issue update
Joint Living the 2008 yom kippur riots in akko were a wakeup call for everyone concerned about Jewish-Arab relations within Israel. In one of Israel’s five mixed Jewish-Arab cities, the Akko riots reflected the strained relations between the two peoples throughout the country. An emphasis on joint living and what this means in theory and practice is now a top priority for the New Israel Fund. Rising tides of separatism in both Jewish and Arab communities further threaten Israel’s future as a multicultural and democratic society. According to a 2008 poll, 76% of Israeli Jews expressed support for Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s plan to “transfer” areas heavily populated by Israeli Arabs to a future Palestinian state. The war in Gaza further exacerbated tensions between the communities.
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Since 2003, NIF/Shatil’s widely acclaimed Mixed Cities Project has been active in promoting equality in Israel’s mixed cities. As the only major organization with a significant focus and presence in all of Israel’s mixed cities, NIF/Shatil knows that tackling these societal divides are imperative to the health of Israeli democracy. Since its establishment, the Project has successfully frozen home demolition orders, established neighborhood residential forums promoting housing and education rights, and lobbied for fair allotment of public funding and services for all residents. Another joint living issue is addressed by NIF’s Kick it Out Israel program, which has helped reduce anti-Arab outbursts, and punish offenders, in Israel’s soccer stadiums. And in areas with large Arab and Bedouin populations, including the Triangle and Be’er Sheva in the Negev, Shatil’s offices are the ‘address’ for empowering community residents to work for their legal, social and economic rights.
civil, human and economic rights for israeli arabs is an issue crucial to the long-term survival of the state
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