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Fiona Sharpe

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Fiona Sharpe,

Fiona Sharpe

Opinion

Grassroots plus establishment equals strength to face challenges

July 9, 2015 13:24
Fiona Sharpe
1 min read

Grassroots organisations came to the forefront last summer at the height of the Gaza conflict. It seemed that new pro-Israel, anti-establishment groups were popping up daily.

These groups formed out of a frustration and perception that the mainstream communal leadership was not listening. People saw Israel being bashed in the media 24/7, they wanted an outlet for their support for Israel and could not find one.

From this, online "Friends of Israel" groups were set up. These gave people a forum not only to express their support for Israel and their disgust at the media but also their exasperation with the leadership. Such was the noise they generated that eventually the main leadership organisations held the infamous JFS Town Hall Meeting.

Grassroots is about being heard; it's about direct action, about standing up and standing proud. While many groups were formed last year, I believe that it's older, more established groups, such as my own Sussex Friends of Israel and our colleagues at North West Friends of Israel, who gave people the impetus to stand up and shout instead waiting for others to take a lead.