Arab Society in Israel

This is a joint program of The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for Shared Society and the Center for Democratic Values and Institutions.

IDI's program on Arab society aims at mitigating the tensions between Israel's Jewish majority and its Arab minority and create a shared, inclusive society. The program seeks to address the social, cultural, economic and legal barriers to the integration of Israel's Arab citizens into Israeli society and its economy. On the basis of its in-depth research, the program team devises and promotes policy recommendations, and works closely with government decision-makers to ensure their adoption and implementation.

Among other initiatives, the program publishes an Annual Statistical Report which provides comprehensive and detailed data on the situation of the Arab Israeli population in a broad range of life arenas, along with an in-depth survey of the relationship between Arab and Jewish citizens, and focuses on issues such as developing a model of shared workspaces for Israeli employers, advancing the inclusion of Arab citizens in government decision-making, and upgrading the quality of employment among Arab workers. The program team organizes forums for dialogue and debate between Jews and Arabs, and Arabs and state institutions.

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    Dr. Nasreen Haddad Haj-Yahya

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    Dr. Muhammed Khalaily

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    [email protected]

    Holds a PhD from the School of Political Science at the University of Haifa on the subject: "The role and survival of primordial structures in modern politics: A Neo-Institutional Analysis of Clan Continuity in Arab Politics in Israel".

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    Dr. Arik Rudnitzky

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    [email protected]

    Dr. Rudnitzky has been researching Arab Israeli issues for almost two decades. His fields of expertise cover political, national and social developments in Israel's Arab society; Jewish-Arab relations; and government policies on Arabs in Israel.

    Rudnitzky holds PhD degree from the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at Bar-Ilan University, as well as MA (magna cum laude) and BA degrees in Middle Eastern History from the Faculty of Humanities and an MBA degree from the Faculty of Management, Tel Aviv University.

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    Adv. Oded Ron

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    Former Researcher, Arab Society in Israel Program, Center for Democratic Values and Institutions

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    Ben Fargeon

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    Former Researcher, Arab Society in Israel Program, Center for Democratic Values and Institutions and Military and Society Program, Center for Security and Democracy

The recent municipal elections produced particularly interesting results in Arab local authorities. Below, we examine several aspects of these results relating to the representation of Arab women.

In a few days, Israel's Muslim citizens will begin celebrating the month of Ramadan. While safeguarding this ritual and protecting freedom of worship, security forces will face challenges in defending public security, as this is considered a sensitive time. With the influx Israeli citizens taking part in the civilian defense squads and licensing themselves, the police must make serious efforts to ensure all Israeli citizens feel safe. 

Arab-Israeli public officials are being increasingly targeted by criminals, hoping to get their way through threats, extortion and force ahead of Tuesday's local elections. Running for office shouldn't cost people their lives.