The last few months in Israel have seen a confluence of events adding tensions to Jewish-Arab relations in the leadup to the already sensitive time of Ramadan and Passover. Since late March, terror attacks, instability surrounding Israel's governing coalition, and escalations in East Jerusalem have heightened the sense of uncertainty and concerns about renewed intercommunal violence, especially with the approaching anniversary of the May 2021 events.

For more detailed analysis, please read IATF’s latest briefing paper: https://www.iataskforce.org/sites/default/files/resource/resource-2086.pdf

Jack Khoury, one of Israel’s leading journalists and a commentator on Arab affairs, was interviewed by IATF Executive Director, Liron Shoham, about the current issues in Jewish-Arab relations in Israel.

This interview was conducted on May 3, 2022. It was translated to English and edited for length and clarity.

Editing and Translation: Alisa Shodiyev Kaff

Voice over: Martin Kaff

Umm al-Fahm is the largest city located in what is referred to as the “Triangle” – a concentration of predominantly Muslim Arab towns and villages in the North-East part of Israel. Known as more traditional and conservative than other Arab communities in the North, it is also a social and cultural center for Arab citizens of Israel despite social and economic difficulties. Dr. Samir Mahamid is one of a new generation of Arab mayors in Israel, seeking to bring practical solutions and circumvent political roadblocks in the way of improving the local quality of life.

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On Thursday, October 21st, the city staged a general strike to protest the ongoing violence in Arab communities, after two of the city's residents were murdered within 24 hours. Since the beginning of 2021, 108 Arab citizens of Israel - men, women, and children - have been murdered. Eight people were killed this year in Umm al-Fahm alone, and every one of these murders remains unsolved by police. “It's conflicts within families that were known for four to five-six years. We should have done more to solve those problems,” Dr. Samir Mahamid, the mayor, said on this IATF Short interview.

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Dr. Mahamid was interviewed by IATF Executive Director, Liron Shoham, about violent crime in the city and his vision for addressing the urgent needs of its residents.

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This interview was translated to English and edited for length and clarity.

Editing and Translation: Alisa Shodiyev Kaff

Voice over: Martin Kaff

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Transcript: https://www.iataskforce.org/sites/default/files/resource/resource-2072.pdf

The beginning of the school year in Israel raised great concerns for spread of the Delta Variant of the Coronavirus. Unlike Jewish students who started the school on September 1st but then were off for most of the month for the Jewish holidays, Arab children have continued learning straight through. By September 19th, Ministry of Health data showed that 40% of Israelis who all positive cases were from the Arab population. At the same time, 40% of all new cases were also children under the age of 11.

Listen to our new Task Force Short with Aiman Saif, the Head of the Arab Desk for the Ministry of Health, for insights into immediate concerns and long-term implications for Arab society in the continuing crisis.

In recent weeks, the new government coalition passed its proposal for the next government budget and made Knesset committee assignments, yielding sizable allocations for Arab society and influential political assignments for Arab Knesset members. What does this mean for the Arab community in Israel?

Read More: https://www.iataskforce.org/activities/view/1185