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Last update - 10:12 08/01/2008
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Israeli Arab leaders slam boycott of visiting Jewish donors
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By Yoav Stern and Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent
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Tags: Ittijah, Islamic Movement 
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Israeli
Arab leaders have condemned a partially successful Arab boycott of
Jewish philanthropists who are visiting the country to learn more about
the problems facing Israeli Arabs.
The task force, comprised of members of about 70 Jewish
organizations from North America and Europe, was set up two years ago
to advance social projects and strengthen local Israeli Arab
leadership.
It hopes to increase Jewish philanthropists' awareness of
majority-minority relations in Israel and help them understand the
problems faced by Israeli Arabs, who constitute 20 percent of the
Israeli population, said task force director Jessica Balaban.
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But the group has been spurned by some of the Israeli Arabs to whom it is trying to reach out.
Ameer Makhoul, who heads Ittijah, an umbrella organization for Arab
non-governmental organizations in Israel, asked Arab officials to
cancel planned meetings with the group because Diaspora Jewry advocates
the idea of Israel as a Jewish state, he said.
He also asked for help from Islamic Movement head Sheikh Ra'ad
Salah, who pushed for the cancellation of the delegation's planned
visit to an Islamic Movement pharmacy in Umm al-Fahm. In addition,
other groups are also reconsidering planned meetings with the
delegates, but most of the participants ignored the call to boycott the
mission.
"Meeting with them means legitimizing and accepting their agenda
and the framework of the State of Israel as a Jewish state," said
Makhoul. "This is a multipurpose and diverse group that is trying to
dictate our future."
But not all Israeli Arabs agree with Makhoul's rejection of the
delegation's efforts. The delegates still have meetings and workshops
scheduled to take place in the Galilee and the heavily Arab Triangle
region, and are due to tour the Negev tomorrow to learn more about the
Bedouin and their problems.
Shweiki Khatib, chairman of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, met with the delegates Sunday.
"We have met and will continue to meet with Jewish figures in the
past, present and future," said Khatib. "We have our red lines, but we
are obligated to say what we think and explain our situation to whoever
wants to hear."
Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu, director general of the Abraham Fund,
which aims to improve coexistence between Jews and Arabs, said the
boycott was self-destructive.
"If there is discrimination and inequality and a situation that
needs to be fixed, then the establishment is volunteering to take real
action," he said. "To oppose that is simply shooting oneself in the
foot."
More Jewish World news and features
Related articles:
State announces plan to aid at-risk youth in Arab towns
Israeli Arabs to get greater school funding, settlements less
Ben-Eliezer: Continued neglect of Israeli Arabs may spark 'internal Intifada'
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