Al-Rabbita - The League for the Arabs of Jaffa

Al-RABITTA: HA-AGUDA LEMA'AN ARAVIYEI YAFFO

GOALS
To protect the rights of Arabs in Jaffa and to advance the population in various domains, especially housing.

BACKGROUND
A gentrification project begun in Jaffa in 1975 resulted in the demolition of entire neighborhoods, to be replaced by luxury housing. Displaced Jewish tenants were offered alternative housing elsewhere, but Arab homeowners were offered insufficient compensation to enable them to remain in Jaffa. Al-Rabitta, founded in 1979 by local Arab professionals, put an end to the demolitions and helped residents remain by providing assistance for home renovation. Today the organization helps Jaffa's Arab citizens in various fields, mainly housing, and runs a childcare center, school, and publishing house.

STRATEGIES
Advocacy aimed at decision-makers on the municipal and national levels; legal action; alternative planning to that of the establishment; providing services.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Al-Rabitta is campaigning to gain recognition from the municipality as a volunteer public institution, which would entitle it to a discount or exemption from local property tax for its preschool, school, and the organization itself.
• Al-Rabitta conducts an anti-crime campaign among Jaffa teenagers, also meeting with community leaders and businessmen to find ways to stamp out the phenomenon.
• The organization prevented the closure of the Jaffa Arab Democratic School, whose enrollment grew to 250 pupils last year.
• In the struggle to keep the Islamic Movement from taking over the organization, al-Rabitta improved