New interagency task force on Arab Israelis

JTA Newsbrief
April 27, 2006

A coalition of American Jewish leaders initiated a task force on Israeli-Arab issues. The seven founders hailed from the Anti-Defamation League, Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, UJA-Federation of New York, New Israel Fund, Alfred and Hanna Fromm Fund, and Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies. Israeli Arabs make up nearly 20 percent of Israel's population, but are underrepresented in politics and land ownership. They also face educational and health care inequities within the country, and increasingly are politically radical. Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents, cited the issue not only as a political, socioeconomic and moral one, but also as a security dilemma. "There will not be peace externally unless there is security internally," he said.