Nieuws

A week ago, for a moment, it seemed like a ray of light pierced the darkness. The prime minister and the leader of the opposition spoke together about a historic opportunity for peace that would justify a partnership between them. By the next day it was clear that the light was from the engine of the train of war and hate … and we got a right-wing nationalist government.

As we sit around the seder table and consider our liberty, the question arises: Are we truly free? The query is a common subject of contemplation. It would seem that we have our own independent country, and are masters of our own destiny. But in actuality, I feel we are bound by the fetters of racism and hate, which prevent us from being, in the words of our national anthem, a free people in our own land.

This month Givat Haviva Executive Director Yaniv Sagee set out on a challenging trip to the US to recruit supporters and partners for Givat Haviva’s far-reaching efforts to create a Shared Society in Israel. Yaniv writes from there:
“It’s been 20 years since I taught my last history lesson as a teacher at Megiddo High. This week I went back to teach history at the Hebrew Charter High School in California.

Dear Friends and Partners,
Another month passed, in which it seemed like we at Givat Haviva live in two parallel worlds: in the world “outside” the sky is dark – terror and fear along with incitement and reciprocal injury lead to radicalization and mistrust of any Jewish-Arab partnership; in “our world,” here at Givat Haviva, there is very intense activity of partnership and education, Arabic and Hebrew studies, empowerment and development of Arab society, creation and development.