Sikkuy on Jewish-Arab Relations and the Summer of 2014: Curr...

As Israeli life gradually returns to normalcy following the end of Operation Protective Edge, many civil society leaders are assessing the lasting effects of the escalations that took place within Israel between Jewish and Arab citizens, and what measures might be taken today to maintain and restore relations, and prevent such escalations in the future.

Join us on November 6th to hear Ron Gerlitz and Jabir Asaqla, Co-Executive Directors of Sikkuy, discuss the rise in acts of incitment and tensions over the summer, civil society's response at the time, and the long-term impact on Jewish-Arab relations and efforts to improve them.

About the speaker: 

Ron Gerlitz
Ron Gerlitz joined Sikkuy: the Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality as co-executive director in January 2009. In this capacity, he led the development of the Sikkuy model for mapping the barriers to equality and creating policy recommendations, "From Barriers to Opportunities," and edited six policy papers as part of this series. Ron is an expert on Jewish-Arab relations in Israel and frequently writes op-eds In Hebrew, English and Arabic about the status of relations between the Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel and between the Arab citizens and the state (some of them can be found here: http://bit.ly/1s8AWFG Ron is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with a B.Sc. in mathematics and computer science and an MA in public policy, both magna cum laude. He began his professional career in hi-tech, working for six years as software and algorithm team leader, both in Israel and in Silicon Valley, California. In parallel, and during the years 2000-2008, Ron also devoted his energy to political activism, both in Israel and in the USA. Ron was an organizer and spokesman for a range of Israeli civil society organizations. In 2006, he decided to make a professional transition to the civil society sector in Israel with the goal of having a significant impact on Israeli society. Before joining Sikkuy, Ron was a project manager at the Israel Venture Network (IVN). He took part in developing strategies and implementing projects advancing local economic development in the periphery, both in the Jewish and Arab sectors. The projects necessitated multifaceted cooperation between various NGOs and government institutions. He lives with his wife, Nurit, and their three children in the town of Srigim in the Ella Valley.