represent the true essence of Israel in all its vibrant complexity. We are dedicated to fostering open and informed conversations that illuminate Israel’s multifaceted nature, addressing and challenging the deep-seated biases against the Jewish State.
We aspire to present a comprehensive and accurate portrayal of Israel, celebrating its cultural richness, technological prowess, historical depth, and social diversity. Our objective is to craft a balanced narrative that reflects the true spirit of Israel. Through the development and dissemination of insightful educational materials, we aim to inform and enlighten audiences about Israel's significant contributions to the global community. Our resources are designed to be both informative and engaging, showcasing Israel’s achievements and advancements.
In our efforts to define key concepts, we seek to clarify and contextualise pivotal terms such as Zionism from a community-centric perspective. Our goal is to foster a deeper understanding of these concepts and their relevance, promoting informed and respectful dialogue. A critical part of our mission includes uncovering and confronting the biases and misconceptions about Israel. By facilitating discussions grounded in fact and balance, we strive to challenge and change these misperceptions.
Acting as a cultural, business, and social conduit between Israel and the UK, we work tirelessly to strengthen these bonds. Our initiatives aim to foster mutual understanding and collaboration, enriching the relationship between our two nations. We provide a united front that brings together all the existing supporters of Israel in the UK, across the political spectrum, creating a cohesive and supportive community that spans diverse political affiliations.
We facilitate and support a grassroots network of supporters of Israel in the UK, empowering local advocates and enhancing our collective ability to influence public opinion and policy. Our goal is to help create a fair and balanced political environment for Israel in the UK, ensuring that discussions about Israel in the political arena are informed, respectful, and based on factual evidence.
We provide opportunities for people in the UK to engage in constructive dialogue and conversation about Israel, believing in the power of open communication to bridge divides and foster understanding. We offer platforms for both Jewish and non-Jewish supporters of Israel to express their support, broadening active support for Israel beyond existing advocates to include a wide range of voices.
Our commitment extends to providing an atmosphere of solidarity and mutual support that helps supporters of Israel become active and feel safe and confident in expressing their support. We work to ensure that support for Israel is heard in debates, whether online, in the traditional media, or at public events, amplifying the voices of Israel’s supporters and ensuring they are represented in all relevant discussions.
We Believe in Israel is steadfast in its commitment to projecting an image of Israel that is both fair and accurate. Through our advocacy and educational efforts, we seek to create a platform for positive engagement and meaningful connection, showcasing the vibrant and indispensable role of Israel in the world.
Our Pledge
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Permit me, just this once, to stand before you not as a speaker, not as an orator, nor as a bearer of political argument, but as a human being whose heart bleeds for my people. Allow me to speak not of policies or strategies, not of the labyrinthine complexities of geopolitics, but of pain—raw, unfiltered, and unbearable.
October 7th, 2023. A date that should be etched into the very fabric of human memory. A day when the sun rose as it always does, indifferent to the horrors it would illuminate. It rose over a land that has known suffering, over a people who have danced on the precipice of extinction and survived, only to be engulfed once more by a darkness so cruel, so calculated, that time itself seemed to weep.
On that day, death did not come quietly. It did not tiptoe in the shadows or lurk in the margins. It stormed in with a roar, brazen and unrepentant. It came not as a thief in the night but as a tempest at dawn, tearing through homes and hearts with merciless precision. And it did not discriminate. It took mothers cradling their children, fathers shielding their sons, grandparents whose only crime was to love, infants whose only sin was to be born. It ripped through dreams and futures with a ferocity that defies comprehension.
These were not soldiers. They were not political actors in some grand, cynical play of power. They were people. Breathing, laughing, dreaming people. They woke up that morning with hopes and fears, with love in their hearts and plans for tomorrow. But tomorrow never came.
In one savage heartbeat, innocence was slaughtered. In one cruel breath, futures were erased. In one blinding moment, humanity was betrayed. Not by an enemy across the battlefield but by monsters who walk the earth cloaked in the guise of righteousness, who preach death as though it were salvation, who murder in the name of a twisted vision of justice.
And as the world watched—some in shock, others in silence—a question rose from the ashes, a cry that echoed through the broken hearts of my people: Where is justice? Where is humanity? Where is the outcry for the blood of the innocent?
Why is it that when my people weep, the world looks away? Why is our pain politicised, our grief rationalised, our humanity questioned? Why are our deaths reduced to mere statistics, buried beneath headlines that tiptoe around the truth?
Are we not worthy of mourning? Are our children not as innocent, our mothers not as tender, our fathers not as brave? Must we always apologise for our existence? Must we always justify our right to live?
No. I refuse.
I refuse to accept that my people’s blood is cheaper. I refuse to concede that our pain is lesser. I refuse to allow the memory of October 7th to be rewritten, distorted, or diluted.
For on that day, we did not merely lose lives—we lost worlds. We lost stories that will never be told, voices that will never be heard, songs that will never be sung. We lost the light of generations, snuffed out by those who worship death, who celebrate murder, who dance upon the graves of the innocent.
But we are a people of life. We are a people who have stood at the edge of oblivion and refused to fall. We are a people who have been uprooted, exiled, hunted, and haunted, yet we stand—not merely as survivors but as witnesses to the resilience of the human spirit.
We will mourn, but we will not bow. We will remember, but we will not surrender. We will rebuild—not out of vengeance but out of resolve, a resolve to live, to love, to hope, and to dream. We will defy hatred with humanity, we will answer darkness with light, and we will confront death with life.
And to those who dare justify this evil with political jargon and moral gymnastics, who wrap atrocity in the language of resistance and cloak murder in the rhetoric of struggle, I say this: Our humanity is not negotiable. Our right to live is not up for debate.
October 7th was not just an attack on Israel. It was an assault on humanity, on decency, on every value that binds us as human beings. It was a crime against the sanctity of life itself.
So today, I plead not just for my people but for humanity—for the courage to speak the truth, for the integrity to condemn evil without hesitation, for the compassion to grieve without prejudice.
Let October 7th be remembered not as a date of destruction but as a testament to our defiance. Let it stand as proof that even in the face of darkness, the flame of our existence cannot—and will not—be extinguished.
We are here. We have endured. We will continue to live.
Am Yisrael Chai. The people of Israel live. And we shall continue to live, to love, to hope, and to dream, no matter how fierce the darkness, no matter how cruel the enemy.
This is our promise. This is our defiance. This is our victory.
Reean Perez-Shakdam
Support We Believe in Israel: Your Contribution Matters -
In these times of distorted narratives and rampant misinformation, your donation to We Believe in Israel (WBII) is more than a mere contribution; it is a bold statement of your commitment to truth, justice, and intellectual integrity. By supporting us, you empower our mission to present a fair and balanced narrative of Israel, one that celebrates its cultural richness, technological achievements, and social diversity. Your generosity enables us to confront and dispel the pervasive misconceptions about Israel, fostering informed and constructive dialogue.
Now, more than ever, we need your support to ensure that Israel’s story is told with the accuracy and fairness it deserves. Stand with us in this crucial endeavour. Your donation helps us unite supporters, bolster grassroots networks, and amplify Israel’s voice in essential debates. Together, we can create a future where understanding and truth prevail. Thank you for your unwavering commitment and support.
