Horizon of Hope
By Shir Nosatzki
On October 7, Israeli Jewish and Arab families lost loved ones and homes. On the list of kidnapped and missing people, both Jewish and Arab names appear. Nineteen members of the Bedouin community of Israel were killed and 9 are held captive in Gaza. Pain and fear are felt by all.
Reminding both communities that we share the same fate in this country, that we are partners both in despair as well as in success, is one of our central missions.
In times such as these, characterized by heightened fear and distrust, inspiring examples of solidarity and cooperation have emerged. This has been a beacon of hope in these dark days.
One of the first and most inspiring examples of joining together is the joint Arab-Jewish Emergency Center in Rahat, a Bedouin city in the Negev. More than 1000 packages of food and other necessities have already been delivered to Jewish and Arab families in the south of Israel who were directly affected by the terror of Oct 7.
The Center is a cooperative venture of four organizations: Have You Seen the Horizon Lately, the Rahat Community Center, Itach Maaki, and Stars of the Dessert. It is operated by more than 150 Arab and Jewish volunteers, and supported by donations from both Arab and Jewish individuals and organizations.
Please watch this 1-minute video about the Center.
The plan is to develop this cooperative venture into a long-lasting initiative based in a number of cities.
Also a public campaign has also been launched to lower the levels of suspicion and fear between Jews and Arabs in Israel.
Please help us expand this inspiring work of by contributing through this link: https://secure.nif.org/a/have-you-seen-horizon-lately-jewish-arab-emergency-efforts
About Heart of a Nation
Empowering the next generation of American, Israeli, and Palestinian change-makers to embrace better, together.
אנחנו מכנסים הוגים מובילים, פעילים חברתיים, ומחוללי שינוי לעתיד, אמריקאים, ישראלים ופלסטינאים, המחויבים לשיפור החברות שלהם.
نحن أمريكيون وإسرائيليون وفلسطينيون نبني ونكوّن روابط من أجل التعلم والتفكير والمشاركة معًا حتى نشجع الحلول التقدمية بشأن القضايا التي تهمنا جميعًا.