Givat Haviva Voice

Together with all those who love this country, the peace camp, and Givat Haviva, I mourn the passing of Yossi Sarid, who was a partner in the struggle for the soul and the character of the State of Israel. I knew Yossi when he was Minister of Education, and I never forgot the attention and encouragement he gave me in my position as head of the National Council of Youth Movements and general secretary of HaShomer HaTzair. Yossi was the clear voice of the Left and the Peace Camp, a voice that was sharp as a knife and was unwilling to remain silent in the face of any injustice in the one country that he knew and loved, always loyal to his belief that one should demand more from what he loves most. Yossi was a politician, but first and foremost an educator who believed in education as the key to shaping the character of Israeli society. This was the aim of his actions and writings, and the source of his support for Givat Haviva’s activities in his various positions in politics and

The government of Israel was wrong to outlaw the northern branch of the Islamic Movement. This measure shows a lack of insight and understanding of Arab society in Israel. Transparent relations between Jewish and Arab citizens are essential for the democratic fabric of the state of Israel and for the relations between Jews and Arabs living in a shared society, even if at times such relations are challenging and difficult. The activity of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement did not meet the expectations of the Jewish public, and even parts of the Arab public, but better that it be open and transparent than clandestine and underground. Yaniv Sagee, Executive Director of Givat Haviva, and Mohammad Darawshe, Director of the Center for Shared Society, said, "Dialogue between conflicting narratives is difficult and challenging, but it is better than no dialogue. The state should deal with the issues raised by this discourse in a more democratic and educational manner th

Dear Friends and Partners, This update is written as our country is yet again immersed in another cycle of bloody conflict. Once more, blood spills all around us, fueling the fire of hatred and fear between the two nations who share this land. This is a time of great danger for the personal safety of citizens of both nations and for the existence of democracy in Israel. This is the moment of truth regarding the impact of our programs and our ability to preserve elements of shared society amidst the surrounding conflagration. The roots of the conflict lie in the occupation and its current incarnation, inducing a sense of erosion of the status quo on the Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif. The bloody events have spread from Jerusalem to every corner of Israel, leaving Jewish citizens afraid of Arab citizens and Arab citizens afraid of Jewish citizens. Precisely at this difficult time I was glad to see the valuable impact of the strategies that Givat Haviva pursues all year. Together w

On a cold winter evening three and a half years ago, I went to Hampshire College in Massachusetts. At the time, I was the Jewish Agency emissary of Hashomer Hatzair in North America. I went there to help one of our youth group counselors, Allison, who was caught in a double bind. As a counselor for Hashomer Hatzair, in opposition to the occupation in the territories and inequality between Jews and Arabs in Israel, she found herself under attack and socially boycotted by Jewish students on campus. On the other hand, identifying as a Zionist who views Israel as the national home of the Jewish people, Allison found herself attacked and boycotted by leftist groups and supporters of Palestine on campus, who accused her of racism. "Even in the United States, it's difficult and complex to be a Shmutznik (nickname for member of Hashomer Hatzair, leftist Zionist youth movement)," I thought to myself as I walked to meet with students from both groups who came to hear me media

Today was a terrible day. Jews burned a family of four Palestinians in the village of Duma in the West Bank . A baby was murdered; his parents and brother have been burned and are fighting for their lives. I arrived at the village after the end of the funeral as part of a delegation from the Meretz Party led by MK Eswai Freij. We couldn't see the family because the Palestinians were afraid that it was too risky to have Jewish Israelis at that time. Instead we met the governor of the Palestinian Nablus Region, in which Duma is located. We were there in solidarity and to express our shame and rage at Jewish terrorism. The Palestinian governor thanked us for coming. He spoke about Jews being burned by Nazis in the Holocaust and now entering this village to burn Palestinians. He denounced acts of terror perpetrated by both sides and spoke about his expectations for change from Israeli society. MK Friej introduced me to the governor as the head of Givat Haviva, which is working

The Honorable Minister for Gender and Minority Equality, and the Advancement of Youth and Senior Citizens, Ms. Gila Gamliel; the Honorable German Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Andreas Michaelis; Mr. Ayman Odeh, Chair of the Joint List of Arab Parties; Ms. Ms. Zehava Galon, Chair of Meretz party; Prof. Eileen F. Babbitt and dear members of the Ridgefield Group; Ms. Judith Stelmach, representative of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Israel; mayors, representatives of government agencies, directors and activists in civil society associations, members of the business sector, friends and partners ; distinguished guests: Welcome to the Third Givat Haviva Conference on Building a Shared Society in Israel. Givat Haviva was founded 66 years ago. The first center for the partnership of Jews and Arabs was established here more than half a century ago. It was founded by pioneers and groundbreakers. Many of our graduates are out in the field, leading organizations, heading municipalities, working as