Keeping the Peace in Mixed Cities Since October 7th
Last month, Yoni Arie, our Safe Communities Director, participated in an important meeting of the State Audit Committee in the Knesset. Presenting data collected by The Abraham Initiatives and partners, Yoni explained that in order to sustain positive relations between Jews and Arabs in mixed cities, cooperation between the police, the municipality, and civil society is imperative. Our advice to the government and public officials is informed up by careful research and the relationships our shared cities coordinators in the field build.
Our work in mixed cities during this emergency period has helped prevent a recurrence of the intercommunal violence of May 2021. We have repeatedly called on the police and municipalities to strengthen cooperation with civil society and local residents. You can read more in our most recent policy paper examining the state's response to the May 2021 violence and lessons learned for today.
On June 24th, Yoni will make a public presentation of The Abraham Initiatives' study of the government's implementation of its policy commitments to Arab communities. You can read a summary of the findings here.
Strengthening Civil Society in Ramla
Co-Executive Director Shahira Shalaby opened the first training session for local organizational and grassroots leaders in Ramla. Shahira's presentation focused on strategy for community work in mixed cities and formulating a shared vision for everyday life.
This is just part of the work our local coordinator, Kholod Alzinati, has done in developing civil and political partnerships in Ramla. The dynamic group was composed of local leaders full of motivation and clear potential. Our work in mixed cities and regions, which was essential in controlling tensions and preventing violence since October 7th, is moving beyond emergency coordination to build capacity for long term day-to-day needs in mixed cities and regions.
Countering Racism and Extremism in Schools
Our team recently attended a daylong roundtable discussion organized by the Ministry of Education, the National Institute for Research and Development in Education, and the Center for Educational Technology.
In front of an audience of policymakers, academics, and educators, we raised concerns of growing extremist attitudes and racism prevalent in high schools since October 7th.
Dr. Shany Payes, Director of Research & Evaluation, and Galia Bazak Hilger, Director of Education for Shared Society, discussed our most recent survey results showing alarming levels of hatred among Jewish and Arab youth; the challenges that principals and educators are facing; and the model we have developed and implemented in high schools since October 7th.
Narrowing Gaps in Digital Access
Yaacob Ibrahim, our co-Director of Public Affairs, sits on the Forum to Promote Internet and Digitization in Arab Society. This month, Yaacob addressed the Forum and discussed gaps in access to technology, including in schools and the workplace.
While certain socioeconomic gaps have recently seen improvement in Arab society—including the number of university students and level of women's employment—there are areas still desperately in need of address. Access to digital resources in Arabic is one of them. The government has committed to making sure content and forms on Ministry websites will be available in Arabic by the end of 2026, and we intend to monitor progress toward this goal.
Introducing Shahira Shalaby
Last week, The Abraham Initiatives hosted a webinar conversation between Shahira Shalaby, our new co-Executive Director, and board member Josh Arnow. You can access the recording below:
Webinar recording: Click here
Passcode: Abraham1!
We are excited about our upcoming programs and initiatives, including preparing for the next national election in Israel, and hope hold more of these conversations in the future!