Grantee

Arab Center for Alternative Planning

HAMERKAZ HAARAVI LETIKHNUN

GOALS
To attain equal opportunities for Arab citizens of Israel in regard to land ownership and development.

BACKGROUND
No new Arab settlements have been authorized in Israel since 1948, despite the fact that the Arab population has increased six-fold in this period of time. Since the establishment of the State, planning institutions have been used as tools to implement discriminatory policies that infringe on Arab Israelis' rights of land distribution and development. Although Arab Israelis constitute 20% of the population, they have jurisdiction over only 3% of the land. The Arab Center for Alternative Planning was started in 2000 by professionals and public figures in the field in order to influence planning policy on all levels. Since 2001 it has been running two special programs – Expansion of Jurisdiction of Arab Localities and dealing with Irregular and Illegal Building.

STRATEGIES
Alternative planning; advocacy aimed at institutional planning committees and decision makers; empowerment of the community and its local institutions; litigation.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Center appealed to the administrative court in Haifa to cancel Israel Land Authority (ILA) bids that excluded Arab citizens from participation. The appeal was accepted and the bids canceled. The Center then appealed to the Supreme Court to rule on the fundamental issue of the rights of Arab citizens to lease land owned by the ILA and administered by the Jewish National Fund. The ruling is still pending, but the issue received great attention in the media and public.
• Monitoring decisions by planning authorities concerning their effects on Arab localities.
• Organizing training courses, conferences, study dialogues and media campaigns on relevant issues.