On Friday, 28 October 2016, the Mossawa Center hosted the annual Conference on the Legal Status of Arab Citizens in Nazareth. The conference provided a platform to discuss critical human rights, economic and legal issues facing the Arab Palestinian minority in Israel by engaging legal experts, politicians, academics, and journalists from the Arab and Jewish sectors and the international community. The conference brought together major actors to discuss strategies for combating discriminatory legislation, including the Citizenship Law, the “anti-terror” law, and recent planning and building laws.
His Excellency Ambassador Koji Tomita of Japan, emphasized the need for cooperation between sectors and explained, “Any discussion should be underpinned by practical efforts aiming to find solutions to practical issues in the community.”
Martin Luther King III, son of the late civil rights icon, and Dr. Johnny Mack, founding president of Communities without Boundaries International, presented the Unsung Hero Awards to Nabila Espanioly, founder and director of Al-Tufula Pedagogic Center for Women and Early Childhood Education in Nazareth;Jabir Asaqla, a respected figure in Arab civil society in Israel; and Al-Araqib, an unrecognized Bedouin village in the Negev that has been destroyed over one hundred times. King discussed the parallels between the African American civil rights movement in the 1960s and Arab citizens’ human rights work in Israel. The honorees, Mr. King said, demonstrated that “we live in a world that is increasingly challenging, but also more promising.”
The conference featured key issues in four panels:
The first panel, “The Arab Community: Between Calls for Inclusion and Practices of Discrimination,” highlighted discriminatory legislation and inflammatory statements made by government officials against Arab citizens of Israel. Moderator Adv. Sameh Iraqi led a discussion on the Arab community’s struggle to combat racism and gain recognition in Israel. According to journalist, Nazeer Majli, “Israel’s problem is not just discrimination. We also need to reassert liberalism, democracy, and human rights.” Director of Adalah, Adv. HasanJabareen noted, “The legal framework is still discriminatory, but Israel needs to encourage economic development in the Arab sector.” Discussing inclusion in Israeli society, Mohammad Barakeh, Chairman of the High Follow Up Committee for Arab Citizens, said, “We do not want to melt away into Israeli society. We want our uniqueness recognized. Not everyone who becomes a part becomes a representative of the whole.” Jafar Farah, Director of the Mossawa Center, called for internal debate, in parallel to the state discussion, on violence within the Arab community. The panel also featured MK Dr. Yousef Jabareen, MK Abd el Hakeem Haj Yahya, and Adv. Bashaer Fahoum Jiousy. The panel also sparked an important discussion between women and secular leaders on the status of Arab women.
The panel on the effect of planning and housing legislation on economic development in the Arab community addressed gaps between budget allocations and Arab localities’ needs. Mr. Katsunobu Takada, the Japanese Embassy’s Political Counsellor, explained that economic cooperation improved the chances of a future peace agreement and said, “Japan and other countries in the international community are encouraged by mutual commitment by the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.” Director of ACAP, Dr. Hanna Sweid discussed the importance of industrial zones in Arab communities, arguing, “The Arab community is paying for external companies that don’t reinvest in Arab localities. We need to use our economic power to encourage them to reinvest in us.” MK Issawi Freij said, “We got [public transportation] just three years ago, and only because there was interest in Arab labor. The government says, ‘We need this workforce, so we will put in transportation.’” The panel was moderated by journalist Eman Jabour and included commentary by Adv. Modar Younis, Mayor Ara-Arara; Professor Netta Zeev; Adv. Lana Warwar; Dr. Enaya Banna Grace; and Adv. Qais Naser. Yaron Zelekha, former accountant general for the Ministry of Finance, highlighted the importance of advocacy work initiated by civil society organizations like Mossawa to create the knowledge needed for policy design.
In the panel on the Knesset and Israel’s court system, panelists discussed ongoing efforts and future concerns for Arab advocacy in the Israeli parliament and judicial system. MK ZuhairBahloul said, “When I go to the Knesset I am frustrated, but when I leave the Knesset, I am desperate… The Arab minority needs to start approaching the Jewish majority directly.” Discussing the efficacy of legal advocacy, Professor Francis Raday expressed support for involving the international judicial system, noting, “The Supreme Court is not necessarily effective, but I am against closing the legal path.” Dr. Johnny Mack closed the panel, saying, “Unless we reach over the waters of this globe, we have not completed the struggle in the US.” The panel was moderated by Adv. Abeer Baker and also featured MK Osama Saa’di, Adv. Khaled Zoabi, Professor Asa’ad Ghanem, Adv. Moshe Hanegbi, Mr. Mustafa Suhail Mhamid, and Dr. Ellen Saban.
The “Stategies to Combat Racism” panel focused on discrimination against Arab citizens, racial profiling, and efforts to eliminate racist policies. Adv. Alber Nahhas addressed the need to end profiling and racism and noted, “The solution should neither legal, nor political, but human.” Dr. Offer Kasif, a lecturer at the Department of Political Science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, discussed the culture of violence in the police force and said, “There is a close connection between the occupation and racism.” The panel was moderated by Professor YifatBitton and included commentary by Dr. Abed Eghbariya, Adv. Mariam Kabha, Adv. Raghad Jareaysi of ACRI, Adv. Ami Holander, Adv. Itay Mack, and Adv. Husam Mawed.
Martin Luther King III’s participation was a reminder that equality is possible and racism is extinguishable. Paraphrasing his father, Mr. King said, “No Israeli citizen is really free until all Israeli citizens are free.” Mr. King’s team also met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, visited a refugee camp in Jenin, and participated in a development workshop in the village of Jisr al-Zarqa.
