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The Center for a Shared Society at Givat Haviva

Givat Haviva's Response to the Murder in “HaSimta” pub in Tel Aviv

Givat Haviva condemns the heinous murders committed against innocent civilians in Tel Aviv last
Friday. We share in the mourning of families who lost their loved ones, praying for a quick recovery of the wounded, and hope that those responsible for the crime will be caught soon.
In the face of rumors and suspicions poisoning the public atmosphere and the venomous incitement against all Arab citizens of Israel, incitement in which unfortunately the Israeli prime minister decided to play a major and destructive role, we stand behind the public announcement of the Council of Ara-Arara strongly condemning the murder and declaring in unambiguous terms "that this is a case of one man who is not representative of the villagers" and stressing "that the incident is alien to our culture and the culture of both villages." As an organization acting in partnership with the Local Council of Ara-Arara on behalf of shared living, we know that their statement faithfully reflects their position, as expressed in their participation in Givat Haviva’s programs of education for shared society and cooperation between communities, and we appreciate the responsible and prudent way in which they are responding to this difficult event.
This unequivocal condemnation, shared by the majority of Israel’s citizens, Jewish and Arab, is another expression of the longstanding demand of the Arab leadership in Israel from the Israeli police to end their display of helplessness regarding the roundup of illegal weapons in Arab society in Israel. These weapons are responsible for the death and injury of many innocent Arab civilians, and the increase in domestic violence and crime in Arab society to unbearable proportions. This problem must be eradicated from the root, rather than attended to only when violence leaks out to affect the Jewish population, as in this case.
From our extensive and long-standing involvement with Arab citizens of Israel, we know and recognize that everyday Arab society aspires mainly to Israeli citizenship founded on equality and partnership with Israel’s Jewish citizens – partnership of the Arab minority with the Jewish majority on an equal basis. We all understand that the "bad apples" and ideological extremes on both sides do not serve that purpose, but seek to destroy it. As an organization that believes in the possibility of building a shared society in Israel and promotes it in practice, it is important to us precisely in these difficult days to make our voices heard loud and clear: violence will not win!

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