The Abraham Initiatives

27/08/2026

From connections to collaboration: 16 Arab and Jewish tourism professionals gathered in Nazareth for “Market Day” on August 17th, for the opening session of the second Tourism and Culture for a Shared Society Hub.

Working in mixed teams, participants began developing joint tourism packages that will combine the region’s culinary, cultural, hospitality and agricultural offerings. The goal is to reach new audiences, strengthen local businesses and build a shared regional economy.

Because a shared society is built not only through encounter, but through shared opportunity, partnership and cooperation.

25/08/2026

When Jewish Israeli politicians enter Arab communities looking to provoke a reaction — surrounded by security guards, armed with cameras and social media teams, claiming to “restore governance” — they are using their oversight powers as a vehicle for bullying and humiliation.

In Co-CEO Amnon Be’eri-Sulitzeanu’s recent Times of Israel article, he denounces this practice and advises residents and local leaders not to give provocateurs what they’re looking for:

From the blog of Amnon Beeri-Sulitzeanu at The Times of Israel

25/08/2026

For many Arab citizens of Israel, the upcoming national elections are about far more than party politics. They are about personal safety, the devastating toll of crime and violence, and whether political participation can bring meaningful change.

In a recent interview with Kan 11 radio, “In the Knesset Election: Arab Israelis Will Vote to Fight the Violence,” TAI's Director of Public Policy, Lama Yassin, discusses the concerns shaping Arab voters’ decisions ahead of the October elections. She examines the issues most likely to mobilize them and the growing demand for political leadership that places the fight against violence at the top of the national agenda.

Listen to the full interview here: https://bit.ly/4qeb6SN

21/08/2026

The Abraham Initiatives' Statement on Jewish Terror in the West Bank:

In recent months, Palestinians in the West Bank have faced a serious escalation in settler violence and Jewish terrorism. These are not merely isolated acts committed by individual lawbreakers, but part of a broader reality enabled by government policy, a lack of law enforcement, and the authorities’ failure to intervene.

Recent events in Qusra are a particularly grave manifestation of this reality. Available testimonies and documentation raise serious concerns that the military is not only failing to protect Palestinian residents, but is allowing attacks against them to take place and, in some cases, even cooperating with the assailants. These allegations require an immediate and independent investigation.

We warn that continued violence and the absence of effective law enforcement could lead to a dangerous escalation in the West Bank—one that would serve the interests of extremists and exact a further toll in human lives. The responsibility for stopping this trajectory rests with the Israeli government.

20/08/2026

The Abraham Initiatives welcomes the formation of the Joint List, comprising three of Israel’s Arab parties: Hadash, Balad, and Ta’al. This step could contribute to greater and more meaningful participation by Arab citizens in the upcoming elections.

According to surveys conducted by The Abraham Initiatives, if voter turnout in Arab society is similar to that recorded in the previous elections, approximately 53%, the Joint List is projected to win around 8.6 seats (survey data pictured).

Given the strong desire within Arab society to bring about a change in government, there is significant potential for higher voter turnout. At a 60% turnout rate, the Joint List is projected to win approximately 9.7 seats, while a turnout rate of 70%, similar to that among Jewish citizens, is projected to yield approximately 13 seats.

While recognizing the importance of the formation of the Joint List, The Abraham Initiatives regrets the underrepresentation of women on its slate. Adequate representation of Arab women in decision making positions is an integral part of ensuring fair and meaningful political representation for Arab society.

The Abraham Initiatives calls on the Joint List and Ra’am to enter into a surplus vote agreement in order to maximize Arab representation in the next Knesset and prevent the loss of votes that could weaken the political influence of Arab citizens.

20/08/2026

A small Arab party may soon hold the votes to decide who leads Israel next, and according to Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu (Co-CEO, TAI), its leader faces a defining choice.

In 2021, Mansour Abbas made history, becoming the first leader of an independent Arab party to join an Israeli government, by focusing on practical issues like crime and budgets while staying quiet on identity and national rights. It worked. Now, with Ra'am poised to grow into a bigger kingmaker than ever, Be'eri-Sulitzeanu argues Abbas should no longer have to to choose between influence and identity.

Jewish parties speak freely about Jerusalem and security without losing legitimacy. Why should Arab parties be any different?
Abbas's first revolution proved Arab parties can govern. His second could prove they don't have to hide who they are to do it.

To read Amnon's article click below or go to

From the blog of Amnon Beeri-Sulitzeanu at The Times of Israel

18/08/2026

A new article in eJewishPhilanthropy highlights The Abraham Initiatives’ contribution to the growing discussion about Arab-Jewish relations in Israel’s healthcare system. Drawing on the organization’s research, it warns that hospitals cannot remain models of shared society without deliberate institutional action and philanthropic support.

To read the article please click below

13/08/2026

A wounded soldier. A viral accusation. And a question every hospital in Israel now has to face.

In early August 2026, a family's complaint about the treatment of a wounded soldier in intensive care at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa escalated into a national controversy over Arab hospital staff. Relatives alleged rough handling and restricted access during a night shift, but what made the story explosive was the repeated emphasis that the treating staff were "Arabic-speaking," which recast a routine ICU dispute as a matter of national loyalty.

Politicians amplified suspicions of nationalist hostility before any findings were public, even though Rambam and the Health Ministry later reviewed and rejected the allegations and the soldier's own family reportedly praised the staff. Still, Arab medical workers felt the hospital's initial response was too muted, and medical associations warned against treating a caregiver's Arab identity as grounds for suspicion. The episode became a pointed test of Arab-Jewish cooperation in Israel's healthcare system, showing how quickly an unverified claim can be nationalized in a moment of heightened tension.

In response to this event. TAI has commented as follows

"There is no place for racism, generalizations, or suspicion toward Arab staff members because of their national identity. An Arab doctor or nurse should not have to pass loyalty tests that are not demanded of their Jewish colleagues. A specific allegation about a staff member's conduct should be examined fairly and on its merits; turning such an incident into a blanket indictment of an entire community is wrong and dangerous.

The recent events at Rambam Medical Center are also a reminder that while the healthcare system is relatively more advanced than other sectors, when it comes to integration and equality between Arabs and Jews, the Jewish-Palestinian conflict does not stop at the hospital gates, and it does affect what happens inside them. This was one of the central findings of recent research conducted by TAI on Jewish-Arab relations within the healthcare system: the conflict is present within the system. It affects relationships among medical staff, and in periods of tension and war, it can also seep into the relationship between caregivers and patients.

Hospital administrations and the healthcare system need to recognize this reality and manage it actively to ensure that equality and quality of care are never compromised."

To learn more about the event:

Relatives say soldier denied water, handled roughly by Arabic-speaking workers at Haifa hospital, with accusations amplified by far-right lawmakers; Arab staffers and Arab MKs say accusations stem from racism

12/08/2026

Israel's northern region needs a new economic path.

Years of pandemic fallout, regional instability and growing mistrust have weakened tourism, local economies, and Arab-Jewish relations alike, while Nazareth is only now beginning to recover from years of municipal crisis. But a window is opening: upcoming elections, a new economic plan for Arab society, and Nazareth's gradual revival together create real potential for change.

TAI recently took another important step toward realizing this potential by advancing the Tourism and Culture for Shared Society regional initiative, which draws on the Galilee and Jezreel Valley’s shared heritage and landscapes as a foundation for economic renewal and meaningful Arab-Jewish cooperation.

Tourism is uniquely suited to this task: beyond driving economic recovery, it offers a practical arena where municipalities, businesses, and communities can build trust through sustained partnership. In our recent working meeting, TAI brought together leadership, tourism experts and local entrepreneurs, marking the initiative's shift from research to implementation, with mapping, local engagement, and strategy development now underway.

(photo from a tour of the TAI Tourism Hub in the Jezreel Valley)

30/07/2026

Israel's healthcare system is often lauded as proof that shared society works - Jewish and Arab doctors and nurses saving lives together, no questions asked. But what happens to that quiet miracle under the pressure of war? In a thought-provoking opinion piece for The Jerusalem Post, TAI's Co-CEO Amnon Beeri-Sulitzeanu shares findings from the organization's new study: 60% of healthcare workers felt tension or hostility during the war and 70% said they had nowhere to turn for support. His conclusion? It's time to stop taking this shared success for granted and start actively building the systems that protect it.

A must-read for anyone curious about what holds a divided society together, and what it takes to keep it that way.

To read the full article:

The war exposed growing tensions in Israel’s healthcare system and the need for a new approach to managing shared workplaces.