Task Force All-Members Meeting with MK Ayman Odeh and MK Ben...

This past year was characterized by dramatic changes on the Arab political map in Israel, with the newly formed Joint List advancing a new discourse of shared citizenship and partnership between Arabs and Jews. Recent escalations and the wave of attacks have challenged the ability of Israeli leaders, both Arab and Jewish, to sustain this discourse and work together towards a common vision.

How do leaders view the impact of this period on Jewish-Arab relations in Israel today, and into the future? In what ways have recent escalations affected successful collaborations between Jewish and Arab elected officials and the future of related policies and pending legislation?

Task Force members are invited hear from MK Ayman Odeh, Chair of the Joint List, and MK Benny Begin at our annual All-Members meeting:

Democracy, Inclusivity, and the Character of the Jewish State
Video link for presentation and discussion
with MK Benny Begin (Likud)

Arab Citizens of Israel: Visions for Shared Citizenship
In-person presentation and discussion
with MK Ayman Odeh (Chair, Joint List)

We will also hear from Task Force executive committee members and executive director, Michal Steinman, about why these issues are key for North American Jewish leadership, our activities over the last year, and goals for 2016.

Task Force Members not yet registered please RSVP to [email protected] to confirm attendance and reserve your seat.

About the speakers:

MK Ayman Odeh, is the head of the Joint List - the Alliance for Peace and Equality, numbering 13 MKs in the current Knesset. Odeh, a lawyer by training, began his political career in 1998 when he joined Hadash (the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality) and represented the party in the Haifa City Council until 2003.  Between 2003 and 2006 Odeh worked as a project director for Sikkuy - the Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality. In 2006 Odeh became Hadash's Secretary General, a position he held until 2015. He was elected as the Joint List's new leader in the buildup towards the 2015 General Elections when Hadash joined the alliance as its largest party. MK Odeh proposed the Joint List’s social agenda, including a 10-year plan targeting equal rights, women’s rights, rehabilitation of regional councils, recognition of unrecognized Bedouin communities in the Negev, and improvement of public services in Arab towns.  Odeh is married to Nardine Aseli, a physician, and has three children.

Dr. Ze'ev Benjamin Begin, son of the late Prime Minister Menahem Begin, was born in Jerusalem in 1943. He earned his B.Sc and M.Sc from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and his Ph.D in Geology from Colorado State University in the USA. Begin served in the Armored Corps from 1960-3 and during 1975-6 volunteered for a lengthy period of military service. As a geologist, Dr. Begin worked at the Geological Survey of Israel (1965-88), where he headed the Environmental Geology and Hydrology Division, and the Mapping, Marine Geology and Computer Center Division. He was also co-ordinator of studies on the siting of the nuclear power plant in Israel. Since 1989, he has served as the head of the Research Institute of the College of Judea and Samaria. As a Knesset Member from 1988 until 1999, Begin served as a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense and Constitution, Law and Justice Committees. In June 1996 he was appointed Minister of Science and served until his resignation in January 1997. He was elected to the 18th Knesset in February 2009 on the Likud list and in March 2009 was appointed Minister. Dr. Begin is married and has six children.