A Complex Identity: Arab Citizens and Israel's Jewish and De...

Arab citizens, diverse in their own right, are often considered the litmus test for Israel’s democratic promise. Granted equal citizenship by the Declaration of Independence, issues related to Israel’s wider conflicts, geography, history, language, and culture nonetheless often stand between the Arab minority and access to Israel’s societal and economic opportunities. Today, Arab citizens are by far the most socio-economically disadvantaged population in Israel. In recent years, massive government efforts to close gaps and boost Arab economic integration has also created greater awareness of the challenges and opportunities of creating a more shared society. 

Join The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore on October 13 for part one of their four-part series on Arab citizens of Israel. Mohammad Darawshe, leading expert on Jewish-Arab relations and Director of the Center for Shared Society at Givat Haviva, will present an inside perspective into the changing realities and aspirations of Arab citizens of Israel and issues at the forefront of efforts to create a more shared society.

About the Speaker

Mohammad Darawshe has been the Director of the Center for Equality and Shared Society at Givat Haviva since 2014 (as well as between 2000 and 2005). He is also a Member of the Three-sector Roundtable at the Prime Minister's office and the Strategic Planning Team Authority for Economic Development of Minorities Sector. He previously was Co-Director of the Abraham Fund Initiatives (2005-13), an elected Council Member of his hometown Iksal (2008-2013) as well as Elections Campaign Manager for the Democratic Arab Party/United Arab List (1992-2000). In 2009, he served as a member of the National Committee which drafted a landmark Coexistence Education Policy. From 1986 to 1992, he was Program Director at Legacy International in Washington D.C. after having served as Parliamentary Assistant in the Knesset from 1984 to 1986. Mohammad holds Master’s Degrees in Peace & Conflict Management from Haifa University and in Public Administration from Hartford University, as well as Bachelor’s Degrees in English & Political Science from Hebrew University and Political Science from Emek Yizrael College. Mohammad’s lectures and papers have been delivered at the European Parliament, NATO Defense College, the World Economic Forum, Club de Madrid, US Congress, the Herzlia Conference, and Israel's Presidential Conference. Mohammad is currently a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy and a Shalom Hartman Institute Fellow. He is the recipient of the Peacemakers Award from the Catholic Theological Union, the Peace and Security Award from the World Association of NGOs, as well as the Leadership Fellow of the New Israel Fund. Mohammad frequently appears on Arab Satellite TV news programs analyzing current Israeli political and social trends.