The Abraham Initiatives

16/06/2026

Why was The Abraham Initiatives at a Paris peace conference?

We are a shared society organization. We work inside Israel, not in Ramallah or Gaza. So why Paris?

Because what happens inside Israel and beyond its borders are inseparable. As long as the broader conflict remains unresolved, tensions between Jewish and Arab citizens will continue to simmer and periodically erupt, as we saw in May 2021 and again after October 7th.

Decades of work inside Israel have taught us that the future of Arab-Jewish relations within the state is deeply connected to what happens beyond them. Political agreements without social trust are fragile. Shared society work without a political horizon is limited. 'Inside' and 'outside' are intertwined.

Read Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu's full piece to find out why we were there and why it matters at

One of the striking features of the Paris gathering was how few organisations working specifically on shared society were represented. Yet these efforts need one another

11/06/2026

On June 4th, MK Zvi Sukkot, chair of the Knesset Education Committee, used a circular saw to force his way into a school in the Arab town of Tuba-Zangariyye after local officials canceled his planned tour, having previously accused the school without evidence of teaching students "violence, crime and bullying." To read more about this disturbing incident see https://bit.ly/3Qx9Lck

TAI's Lama Yassin spoke eloquently in this week's urgent discussion in the Israeli Knesset following the visit:

"One of the stated goals of the visit was to strengthen trust between the residents of Tuba and the police. Instead, much of it unfolded violently, and in practice it sent exactly the opposite message: excessive violence against teachers and school staff, in front of students. I just want to say that change, partnership, and trust building will not come through force and violence. This is possible even in a difficult period, with the war ongoing and violence in Arab society not letting up.

Here is a list of meaningful steps that could strengthen trust between Arab citizens and the police and government bodies in general. First, strengthening the fight against crime and illegal weapons, with a focus on criminal organizations rather than on Arab citizens as a whole. Second, establishing permanent mechanisms for dialogue and engagement with the community. Third, promoting fair, equal, and transparent policing, not over-policing. And, finally, not showing up with a chainsaw when you encounter students.
Thank you."

05/06/2026

"I realized I had been living in a bubble."

The Jerusalem Mechina offers a pre-military, gap year program for young Jewish adults – Israel's future leaders, activists and decision-makers. What they learn in this formative year and the perspectives they are exposed to will shape the choices that they make in the future, and that is precisely why it is important that they leave with a deeper, more grounded understanding of the lives, history, and identity of Arab citizens - their fellow citizens. This week marked the final sessions of the Jerusalem Mechina's three groups - a meaningful milestone after a full year of learning together.

The closing meetings included a lecture alongside dedicated time for participants to reflect on the journey they had taken over the course of the year. It was deeply moving to witness. Completing a process like this is no small thing, and the participants spoke openly about what it meant to them. Some of the words that stayed with us:

"Sometimes it was hard to hear certain things, but it was interesting and important."

"Where I come from, even hearing the word Palestine triggered resistance. But today I understand it isn't a curse word. It's a shame how much knowledge and understanding we miss out on."

"I was exposed to perspectives I wouldn't have encountered any other way and gained knowledge I never would have sought out on my own."

These words are a reminder of why these encounters matter and of the quiet but real power of learning, genuine curiosity and open dialogue.

02/06/2026

Throughout Minister Ben-Gvir’s tenure, both he and his representatives have repeatedly attacked the Abraham Initiatives for publishing crime data regarding Arab society.

Time and again, we challenged the Minister to publish the official data himself and point out where he believes we are wrong. Today, we finally learn what has been happening behind the scenes: Minister Ben-Gvir is systematically hiding these figures from the public—because he knows he has failed.

The truth is out. Ben-Gvir isn’t attacking our numbers; he is attacking the very fact that they are being published. As far as he is concerned, the ideal scenario is one where the Israeli public remains blind to the crime epidemic, keeping the truth under wraps just so he can claim success.

Our message to Minister Ben-Gvir is crystal clear: We will not stop, and we will not back down in the face of your threats. It is time you told the public the truth.

Read here to learn more (in Hebrew):

טבלת אקסל פנימית של היחידה הממונה על חופש המידע במשטרה מראה שהשר מעכב פרסום של נתונים ציבוריים בשלל נושאים, בהם פשיעה, נשק, הר הבית ועוד. מהטבלה עולה כי המשטרה מכינה א...

27/05/2026

Wishing all who celebrate a blessed Eid al-Adha — Eid Mubarak!
Kul aam wa antum bikhair🌙

25/05/2026

What does it take to keep working side by side during crisis?

When the violence of May 2021 tore through Israel's mixed cities, and again after October 2023, social welfare workers faced an impossible situation: being there for traumatized residents while managing their own fear, grief, and fractured trust in the colleagues sitting next to them.

This month's issue of Mida'os, the Journal of Social Workers in Israel, confronts that reality head-on. In "We Remembered Who We Are: Arab and Jewish Social Workers on the Front Lines," Prof. Edith Blit-Cohen of the Hebrew University and Dr. Shany Payes, Director of Research and Evaluation at the Abraham Initiatives, document what happened inside those welfare departments and what it took to begin rebuilding. The article draws on their experience as organizational consultants within the Ministry of Welfare's Shared Cities framework, initiated following the groundbreaking research of Prof. Roni Strier.

The findings are sobering. Years of professional cooperation were strained under the pressure of national crisis. Arab workers faced the pain of being associated with events they opposed; Jewish workers grappled with fear and a sense of rupture. Managers were left without a roadmap. Working side by side, the authors argue, is a vital foundation but must be backed by organizational infrastructure, shared language, and intentional practices for rebuilding trust.

Three conclusions stand out:

- Professional coexistence between Arab and Jewish workers is fragile without deliberate, ongoing investment. Goodwill alone is not enough.
- Workers in mixed cities navigate a constant tension between their professional identity and their national identity, one institutions have never formally acknowledged. Ignoring it causes real harm.
- Crisis-response interventions are too little, too late. What is needed is a permanent support framework embedded in professional training and organizational structure.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs in cooperation with the Abraham Initiatives, Prof. Blit-Cohen and Dr. Payes led the two-phase intervention: mapping the specific ruptures within teams of social workers and between workers and residents, then facilitating honest, structured dialogue to work through them. The work demonstrated that the Abraham Initiatives' expertise in conflict transformation has concrete, practical value inside Israel's public institutions, reaching some of the most vulnerable residents in the country's most contested communities.

Article in Hebrew - https://bit.ly/4dHSS6e
Translation to English - https://bit.ly/42SAEKw

19/05/2026

TAI is happy to share our 2025 Annual Report with you!

2025 was a challenging year - for Israel and for so many of us. Nevertheless, a tremendous amount was accomplished: our work continued and the people behind this organization gave it their all.
We're proud of what this report represents, and invite you to take a few minutes to read it. 👇

https://bit.ly/TAI2025AnnualReport

14/05/2026

Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu, Co-Executive Director of The Abraham Initiatives, spoke on Channel 13 this week about crime, policing, and equality in Israel. He raised concerns about the politicization of law enforcement under Minister Ben-Gvir and its impact on Arab communities, and expressed hope for a different approach after the upcoming elections.

👉 We invite you to watch Amnon's interview at https://bit.ly/futurepolicing

11/05/2026

The upcoming national elections in Israel are more than a civic milestone - they're a chance for a rising generation to make its voice count where it matters most.

TAI Co-CEO Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu's latest op-ed shares compelling data: young Arab voters in Israel are not politically apathetic - they're engaged, and they're demanding substance. A new survey reveals that what would most motivate young Arab voters to turn out are concrete plans addressing crime, housing, unemployment, and discrimination. Not slogans. Real answers.
One number stands out: 76% of young Arab citizens believe they can create genuine change through national politics. This is a generation that hasn't lost faith in democracy but its patience with vagueness.

https://bit.ly/YoungArabVoters

👉 We invite you to read Amnon's full op-ed and share.

Surveys debunk the notion of Arab citizens as apathetic and find they prefer well-defined political objectives over vague promises about future change

06/05/2026

Naftali Bennett, former Israeli Prime Minister and leader of a centrist political comeback, recently toured the Negev alongside Yoav Sagalowitz, a veteran police commander, founder of Lahav 433 and the man who actually started tackling Arab community crime during his brief stint as Deputy Security Minister. Sagalowitz has the credentials, the credibility, and the temperament. He may be Israel's only realistic shot at fixing a broken police force and a crime crisis that touches every Arab family in the country.

That last point matters politically too. Arab voters won't back Bennett's party but they'll show up at the polls if they know Sagalowitz is leading this fight. That's an electoral asset Bennett is leaving on the table.

One thing Bennett should drop: the "The Negev is becoming Palestine" line. It's lazy and wrong. Bedouin communities suffered on October 7th, were hit by rockets, and showed up to help. Crime in the Negev is the same unaddressed crime Bennett is campaigning on and not radicalization. The Negev deserves real solutions: rocket protection, settlement recognition and genuine integration. Bennett started that process himself when he was PM. Time to finish it.

(Adapted from a recent post by Co-CEO Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu)