Events | Past Events | Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues VOICE Forum: Opportunities and Challenges Facing Israel as a Vibrant Democracy

VOICE Forum: Opportunities and Challenges Facing Israel as a Vibrant Democracy – April 26, 2006

In the first conference of its kind, 200 members of Jewish organizations from North America, Europe and Israel convened for an entire day to learn about, engage in and give voice to:
  • History of Jewish Arab relations in Israel
  • Critical issues facing Israel’s citizens: education, leadership development, socio-economics
  • Civic equality in Israel and the role of North American Jewry
  • Strategic options to fulfill Israel’s commitment to its citizens
Itinerary from the day:
***
Welcome
9:00 – 9:10 am
  • Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
  • Brian Lurie, President, Alfred and Hanna Fromm Fund
History of Jewish Arab Relations in Israel and the Status of the Arab Citizens of Israel
9:10 – 10:15 am
Moderator: Shuli Dichter, Co-Director, Sikkuy
  • Dr. Elie Rekhess, Senior Research Fellow, Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies Director, Konrad Adenauer Program on Jewish-Arab Cooperation in Israel, Tel-Aviv University
  • Dr. Thabet Abu Ras, Lecturer, Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University Director, Joint Distribution Committee/New Israel Fund, Abu Basma Initiative
The Jewish Responsibility and Awareness of Civic Equality in Israel
10:15 – 11:15 am,
Moderator: John S. Ruskay, Executive Vice-President and CEO, UJA-Federation of New York
  • Abraham Foxman, National Director, Anti-Defamation League
  • Shira Herzog, Executive Vice-President The Kahanoff Foundation
  • Rabbi Naftali Rothenberg PhD, Senior Research Fellow, The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute
Break
11:15– 11:30 am
Critical Issues Facing Israel’s Citizens
11:30 am – 12:50 pm
Moderator: Larry Garber, Executive Director, New Israel Fund
  • Empowerment of Women
    Amal Elsana Alh'jooj, Director, The Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation
  • Leadership Development
    Professor Jihad El-Sana, First Bedouin Fulbright Fellow, Ben Gurion University and Advisor to Givat Haviva Educational Foundation
  • Social Services
    Professor Jack Habib, Director, The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute
  • Economic Development and Cooperation
    Helmi Kittani, Co-Director, Center for Jewish and Arab Economic Development
  • Education
    Ami Nahshon, President and CEO, The Abraham Fund Initiatives
Film Clip: "Sons of Sakhnin" 12:50 - 1:00 pm
  • Moderator: Jeff Solomon, President, The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies
Lunch
1:00 – 2:30 pm
Town Hall: Opportunities and Challenges Facing Israel as a Vibrant Democracy
2:30 – 3:45 pm
  • Moderator: Harriet Mouchly Weiss, UJA-Federation of New York and UJC Committee on Israeli Arabs
Closing Remarks
3:45 – 4:00 pm
  • Brian Lurie, President, Alfred and Hanna Fromm Fund
  • Howard Rieger, President and CEO, United Jewish Communities
  • Steve Schwager, Executive Vice-President, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee


Additional Information: VOICE Forum News Clips: