ARAB SOCIETY AND JEWISH- ARAB RELATIONS IN

Suggested Track Days for JAFI Onwards Groups Inter Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues May 2015

Avivit Hai 050-8619317 [email protected]

Diversity is an important issue for American Jewish youth. Many may not know that Israel has a sizable population of Arab citizens, or they may only hear about it in negative terms, especially on campus. Learning about Arab citizens and the many ways that Jewish-Arab relations are addressed deepens understanding and identification with Israel. The mission of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues is to raise awareness and provide education for North American Jewish Leadership about in a non-partisan and thoughtful manner. UMM AL-FAHEM Explore Arab culture and lifestyle in one of Israel's largest Muslim cities.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES • Tour the city with a professional local tour guide. View the impressive hilly landscape of the city with an overview of Northern Israel and the Green Line. • Visit the Umm Al-Fahem Art Gallery – a place for art, Umm al Fahem ('Mother of Charcoal') is often called Umm Al-Nur ('Mother of history and inter-cultural dialogue. Art activities for Light') by its residents. groups are possible. It the third largest Arab city in Israel, home to 50,000 Muslim residents. It is ranked in the second lowest socioeconomic cluster.

Contacts: • Mohamad Rabah, Tour Guide, Green Carpet Local Tourism Association 050-5312314 • Avivit Hai, Inter Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues, 050-8619317 [email protected] NAZARETH Israel’s next Silicon ‘Wadi’ Learn how Arab citizens are integrating into and expanding the "startup nation."

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES • Tour the Old City and visit the new High-Tech Industrial Park (founded by Steff Werthheimer); meet Founding Director of Alfa-Omega, Ms. Reem Younis and Director Nazareth, Israel’s largest Arab city, has of Amdocs Development Center in Nazareth, Mr. Ihab 75,000 residents –70% Muslim and Attala. 30% Christian. In recent years, a hi- • Visit Tsofen, an NGO that works to integrate Arab tech scene has taken root here. university graduates into high-tech and bring high-tech Hi-tech integration is an economic into Arab localities. priority for Israel. Arab citizens make • Visit NGT3 Technology Incubator that invests in up almost 21% of Israeli society but innovation-based businesses and entrepreneurs and only 2% of high-tech professionals. meet Arab and Jewish trailblazers. Contacts: • Tsofen, 04-6000500, [email protected] • NGT, 04-6564118, 04-6098600 • Avivit Hai, IATF, 050-8619317 [email protected] Between tradition and modernity

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES • Visit – the only Bedouin city with almost 60,000 residents. Learn about local organizations promoting higher education, entrepreneurship and youth.

The Negev is home to 220,000 , • Visit Sidreh – a women’s organization in Laqiya one-third of the region’s residents. empowering Bedouin women through traditional Bedouin crafts. , Israel's poorest population, are working to bridge tradition and modern • Tour the Bedouin community with AJEEC-NISPED, a opportunity. Many Bedouin academics, major Jewish-Bedouin organization. Learn about business and civil society leaders—women Bedouin society, youth voluntarism, and Jewish-Arab especially—are leading this change. relations in the Negev. Contacts: • A New Dawn in the Negev (Rahat) 052- 865-5737, [email protected] • Sidreh (Laqiya) 08-6519883, [email protected] • AJEEC-NISPED (Beer Sheva) 08-671155, [email protected] • Avivit Hai, IATF, 050-8619317, [email protected] HAIFA Enhancing shared society in the mixed city

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES • Visit Beit Hagefen - a cultural center where Jewish and Arab residents get together for art, dialogue and cultural activities. • Walk through Wadi Nisnas, one of the old Arab Haifa has around 11% Arab residents neighborhoods, and enjoy art created by the diverse – both Muslims and Christians. community. Numerous organizations are working • Meet with Jewish and Arab religious leaders and youth to take advantage of the city's groups participating in dialogue activities. diversity and enhance inclusiveness through youth dialogue, higher education, art, and more.

Contacts: • Beit Hagefen Arab-Jewish Cultural Center 04-8525252 [email protected] • Avivit Hai, Inter Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues, 050-8619317 [email protected] LOD Learn about Jewish and Arab efforts to improve joint living in this ancient city

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES  Tour of the old city with a Jewish and an Arab activists from Citizens Build a Community – a local Lod is one of the oldest cities in the organization. world and has been recognized by the World Heritage Fund as a World  Tour of Arab neighborhoods and hear about urban Heritage Site. renovation from JINDAS. It is a mixed Jewish-Arab city with  Hear about women status and enjoy local cuisine around 64% Jewish and 36% Arab through NAAM – Arab Women in the Center. residents.

Contacts: • JINDAS Urban Regeneration in Lod 052-691-6670 [email protected] • NAAM – Arab Women in the Center 054-9792389 [email protected] • Avivit Hai, IATF, 050-8619317 [email protected]