Avigail Abarbanel was born in Tel Aviv and went to school in Israel, getting what she calls a very Zionist education system that prepared her to be a loyal citizen of Israel and to protect the country. She moved to Australia, studying individual and relationship psychotherapy. She started out as a ’soft lefty’ who didn’t understand Israel’s history but didn’t like the injustice done to the Palestinians. In 2001, at the start of the second intifada, she renounced Israeli citizenship becoming a more outspoken activist for Palestinian rights.
She is a frequent contributor to the Electronic Intifada and to Mondoweiss. Her book “Beyond Tribal Loyalties: Personal Stories of Jewish Peace Activists” is available on Amazon.com. She supports the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaign as a non-violent tool to stop Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinian families.
