July 10, 2007
In this week's NIF News we report on the NIF stories I've described, as well as the first ever conference on Ethiopian domestic violence sponsored by SHATIL. In addition, SHATIL recaps a successful conference with Israeli NGOs focusing on the impact of the falling dollar.
Israel Office
SHATIL
NIF Outside Israel
Message From Larry Garber
The past three weeks have been an NIF marathon in Israel, including a four-day Board meeting, a three-day senior staff retreat and an eight-day study tour. These activities have taken place not in blissful isolation of what is otherwise happening in Israel, but with the realization that our daily work forms an integral part of the Israeli political and social landscape.
I arrived in Israel just as Jerusalem was gearing up for the Gay Pride Parade, with current and former NIF grantees playing leading roles in insisting that the parade, as a reflection of Israel's commitment to free speech, be allowed to proceed. I heard about the latest round of home demolitions in the Bedouin unrecognized villages and the efforts of various NIF grantees, first, to challenge the government's action and then to publicize this inexcusable tragedy. I observed with pride the rapidly organized public protests, led by a range of NIF-supported organizations, of the Attorney General's decision to eliminate the rape charges from the indictment of now-former President Katsav as a result of a plea bargain.
Ten days ago, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), NIF's long-time flagship grantee, celebrated their 35th anniversary with a well-attended concert. The world's largest dress was displayed in Tel Aviv as part of an effort to draw attention to the tragic plight of Israeli women whose husbands deny them a divorce and to the legal system that has proven unresponsive to their basic needs. We report on several of these developments in this week's NIF News.
The events of the past few weeks, including developments in the Palestinian Territories provide a wealth of materials for this column. However, I want to focus on the issue of "identity," which emerged in several different contexts and conversations.
The subject was placed prominently on the agenda during A.B. Yehoshua's keynote address to the NIF-sponsored June 24 conference, In Search of a Joint Vision. As articulated by Yehoshua, an Israeli identity, distinct from a Jewish identity exists today, which should be recognized and developed. Obviously, this characterization has profound implications for Israel's self-definition as a Jewish state and, ultimately, for the Jewish Diapora's connection with the state of Israel.
Identity issues also surfaced during more modest presentations that focused on specific challenges facing Israeli society. The economic divide in Israel, the future of the settlements, the nature of religious practice and the place of the Arab minority all were described, in one manner or another, through the filter of different conceptions of contemporary Israeli identity.
While more pressing concerns may deserve our immediate attention, I emerged from this three week immersion convinced that this ongoing conversation is critical for the future of the country. I was particularly pleased to hear about efforts to pursue a serious dialogue between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel, including a day-long, May 9 seminar in the presence of Prime Minister Olmert. The dialogue, which is long overdue, was stimulated by the four documents that have been issued by Israeli Arab organizations during the past six months, even as underlying premises of these documents are rejected by many Israeli Jews.
In other spheres too, initiatives are underway to encourage dialogue among organizations and communities with radically different attitudes toward religion and the role of the state, toward social justice in a global economy, and toward what is required to resolve Israel's conflicts with its Palestinian and Syrian neighbors. These efforts must be encouraged and supported, even as we realize that the discussions will not lead to immediate resolutions and, in the short run, will only highlight several of the divides in Israeli society. Equally important, those who live outside Israel must appreciate that these discussions are very much internal Israeli matters, and that we should not insist on intervening, even as we might follow the Israeli lead by organizing parallel conversations that address the Jewish Diaspora relationship with a maturing and evolving Israel. |
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