At the initiative of the "Solidarity" project of the Mossawa Center, a special educational tour for Russian-speaking journalists was held on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, in the city of Nazareth. The tour is a continuation of a series of communication and advocacy programs conducted by the Mossawa Center with media professionals working in various languages, aimed at reaching diverse audiences.

The tour was led by educator Kamil Barghouti, a board member of the Mossawa Center, along with Alina Sheffran, editor of the "Sowtna" (Our Voice) website. The activity aimed to deepen participants' knowledge of the city's historical, religious, and cultural sites, and to showcase community, women's, and cultural initiatives.

During the tour, the journalists met with Adv. Luai Zurik, a representative of the Association of Graduates of the Former Soviet Union and an expert in labor law. The itinerary included visits to the Old City, meetings with local figures and institutions, and participation in the Christmas atmosphere, as part of strengthening their understanding of Nazareth’s historical and social context.

The tour began at the historical Mary’s Well, a natural spring where the Virgin Mary used to draw drinking water and where the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus took place. From there, the journalists visited the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, which houses the cave and the well where the Angel Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary. They met with Mr. Anwar Abdo, Secretary of the Orthodox Community Council.

The journalists also met with Ms. Nabila Espanioly, a political and feminist activist and psychologist, who is the director of the "Al-Tufula" Center, a multidisciplinary educational and women's center. They visited the museum of the "Al-Sibbat" Association for the Preservation of Palestinian Culture and Heritage, meeting its director, researcher Khaled Awad, who spoke about the Russian period in Nazareth and the region. The association aims to strengthen Palestinian national identity and revive heritage through various activities.

In the Old City, the journalists visited "Al-Warsha" (The Workshop), a women’s collective that meets regularly for creative pottery making and decoration.

During a visit to the White Mosque—one of the Old City’s most prominent landmarks, built by Suleiman Pasha in 1785—they met with Mr. Maan Atef Al-Fahoum, the mosque’s manager. At the "Liwan" Cultural Cafe, established in 2016 to revive the Old City market and preserve Palestinian identity, they met with Sami Jabali, one of the founders. They then proceeded to the "Juzur" Hotel, where they met its founder, writer and poet Duaa Zuabi Khatib, who shared the story of the hotel, which was formerly the home of one of Nazareth’s prominent families.

Following a visit to the Catholic Church of the Annunciation (The Basilica), considered one of the holiest sites in the Christian world, the journalists participated in the 40th Christmas Parade (The Parade of Love and Brotherhood) and concluded their tour at the Legacy Hotel.

This activity takes place against the backdrop of limited media coverage in Israel—and even within some institutions in Arab society—in languages other than Hebrew for broad sectors of the Israeli public, including the large Russian-speaking community. The journalists praised the Mossawa Center’s activities across various platforms and the "Sowtna" (Наш голос) channel in Russian, noting that they rely on the information provided by these channels in their journalistic work regarding Arab society and government policies toward it. Ultimately, the project aims to contribute to presenting a deeper, more balanced, and professional image of Arab society and the challenges it faces.