Harassment, violence, and political repression against Palestinian citizens of Israel, and  especially journalists has spiked since October 7. I’LAM: Arab Center for Media Freedom and Research, works to empower Arab Palestinian society and train Arab journalists, and has been helping and training Arab journalists on how to navigate the war. 

Arab Journalists in Israel have faced extreme harassment in the wake of October 7—many have been arrested, and others have reported assault. I’LAM is helping them navigate their legal issues, but also their sense of self: what it means to be both Palestinian and Israeli at this moment. 

As the Israeli government cracks down on what citizens can and can’t say about the war and security forces arrest Arab citizens for as much as a social media post, I’LAM and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) are making sure that journalists know their rights. And at a time when Arab and Palestinian voices are even more scarce in mainstream Hebrew-language media, I’LAM is pushing networks to host Palestinian journalists and expert voices in Hebrew and in prime time. 

Finally, with rampant disinformation spreading across the internet, I’LAM is helping Arabic-speaking fact-checkers stop fake news. Together with Sikkuy-Aufoq: For a Shared and Equal Society and FakeReporter, they are training Palestinian citizens of Israel to identify and report incitement and misinformation in Arabic-language media. 

I’LAM is also a part of the Arab Emergency Coalition, a body that organizes Arab Israeli NGOs protecting and supporting Arab Israeli communities in times of crisis. In light of the current war, the Coalition has become Arab civil society’s one-stop shop for their civic needs: it offers mental health resources, legal services, free media advice to Palestinian and runs campaigns to combat incitement and racism against Palestinians. The Coalition is a partnership of 17 organizations: the Arab Center for Alternative Planning, Mossawa, Women Against Violence, AJEEC-Nisped, Injaz, I’LAM, Sikkuy-Aufoq, ACRI, Humanity Crew, the Arab Psychologists’ Association, Tishreen, Sand, Hasoub, al-Tufula, Amanina, Givat Haviva, and the Abraham Initiatives.