Rising Crime in Israel's Arab Communities: Urgent Concern an...

Since 2018, Arab citizens have cited rising rates of violent crime as their biggest community concern. Police-minority relations, economic gaps, and the high percentage of Arab youth neither in higher education nor the workforce are some of the underlying causes of this complex and sensitive issue. This past year, COVID-19 led to further increases due to school closures and economic strain strengthening black-market and organized crime.

Why did crime in Arab society escalate in recent years? What are the challenges related to police enforcement and deterrence? How does this issue affect daily life in Arab communities?

Join the IATF and Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh on Wednesday, February 17 at 12 pm ET for an in-depth discussion with Aya Mana’a, Director of the Majd al-Krum Community Center, and Makbulla Nassar, Mandel Fellow, activist, and radio broadcaster, for a discussion of these issues in Israel’s Arab society and the Karmiel-Misgav region.

Event Details:
Wednesday, February 17
12:00 PM Eastern
Register Here: jewishpgh.org/event/israeli-arab-education-day/ 

About the speakers

Aya Manaa has dedicated her life to community leadership and defending human rights. She is the Majd al-Krum Community Center, located in Northern Israel. In this role, she has led numerous initiatives targeting youth, women, and people with disabilities. Aya has worked for over a decade at numerous civil society organizations, including Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Mossawa Centre, The Advocacy Centre for Arab Citizens in Israel, Isha l’Isha (Woman to Woman), and The Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP). She holds a B.Sc in Chemistry and Biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an M.A in Human Rights and Conflict Management from Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Italy.

Makbulla Nassar is a social activist, feminist, media personality, radio broadcaster, photographer, and blogger. She is currently a Mandel Fellow. Makbulla previously managed the Information Department for Arab society at the National Road Safety Authority. In addition to her journalistic work, for over 15 years, she has led and coordinated initiatives promoting the rights of women and Palestinian citizens of Israel. Some of these organizations include: The Action Committee for Equality in Marriage, Tsofen, and A-list: the Arab Expert Aggregator for Hebrew Media. Makbulla holds a B.A in Community Social Work from the Hebrew University. She lives in Araba in Northern Israel.