Shared Society in Israel

For more than 25 years, the principal goal of the Foundation's philanthropy in Israel has been building a shared society that welcomes the full and equal participation of both Jewish and Arab citizens. The Declaration of Establishment of the State of Israel declares: "THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations."

In choosing this focus, the Foundation was guided by a key 2003 report of the Government of Israel: "The Arab sector: The committee determined that this is the most sensitive and important domestic issue facing Israel today. As such, it requires the personal involvement and leadership of the prime minister. The committee determined that the issue has been neglected for many years, and demanded that immediate, medium term, and long-term action be taken. The committee determined that action must be focused on giving true equality to the country's Arab citizens. Israel's Arab citizens have the right to equality because of the essence of the State of Israel as a democracy, and because it is a basic right of every citizen. The state must work to wipe out the stain of discrimination against its Arab citizens, in its various forms and expressions" (The Official Summation of the Or Commission Report, English Translation Published by Haaretz, September 2, 2003).

Within the overall context of building shared society, the Foundation primarily focuses on the development of integrated, bilingual public education for Jewish and Arab children in Israel. The Foundation believes that this emphasis is essential to address the root cause of the continuing divisions between the diverse communities that comprise Israeli society. The fundamental role of education has been recognized both by the Government of Israel and by respected academic experts: "the fact that Israel has separate education systems is the primary catalyst for rooted prejudice to the 'other' ... and a central cause of hostility between different population groups and . . . societal fragmentation" (Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer, Israel Democracy Institute, 2016); "Separation from the age of preschool through to the end of Grade 12 prevents the groups from getting acquainted with each other and strengthens the social alienation and suspicions toward the other or those that are different ... it is difficult to exaggerate the importance of education and its pivotal position in the education system in eradicating hatred and racism" ("Education for a Shared Society and Prevention of Racism," State Comptroller Report, 2016).

The Foundation's most important single grantee in the effort to address the education system's barriers to creating shared society is Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel. With nearly 2000 students in 6 locations across Israel, and significant growth continuing each year, Hand in Hand has developed a successful organizational and pedagogical model with the potential for nationwide implementation and impact. As stated by a leading Israeli newspaper: "The educational model developed by Hand in Hand screams for much greater support.... Now is the time to replicate it throughout the country...." ("A Worthy Response To Racist Pyromaniacs," Haaretz, December 2, 2014).

The Foundation also provides funding to other organizations that support the goal of expanding opportunities for integrated bilingual education, both directly and indirectly. For example, the Foundation supports two other organizations that currently operate integrated bilingual schools: Hagar Association: Jewish-Arab Education for Equality and Wahat al-Salam — Neve Shalom as well as other civil society organizations that work to build shared society in Israel.

See below for current Shared Society in Israel grantees.