Arab Citizens in Israeli Politics: Unity Government, Corona ...

Over the last year and a half of elections, the Joint List party energized Israel’s Arab voters with a vision of deeper participation in Israel’s national political arena, and more Jewish welcomed the idea of forming Jewish-Arab political partnership. More recently, the frontline role of Arab medical professionals during the Coronavirus crisis further raised hopes and expectations for such participation. In the wake of the crisis, a new unity government was formed without Arab leadership, and is now advancing controversial plans for annexation. What is the impact on Arab citizens' aspirations and opportunities for political participation? What discourse and related activities are taking place now on Jewish-Arab relations and political partnership especially?
 
Join us on Thursday, June 18 at 12pm EST for a discussion with Fida Na'ra Tabony, Hadash member and Founder and Co-Director of Mahapach-Taghir, a grassroots feminist community organization, and Ron Gerlitz, Executive Director of aChord and columnist on Jewish-Arab political partnerships.

Program Details: 
Thursday, June 18
12:00 PM Eastern
REGISTER HERE

Read the recent Task Force update: Arab Citizens and the Emergency Unity Government 

About the Speakers

Fida Na'ra Tabony is the Co-Director at Mahapach-Taghir. She was born in was Nazareth, and grew up in Neve Shalom, an Arab-Jewish village. She has two daughters. Fida holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Tel-Hai College and a master’s degree in Gender Studies from Bar Ilan University. Fida has always striven to learn and develop personally and professionally. She has participated in different courses, including Conflict Management, Community Organizers for Social Change, Facilitators Training. Member of the National Secretariat of Hadash – The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality. Fida was on the Hadash list (number 8) during the 2019 elections. Besides her passion for learning, Fida is committed to advancing social justice. For the last 25 years, Fida has dedicated her life to women’s empowerment and social change. Her activism started as a young woman Volunteer at the Hotline for Victims of Sexual Violence. Fida worked as Coordinator of the Awareness Raising Project at “Women Against Violence” for 13 years and became to be the Director of the Social Change Unit at Women Against Violence. Fida began her work at Mahapach-Taghir as Co-Director in 2013. Mahapach-Taghir means ‘change’. The organization is a feminist grassroots Jewish-Arab initiative for social change, established to promote a shared society in Israel with equal opportunities for all.

Ron Gerlitz Ron joined aChord as CEO in October 2019. Before that, he served for more than ten years as Co-Executive Director of Sikkuy, a Jewish-Arab organization that advances equality and partnership between Arab Palestinian and Jewish citizens of Israel. In this position, Ron led Sikkuy's team to advance significant changes in Israeli government’s policies toward Arab citizens. 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 high tech, working for six years as software and algorithm team leader in both Israel and in Silicon Valley, California. In 2006, Ron altered his professional path and moved to the world of social change. He began his career there as a Project Manager at Israel Venture Network (IVN), an impact investment organization.