It is an annual tradition for the president of Israel to host an iftar dinner for leaders of the Arab communities and ambassadors of Muslim-majority countries during the month of Ramadan.
This year’s event on Sunday evening was somewhat different in that one of the guests was a prominent Druze cleric from Syria who, speaking in Arabic and Hebrew, thanked Israel for what it is doing for its Druze communities and called for the immediate return of the hostages from Gaza.
He also expressed the hope that all the nations of the Middle East would find a path to peace. A second difference was that there were far fewer diplomats than in years gone by, and a third difference was the elegant catering, which was far superior to that of past years.
For Jewish guests who are Jerusalemites, some went straight from a Purim feast to an iftar breaking of the fast, which may be termed as culinary coexistence.
Otherwise, not much has changed – except that it got worse.
Working in partnership
Mazen Ghnaim, the Mayor of Sakhnin and the head of the Association of Local Arab Authorities emphasized the increase in fatalities, stating that since the beginning of the year, there had been 57 resulting from violence. “This is a situation that should concern all Israelis – Jews and Arabs alike,” he said. Unfortunately, he added, “this is not the case.”
Implying that the lack of concern is partially due to the negative attitudes that some Jews have towards Arabs, he suggested that the psychological barriers to working in partnership be removed so that problems of crime and violence can be resolved.
He was convinced that once the barriers were removed, it would pave the way to peace throughout the whole of the Middle East.
Ghnaim urged the government to make more funds available for educational and leisure time programs so that Arab citizens can advance in their respective careers.
He realized that there are no speedy solutions to social ills but pointed out that there will be no progress if there is no start.
Iyad Zahalka, who is the Qadi (judge) of the Shari’a Court in Jerusalem, said that a “massive, intense improvement is required” to give Arab citizens a sense of security and to add quality to their lives. “Protection must be stopped so that people can live peacefully and fearlessly,” he said, making particular mention of business people who fall victim to extortion. “It is untenable that we have to come year after year with this complaint.”
Dr. Nasreen Haddad Haj Yahya, an expert in the field of Arab-Jewish relations, works to bridge socioeconomic gaps between Arabs and Jews in Israel, referring to the violence, fatalities, and protection that people are afraid to step outside their homes.
The Israeli leadership must take responsibility to stop the violence and give better public service, she insisted.
She also made no bones about discriminatory practices against Arabs, which makes it very difficult for many of them to receive mortgages, which is why so many are living without a roof over their head.
Jews and Arabs must work together to implement change, Haj Yahya said, acknowledging the difficulties involved in changing reality.
While some of the Arabs who have lost their lives this year have been criminals who were killed in feudal fights and acts of vengeance, many of the deaths were those of innocent people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Herzog read out the names of some such victims, saying that the last two did not get to celebrate Ramadan.
During the period in which we have lived in this difficult and complex war – which has been painful to all of us, and during which we pray and cry out for the return of the hostages and ask for days of quiet and tranquility – we are also confronted with a bloody epidemic that takes lives of Israeli victims in the crime-ridden Arab streets, the president said.
Herzog also condemned the killings of women in Israel – Arab women in particular.
Crime and violence have reigned for too long, he said. It’s not just a matter of statistics but what it does to families.
After October 7, he continued, Jews and Arabs displayed mutual responsibility for each other’s well-being, which is the basis for coexistence. Herzog said that everyone is obligated to take part in combating organized crime and confiscating illegal weapons, including law enforcement personnel and educators.