Arab Citizens and Jewish-Arab Relations in Israel in 2017

Arab citizens make up nearly 21% of Israel’s population. Yet, most Arab and Jewish citizens have few opportunities for meaningful interactions. In recent years, the Government of Israel has launched massive efforts to increase Arab citizens’ economic participation that aim to develop Israel’s Arab communities and stand to shift Jewish-Arab relations. At the same time, recent attacks on the Temple Mount and controversial legislation in the Knesset have escalated tensions.

Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, founder of Injaz Center for Professional Arab Local Governance and Hartman Fellow, spoke to audiences in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Dallas about how Arab leaders are navigating these trends, their role in advancing economic development efforts, and visions in Arab society for Jewish-Arab relations in Israel. 

Read about Ms. Rinawie Zoabi's tour in the Texas Jewish Post.

Event Details 

• Tuesday,  October 24th - JCRC of South New Jersey in Cherry Hill, NJ
• Wednesday, October 25th - University of Pennsylvania 
• Thursday, October 26th - University of Texas-Dallas and University of North Texas 

About the speaker
Coming from a rich background of work in education, organization development and community activism, with special attention to womens rights, Ms. Ghaida Rinawie-Zoabi is the 2008 founding Executive Director of the Injaz Center for Professional Arab Local Governance. Ms. Rinawie-Zoabi is currently a board member at Ruppin College in Netanya, a Fellow at the Hartman institute in Jerusalem, a member of the Finance Ministrys Committee on Womens Retirement, a member of the Prime Minister's round table for national emergency preparation, and a mentor at the Rothschild Foundation students program. Ms. Rinawie-Zoabi is married and a mother of two, and holds an M.A. degree in Literature from Haifa University, a special degree in Organizational Development and a B.A. in Psychology and Hebrew Literature from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In a special issue published by the economic magazine The Marker at the end of 2011, Ms. Rinawie- Zoabi was chosen as one of the 100 most influential people in Israel, and was described as a social innovator. In 2015 she was the first Arab woman to be awarded the Israeli Good Governance prize.