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We Believe in Israel sets out plans to expand advocacy after NJA merger
Leaders say merger marks shift towards coordinated campaigning, broader alliances and stronger grassroots Israel advocacy nationwide
We Believe in Israel has outlined plans to expand its advocacy work and coordinate national campaigns following its merger with the National Jewish Assembly, which formally took effect at the start of the year.
The merger brought NJA’s membership base and activity into We Believe in Israel, with the combined structure now being positioned by its leadership as a platform for broader cooperation between pro-Israel groups, rather than a single standalone organisation.
Speaking to Jewish News, the organisation’s chair Simon Tobelem said the move was driven by long-standing concerns about fragmentation within pro-Israel advocacy in the UK.
“The landscape around pro-Israel advocacy in the UK is very fragmented,” Tobelem said. “Each one is generally a one-or two-person show, and therefore it reduces our ability to be efficient, impactful, and to promptly represent the voice of a community in support of Israel.”
Tobelem said the merged organisation wants to move away from a reactive posture towards sustained, proactive campaigning. “Historically, we have probably been reactive,” he said. “Unfortunately, that’s not good enough anymore. We have to be very proactive. We have to start campaigns, increase social media activity, and build a larger foundation.”
He confirmed that the structure now brings together We Believe in Israel, the National Jewish Assembly and the Israeli British Alliance, which he described as an effort to unite organisations that had previously operated separately.
“This is actually more than a merger,” he said. “Rather than creating new organisations or competing with each other, we are uniting different groups that are synergetic.”
Under the approach outlined, organisations would retain their own identities while drawing on shared resources and coordinated campaigning. “We would like to provide an umbrella,” Tobelem said. “Not to dilute anyone’s message, but to share resources, skills, content and access when it’s needed.”
Roger Walters, who is serving as interim chair of the National Jewish Assembly during the transition period, said the expanded approach was intended to exert influence beyond existing communal channels.
“We need to influence Parliament beyond the Jewish institutions, hold institutions to account, create a credible counterweight to extremist mobilisation,” Walters said.
Both leaders linked the organisation’s future direction to the climate following the 7 October attacks and the rise in antisemitism and extremism across public life. Tobelem said this had left many Jews feeling unrepresented and unsafe.
“Tens of thousands of people don’t feel that the official narrative is properly representing them,” he said, adding that many people had become silent because they felt there was no framework they could identify with.
Tobelem stressed that the organisation does not see itself as left or right-wing, nor as a replacement for existing communal leadership bodies. “We are not right, we are not left,” he said. “We don’t want to be defined in opposition to other organisations. But we also don’t want to dilute our message because it makes others uncomfortable.”
Looking ahead, he said the group hopes to work with non-Jewish partners who share concerns about extremism and democratic values. “This is not just about Jews anymore,” he said. “It’s about defending British values – free speech, tolerance and democracy.”
Walters said the pressure facing the community had created a moment for greater cooperation. “We failed for years to make organisations work together,” he said. “It’s happening now because of the pressure on the community.”
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