President Reuven Rivlin on Thursday morning 16 Shevat at his residence, hosted an official meeting of 50 Arab local council heads in Israel. During the meeting, the attendees spoke with the president about issues of concern to the Arab sector, including integration and development – and agreed upon the creation of a working group, managed by the President’s Office, to explore solutions to the issues raised.

The President welcomed the regional heads, and said that his residence was open to them, “My house is your house. Before we begin on the day’s official agenda, I want to express to you my deepest condolences to the bereaved families from Chura, who lost their loved ones in the tragic vehicle collision this week.” The President continued, “This is an important meeting. We do not have to wait for times of crises to meet, we must ensure we initiate and establish permanent and long lasting channels of communication. Today the Arab minority is no longer such a minority, and there is a need to realign the system of local government to include balance between all sectors of Israeli society. I am here today, to listen and to hear from you, but I have a sincere desire to change, and to further the status of the Arab sector in relation to the rest of the citizens of Israel.”

Mazen Ghanaian, Mayor of Sakhnin, and head of the committee for Arab municipalities, who directed the meeting alongside President Rivlin, began by saying, “We have come to place before you the challenges and obstacles faced by the Arab society in Israel. We have come to ask for your intervention, mainly in the growing unemployment among Arab men, which is a phenomenon plaguing all parts of the country. We, as Mayors, are facing claims made by citizens who demand education and employment. We certainly see a growing percent of academic qualifications, but there are no government agencies that are willing to take them in. We really feel the need to bring in investors as was done in Kiryat Gat or Yokneam, in a way which will increase the supply of jobs and allow growth within the sector. Another serious problem we are facing is the large number of weapons found on the streets, which have taken a terrible toll on our youth. We see you, Mr. President, as a beacon of hope and light, and we hope that you will be our anchor for the changes we wish for.”

Rahat Mayor Talal Elkarinawi spoke of the relationship with the Israeli police in light of recent events, and the need to continue the investigation into the event, “It is with great pain that I ask you to help the country fight to bring us closer as citizens and not distance us. We know we have to continue to live here as citizens and the invitation to come here today greatly strengthen us.”

Shfaram Mayor Amin Anabtawi said, “Three things cannot be returned – a word once it has been voiced, time if it has passed and trust if it is lost. It is 66 years since the establishment of the State and we must be fully convinced that it is time to build trust, and really meet and get to know each other deeply rather than in a superficial and misleading manner. We will not advance anywhere if we cannot be convinced that we are sailing on the same boat and the hole below where I sit is endangering everyone on the boat.”

The president concluded the meeting and said: “I thank you for the possibility to meet you all together. My tenure is an opportunity to touch points that hurt us and we in Israeli society have many painful things we brought on ourselves in the 66 years since our establishment. The fight against crime requires full cooperation and full understanding. I know the police are aware of the obvious inherent danger in violence for Israeli society as a whole and I really appreciate the work of the police commissioner in this field. A society without law and order will be fatally compromised. At the President’s Residence teams will be on hand to help you and take care of any problems that arise. I cannot promise that I’ll be a successful contractor for this, but we all have children and we need to act for their future. I definitely think we need to create another Arab city and need to continue to deepen the integration of the Arabic language in all our children’s educations. As a Member of Knesset and Speaker of the Knesset I followed all legislative actions and initiatives to promote integration and development in the Arab and Bedouin sectors. I have no doubt that the next government will give proper attention to the subject. We are the bridge to connecting the understanding that we were meant to live together and if we understand that that is where our future is – we will succeed”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)