PowerPoint Discussion Guide Palestinian Israelis

The following guide provides a suggested script (in italics) and tips for your PowerPoint presentation. The text in bold will appear on the slide (it is not necessary to read this text out loud). We suggest that you go through the PowerPoint beforehand to familiarize yourself with the flow of the presentation and the order in which information appears on the slides. Thank you for taking the time to educate your community on social justice issues in , and to inform people about the work of the .

CHECKLIST  Computer enabled to show PowerPoint and video (internet or DVD player)  Copy of Discussion Questions (for facilitator to lead discussion)  Optional: Copies of NIF 101, Participant Handout and Related Articles (to distribute at end of presentation)  Optional: copies of Evaluation Form for Program Participants

Before you start the PowerPoint, you may show Justice, Justice You Shall Pursue (~12 min) to provide an overview of NIF. (Click on link in Facilitator’s Packet or insert DVD)

PRESENTATION

Slide 1: Introduction a. State the purpose of the event: We are here to discuss one of the social justice issues facing Israeli society. This presentation will focus on Palestinian, or Arab, citizens of Israel. b. You may want to start with an icebreaker, such as asking what experience each person has had with social justice issues, or what knowledge they have about the situation of Palestinian citizens of Israel, both positive and negative. c. Quickly note the use of terminology in the presentation. If there are any questions or comments, save them for the discussion after the video. Throughout the presentation, you will notice the use of different terms. Palestinian Israeli,” “Israeli Arab,” and “Arab citizen of Israel” are used interchangeably. The term “Arab,” for example, has been criticized for undermining Palestinian ethnic and national identity. It is used often in Israel by both Jews and Palestinians, who may also use the term “Palestinian Arab citizen of Israel.”

Slide 2: What is NIF? The New Israel Fund is the leading organization committed to equality and democracy for all Israelis. NIF’s primary focus is supporting the creation, development and operations of organizations working towards these goals (choose a participant to read the following): • To protect the civil and of all Israelis, • To close the social and economic gaps between Israel’s diverse communities, and • To promote religious pluralism and tolerance.

Slide 3: How does NIF work? 1. Grant making Since its founding in 1979, NIF has granted over $200 million to more than 800 non-profit organizations.

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PowerPoint Discussion Guide Palestinian Israelis

2. Capacity-building In 1982, NIF established SHATIL (“seedling” in Hebrew) to provide organizational development and training for organizations. SHATIL teaches skills such as fundraising, coalition-building and working with the media.

3. Leadership Development NIF has leadership programs for Israelis and Diaspora Jews who want to work in the field of social justice.

4. Public Advocacy Advocacy includes educational events and campaigns to create public awareness about social justice issues in Israel, such as NIF’s campaign to kick racism out of soccer.

Slide 4: Now to our main topic of discussion, Palestinian Israelis

Slide 5: Background Choose a participant to read the quote from Israel’s Declaration of Independence.

The State of Israel…will be based on freedom, justice and peace…it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or gender…” Israel’s Declaration of Independence, 5 Iyyar 5708 / 14 May 1948

Yet severe inequalities continue to exist between Jewish and Palestinian Israelis. In general, the majority of Jews and Palestinians live in separate towns and send their children to different schools. A mutual distrust between the two groups perpetuates this separation. In addition, Palestinian Israelis have many ties—including family ties—to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and are thus treated with suspicion as potentially disloyal to the state. Unlike Palestinians in the territories, they are full citizens of Israel, yet, as we will see in the following slides, they suffer pervasive discrimination.

Slide 6: Challenges These slides include issues from the Related Articles, which we encourage you to distribute at the end of the presentation.

Unequal allocation of resources Arab schools receive at least one-third less of public spending than schools in Jewish municipalities. Out of 40 towns with the highest unemployment rates, 36 are Arab towns. In “mixed cities” —Jaffa, Ramle, Lod, and Akko—where Arabs and Jews live, there is a glaring discrepancy in infrastructure and funding

2011: The Supreme Court ruled that tax breaks discriminate against Palestinian citizens Even though many Arab towns lack infrastructure and funding, they rarely receive special tax breaks from the government that are given to other towns in need.

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PowerPoint Discussion Guide Palestinian Israelis

Land Rights Even though Palestinians make up 20% of the Israeli population, they have jurisdiction over only 3% of the land. This limited amount of land leads to overcrowding and poverty in the Arab sector.

Since 1948, almost no Arab neighborhood or town has been allocated permits to expand. Without permits, homes and buildings are illegal and some are consequently demolished by government-sanctioned authorities.

Slide 7: Challenges Social and Cultural Rights Restricted control over cultural and historical curricula in Arab schools

Choose a participant to read the quote: “Some Arab education analysts feel left out by the current ministry and are anxious for increased involvement. “We see it as a joint mission to bring our decision makers inside the ministry of education so we can keep our uniqueness, help craft our own curricula, our narrative, how our language and history are taught…”” Moment Magazine 2010 For example, the educational system may require Palestinian Arab students to study Jewish national poets and not include Arabic literature.

Limited freedom of expression In 2011 Israel passed the Nakba Law: organizations and institutions commemorating the Nakba will be denied public funds Nakba Day coincides with Israel’s Independence Day and marks the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948. This law limits the freedom of expression of Israeli citizens, and unreasonably expects Palestinian Israelis to exclusively adopt a Jewish narrative.

Slide 8: Challenges Bedouin citizens Lacking basic services in unrecognized villages Water, electricity, sewage, health clinics Highest infant mortality rate in Israel

The Bedouin population in the , Israel’s southern region, is one of the most impoverished communities in the country. Approximately half of this community lives in unrecognized villages that lack basic services. This contributes to the fact that Bedouins in the Negev have the highest infant mortality rate in Israel and one of the highest rates in the developed world.

Slide 9: Now we will watch an episode of Against All Odds (~20 min). (Click on link in module or insert DVD) Afterwards, open the discussion by asking the group for their thoughts on the episode, or by referring to the Discussion Questions. But first, propose some of the following discussion guidelines:  Participants should listen with curiosity—ask questions to expand their view before offering a different /opposing view.

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PowerPoint Discussion Guide Palestinian Israelis

 Participants should express their perspectives in terms of how a situation impacts them, instead of labeling it (e.g., “I strongly agree/disagree with …” instead of “S/he is right/wrong”)  Participants should not interrupt one another.  Everyone’s voice should be heard (people should not monopolize the conversation).

Remember…  Clarify points of confusion by restating individual contributions to confirm understanding and ensure that they are heard by the whole group (e.g., “I hear your view as …., is that right?”).  The facilitator reserves the right to redirect the conversation.

In the last few minutes of the discussion, ask for two final comments and continue to the next slides to wrap up.

Slide 10: Responding to the Challenges This quote is from the Orr Commission of Inquiry that was conducted after the second intifada, or uprising, which began in 2000. Read the quote out loud. “The establishment did not show sufficient sensitivity to the needs of the Arab population, and did not take enough action in order to allocate state resources in an equal manner...The police must learn to realize that the Arab sector in Israel is not the enemy and must not be treated as such…”

NIF and its grantees are working to: • Obtain equal access to social, cultural, economic and educational rights • Achieve per capita equality in land distribution • Achieve equality in investment in housing and infrastructure in Arab areas

Slide 11: Making a Difference on the Ground These are some examples of NIF grantees and their achievements: A New Voice from the Stadium Believing that racism in the soccer stadium mirrors and influences racist attitudes in society, this campaign works to kick racism out of Israeli soccer. In the 2010-11 season, the eighth year of this program, NIF-trained observers reported a 39% decline in racist chanting.

Adalah: the Legal Center for Arab in Israel The first nonprofit and nonsectarian Arab-run legal center in Israel For example, Adalah won a precedent-setting case against a plan for an Arab village that would have excluded 40% of the homes in the village. Had the plan been approved, these homes would have been demolished.

Association of Bedouin Women to Promote Education Promoting higher education and community involvement among Bedouin high school girls and young women Thanks to the work of this organization, over 50 Bedouin women now complete their B.A. degree each year, compared to seven in 1995.

SAY YES TO A BETTER ISRAEL. WWW.NIF.ORG

PowerPoint Discussion Guide Palestinian Israelis

Slide 12: How can you get involved?  Attend NIF events  Stay informed: sign up for NIF’s e-newsletter  Follow NIF on Facebook and Twitter  Join New Generations (20s and 30s)  See NIF on the ground: join an NIF trip to Israel  Apply for NIF fellowship programs (20s and 30s)

WRAPPING UP

1. Propose next steps, such as scheduling next event to learn about another topic (Ethiopian Israelis, Women, Human Rights or Migrant Workers) and connecting with NIF. 2. Distribute the Participant Handout, NIF 101, and Related Articles so the group can learn more about the issue and NIF. 3. If possible, ask participants to fill out the survey online (www.surveymonkey.com/s/NIFoutoftheBox) or the Evaluation Form for Program Participants. And be sure that you fill out the Evaluation Form for Facilitators.

Conclusion: Today we learned about a minority group in Israel that faces many difficulties. On a positive note, we have also seen how Palestinian and Jewish citizens have stepped up to the challenges and established organizations to protect and promote equal rights for . NIF works towards this goal, empowering all people in Israel, on a daily basis. As the organizations demonstrate, progress has been made. I’d like to thank all of you for taking the time to learn about this social justice issue in Israel.

Note on sources: This information has been gathered over the past decade by the New Israel Fund, based on current events, government policies and information from NIF grantees. Information has largely been provided by Adalah-The Legal Center for Minority Rights in Israel,* Adva Center,** and the U.S Department of State 2010 Human Rights Report: Israel and the Occupied Territories.*** Last updated April 2011.

* www.adalah.org/upfiles/2011/Thabet_English_2.pdf **www.adva.org/uploaded/NegevEnglishSummary.pdf *** www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2010/nea/154463.htm

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