Sikkuy:

We find ourselves in difficult days and hours for relations between Arabs and Jews in Israel.  Worsening and deterioration to widespread violence are not an imaginary scenario. The Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, is cynically manipulating, in a grave manner, the events in the “Triangle”, to incite against the Arab citizens and to threaten to eject them from Israel.  The prime minister must stop this incitement.

The abduction and murder of the teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir from Shuafat, the slipshod handling of the “price tag” attacks and the wave of racism and violence against Arab citizens sweeping the country – these led to tonight’s harsh events in the Triangle.

We call upon the leadership of Arab society to continue to work to prevent the deterioration of legitimate protest to violence and on the police to refrain from initiating confrontations and to maintain their distance from the centers of the Arab population.

It is the responsibility of the government of Israel to find and bring to justice the murderers of the young man from Shuafat and all those who assault citizens due to their national affiliation.

We call upon the prime minister to activate all of the frameworks to stop the attacks on Palestinians in the occupied territories and within Israel, to speak out clearly and forthrightly against racism, against calls for vengeance from the Right and against the incitement directed at Arab citizens – including that of ministers in his government!

We call upon all of our supporters to participate in the joint Jewish-Arab demonstrations tonight in Haifa and Jerusalem. 

Umm El Fahm Gallery:

I would like to share with you the frustration and hard feelings I am experiencing these days, while observing the wave of hatred that floods and washes us all. I am calling each and every one of you to unite and detrimentally - keep on going. 
In the past, we bended our heads in times of crisis, waiting for the rage to pass, and we always kept moving forward. Unfortunately, it seems that hatred these days no longer faceless, and the size of its impact is frightening. It is enough to take a look at the social media to understand that we are in a new phase, which is tougher than ever. We are expressing our contempt with any form of violence at any place against anyone. We will continue to act in this conflict in a way that will promise a better future for our children. As always, the gallery will keep on providing cultural experience at the highest level, to ensure its existence as a place of dialog an sanity.

Shutafut Shakara:

Shutafut Shakara calls for Israeli citizens, Jews and Arabs, to go the streets tonight to denounce terrorism and the racial incitement it inflames. We call on the Government of Israel to cease calls for revenge and to stand against acts of collective punishment

AJEEC-NISPED:

The latest events mark an additional and very dangerous low in the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The failure of negotiations, the kidnapping and murder of the Jewish boys, wide scale incursions on West Bank cities, the bombing of Gaza and rocket fire on the Western Negev population, the kidnapping and murder of the Palestinian boy, price tag attacks and the extensive calls for revenge (including in the Negev: Arad and Beersheba) only further deteriorate relations between the nations and may lead the entire region into yet another cycle of extreme violence.

The main victims of this violence are always innocent citizens and new generations of children growing up in a reality of a bloody  and seemingly endless dispute. 

We, at AJEEC- NISPED, have always believed in a solution based on values of equality, cooperation and prosperity for both nations. Despite the recent violent incidences which we strongly condemn, we will continue to work for a just and agreed upon solution to the Arab- Israeli conflict in general and to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in particular. When we are caught in extreme darkness, we remind ourselves: it is more important for us to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

Kher Albaz & Ariel Dloomy
Co-Executive Directors of AJEEC–NISPED
 

Mahapach-Taghir:

The past weeks have been difficult for all of us, especially for those of us who believe in solidarity and partnership between Jews and Palestinians. In the face of racism, violence and hatred we hold strongly to our values and insist on raising our voices despite criticisms from both sides. 

We have recently published the following statement in Hebrew and Arabic and include below a translation to English: 

"In these difficult days of pain and sorrow, we the members of Mahapach-Taghir continue to believe in the path of partnership and solidarity. We express sorrow on the death of those innocent of crime and call for the end of violence against civilians on both sides. The path of partnership and dialogue is never easy, yet especially at this time we return to our communities and draw strength from them. With hope that together we will be able to deal with violence and prevent fear from controlling us, we are struggling for life"

We know that a statement alone is not sufficient and we are currently putting together an emergency conference for our Palestinian and Jewish activists from around the country. This will provide a platform for us to come together in this difficult time when partnership is most fragile. We hope the conference will lead to joint action initiated by Mahapach-Taghir activists and we will update you as it develops. 

With hope for a better future, 

Fidaa, Itamar and Mahapach-Taghir
 

Merchavim:

To all our colleagues who work in education for living together: Unfortunately, we again find ourselves in violence, hatred and racism that threatens us all. With all the hardship and pain that are haunting us workers/educators to promote living together, we must remember that our work is vital to creating a better future for all citizens of the country and the region. In this period, according to past experience, all the necessary work, to promote a better future together, keeping each other and reinforce each other, hard feelings from the bride of each and every one of us, the experience perspective. Good luck to all and hope for better days. (Translated from Hebrew)
 

The Abraham Fund Initiatives:

The Abraham Fund Initiatives shares in the mourning of the families of the murdered Israeli teenagers, and expresses deep sadness at this tragic conclusion of the search. The circle of violence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continuously yields victims, human tragedies and grieving families and it must end with a peaceful solution. Incidents of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict stimulate tensions between Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens, but it should not be used for incitement against Arab citizens, identifying them as enemies. Utilizing public anger to advance political aims is a serious and dangerous error based on attaining short-term advantage. Specifically in these times of an inflammable public atmosphere, leaders on both sides must act with responsibility and moderation, based on the understanding that Jews and Arabs do, and will continue to, live, work and study and share their citizenship in the State of Israel.
 

Shatil: 

We are devastated to learn of the deaths of the three young Israeli kidnapping victims, Naftali Frankel, Gilad Shaer and Eyal Yifrah. They were murdered by extremists determined to shed innocent blood and to perpetuate conflict.

We join with their families and with everyone mourning these three young men. And we ask that every leader, Israeli and Palestinian, take every step necessary to maintain calm and prevent more loss of life. We owe it to the memories of these young men, and to the countless others who have died in this conflict, to do all we can to bring peace and reconciliation and an end to the bloodshed between our two peoples.