Israel's Bedouin Community: Government Investment and Grassr...

Please join The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Greater Washington Forum on Arab Israeli Issues for a special briefing about the challenges, opportunities, and changing realities of Israel's Bedouin community, featuring Yariv Man of Israel's Ministry of Agriculture, and Ibrahim Nsasra, social economic entrepreneur in the Negev. 

Friday, September 13
8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Program begins promptly at 8:30 a.m.
Kosher breakfast will be served.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
Abraham S. & Minnie Kay Conference Center
6101 Executive Boulevard
North Bethesda, MD 20814
This event is free to attend.
Parking available on-site.

REGISTER HERE

Please register by Friday, September 6

About the Program

Approximately 240,000 Bedouin live in Israel’s Negev region, representing one third of the population. The Negev Bedouin are part of Israel’s Arab-Muslim minority and share interests and concerns. However, as a subgroup with a unique history and culture, they face a distinct set of challenges and have the highest rates of unemployment and poverty. At the same time, successful Bedouin entrepreneurs such as Ibrahim Nsasra have invested in education, social enterprise, and community development to bridge socio-economic gaps between Bedouins and the rest of Israeli society.

Over the past decade, the Government of Israel has made closing socio-economic gaps an economic and regional priority, passing consecutive multi-year economic development plans for the Bedouin. The government has allocated NIS 4.26 billion to boost employment, informal education, access to higher education, social services, and better local governance.

About the Speakers

Yariv Man is Director of the Economic and Social Development Department of The Bedouin Community in the Negev through the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry. Previously, Yariv served as the Senior Manager for Economic Development and Government Relations in the Prime Minister’s Office, and as part of the administration for implementing settlement and economic development for the Bedouin population in the Negev. Prior to that, Yariv was Senior Advisor to the Director General at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, facilitating and directing policy formulation and execution among the Ministry’s professional divisions, as well as coordinating between the divisions and the Director General’s Office. In 2009, Yariv worked at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Policy Planning Division, serving as Acting Senior Manager for inter-sector collaboration. In the military, Yariv served as a Combat Medic in the Givati Brigade. Yariv holds an MA in political science and BA in geography and political science from the Hebrew University. He lives in Kibbutz Netzer Sereni with his wife and children.

Ibrahim Nsasra is the Founder of the Tamar Center in the Negev, Armonot HaNegev Catering, and Lahav Tours. In 2015, he founded the Tamar Center in the Negev investing close to NIS 1 million ($260,000) of his own funds. The Tamar Center brings together Bedouin educators and community leaders, and works to bridge socio-economic gaps between Bedouins and the rest of Israeli society through education based in a culture of excellence, empowerment, and access. In 2011, he founded Armonot HaNegev Catering Company, a social enterprise that today employs 60 people (80% of whom are Bedouin women) and serves over 10,000 hot lunches to Bedouin school children each day. Prior, in 2002 when he was 21 years old, Nsasra established Lahav Tours, now one of the largest transportation companies in the Negev employing over 200 people. Ibrahim Nsasra was born in Lakiya, one of 32 siblings, and is today married to Naama and has four children.