Increased tensions, identity struggles: How Givat Haviva helped Arab Israelis cope post Oct. 7

The October 7 massacre marked a grim turning point in Israel’s history, sending shock waves through its diverse population. While much of the world’s attention has been focused on the immediate aftermath of the attacks and the conflict’s broader political and military implications, the impact on Israel’s Arab citizens has been deeply complex and multifaceted.

This community, which comprises about 20% of Israel’s population, occupies a unique and often difficult position – both within Israeli society and in relation to the broader Middle East conflict. As the dust settles from the horrors of October 7, Arab Israelis find themselves grappling with a new reality marked by increased tensions, identity struggles, and the looming threat of polarization.

The Arab Israeli community has long navigated the challenges of living in a state that identifies as both Jewish and democratic. Historically, they have faced socioeconomic disadvantages, political marginalization, and a complex sense of identity – caught between their Palestinian heritage and their Israeli citizenship. When their forefathers opted for Israeli citizenship, it did not renounce their Palestinian identity or erase their connection to loved ones who remained under the direction of the Palestinian Authority and other groups such as Hamas.

The October 7 massacre further complicated these dynamics. For many Arab Israelis, the violence has created an unprecedented strain, not only on their relationship with Jewish Israelis but also within their own communities.

In the weeks following the attack, reports of rising suspicion, fear, and even hostility toward Arab Israelis have surfaced, further fueling societal divisions. At the same time, many within the Arab Israeli community have expressed a deep sense of sorrow and condemnation of the massacre, underscoring the nuanced and often misunderstood perspectives within this population. With emotions running high and political rhetoric intensifying, Arab Israelis now face heightened scrutiny and challenges to their role and future in the Israeli state.

The October 7 massacre was indiscriminate in who was murdered, captured, or wounded. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists murdered Jews alongside Arabs, as well as internationals. However, in Israel’s response in Gaza, Israel’s Arab population faced a different pain.

“Many members of Israel’s Arab population have friends and family living in Gaza and the West Bank, and they feared consequences for even expressing any kind of [sympathy] for those impacted by the war,” said Michal Sella, CEO of Givat Haviva, a longstanding organization in the Wadi Ara area of the Galilee that works to foster ties between the country’s Jewish and Arab populations.

Sella told The Jerusalem Post that the days immediately following the massacre were confusing for both parties.

Initially, both Jews and Arabs approached the aftermath of the event with an “all in this together” attitude. But after the first week, reality set in: Jews and Arabs may have been equally in shock, but the way they felt comfortable communicating their feelings about the fallout came with significant backlash.

“One of our students at Givat Haviva was on Zoom [for his university class at the start of the war] and had shared his screen; a student had seen a random green logo with Arabic writing on his screen and instantly associated it with Hamas, but it was completely different,” Sella shared. The student was summoned for disciplinary action by his university with little to no context, feeling he was the center of a targeted attack.

Despite Arab Israelis being active participants in Knesset, the IDF, and the economic well-being of the nation, there was an instant otherness that many expressed feeling in the aftermath of the attacks. They lost loved ones both in the attacks and in Israel’s ongoing response over the last year. Many members of Israel’s Jewish population overlooked stories such as Arab Israeli medics who were killed in their efforts, including family members of Givat Haviva employees.

What is Givat Haviva?

NESTLED WITHIN their green campus is a unique endeavor that has been quietly bridging gaps between Jewish and Arab citizens in Israel for over six decades. The organization was founded in 1949 as a seminar home for the kibbutz movement. In the 1960s, the organization took a turn into its current identity: a place to focus on building a shared society through education, culture, and policy advocacy. In an increasingly divided world, Givat Haviva is a beacon of hope, striving to bring people together through mutual understanding and respect.

Givat Haviva’s approach is multifaceted, utilizing education and cultural activities as the primary tools to foster dialogue and coexistence. The organization offers a variety of programs, including language classes where Arab students learn Hebrew, a language that has been dropping significantly in prowess among Israel’s Arab population, as well as educational seminars aimed at deepening understanding between communities. The cultural exchange programs hosted by the organization focus on breaking down the barriers of communication, ensuring that language does not become a dividing factor in Israel’s complex social fabric. The mission is clear: promote equality and coexistence, one conversation at a time.

One of the organization’s standout initiatives is its Jewish-Arab Art Center, which not only provides art education but also hosts residency programs and exhibitions that reflect the shared experiences and struggles of its participants. This center is integral to Givat Haviva’s mission, offering a space where both Jewish and Arab voices can come together to express their narratives and build empathy through art.

Despite the difficulties posed by the 2021 conflict in Gaza, leading to increased violence between Jewish extremists and Arab crime syndicates, Givat Haviva has experienced an increase in demand for its programs. This is a testament to the strength of the public’s belief in the necessity of shared society education. The organization’s commitment to addressing social tensions through dialogue and understanding remains steadfast, even during times of political and social unrest.

Sella expressed that in the aftermath of October 7 and the Israeli response in Gaza, clashes were expected, violence between Jews and Arabs. “Hamas had called on Arab Israelis to rise up and attack,” she noted. Organizations in the shared society space feared that violence would rise between the groups, but they were pleasantly surprised to see that there was not a significant increase.

But to add fuel to the fire, as a group of Israeli citizens who were already feeling ostracized, like they could not speak out for their own families without being accused of supporting terrorism, Arab Israelis continued to feel ignored by the state. Arab crime syndicates continued their action but with even less policing, leading communities to speak out for themselves with limited support from the government.

The organization’s reach is significant. With a staff of 100 employees of both Arab and Jewish backgrounds and an annual budget of NIS 30 million, it is one of the largest entities in Israel dedicated to coexistence. Givat Haviva also plays an active role in public debates, advocating for policies that support democracy, equality, and mutual respect between Jewish and Arab citizens. They run “encounter” programs, bringing communities together to communicate with each other and better understand their neighbors.

Promoting peaceful coexistence 

One of the most important aspects of Givat Haviva’s mission is its commitment to education as a means of promoting peaceful coexistence. Its programs include the Arabic Studies Center, which was established to address the communication gap between Arabs and Jews, particularly focusing on teaching Hebrew in Arab schools. By providing students with language skills, Givat Haviva hopes to foster better communication and mutual respect between these two communities.

Turning the tables, most average Israelis are not literate in or able to speak basic Arabic. “I don’t know if you noticed, I don’t know how long you live in Israel, but most Israelis will be able to communicate with you in English at some level, right? But almost none of them will be able to communicate on any level, even like one or two sentences, even just say their name, where they live, in Arabic, yeah? And that’s very weird. Plus, the level of Hebrew in the Arab society is deteriorating, and many, many young teenagers now speak Arabic as their first language, and actually English as their second and not Hebrew, just because of internet and everything, and that’s a severe problem as well. That’s why we engage in teaching spoken Hebrew in schools, because an Arab citizen that doesn’t really know how to communicate in Hebrew can’t be part of this society,” Sella told the Post.

“They can go to universities. They can work here, and especially it’s very important for us, but they will never be able to lead anything in Israel if they don’t speak Hebrew, so that’s a problem. But a Jewish citizen who doesn’t know how to communicate in Hebrew nor Arabic, maybe it’s not a huge problem for them. First of all, we tend to fear the other when we don’t know their language or culture. And also we don’t really know how to approach their culture, how to understand them, and we tend to patronize them if we don’t know the language or the culture.”

Sella noted that many of the Israelis who speak Arabic learned it for military intelligence purposes. However, while this holds value in Israeli society today, it is not the only reason for a Jew to learn the language. “We often see it as the language of the enemy, but it shouldn’t be that way. We must approach it and view it as the language of our neighbor,” Sella added.

Additionally, Givat Haviva is involved in international education, with an emphasis on conflict resolution and peace studies. The international school on its campus attracts both Israeli and international students, providing access to the world-renowned International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. Students learn about ways to resolve conflicts peacefully and to promote understanding across cultural divides.

Givat Haviva’s work extends beyond education into direct community engagement. During the recent escalation in violence, the community became a refuge for both Jewish and Arab evacuees from the Gaza border communities, providing shelter and aid to those affected by the conflict. This act of compassion further solidified the organization’s role as a hub for peace and cooperation, even changing the minds of some right-wing individuals who previously doubted the possibility of peaceful coexistence between Arabs and Jews.

One key takeaway from Givat Haviva’s work is the shared belief that peaceful coexistence is not only possible but necessary for the future of Israel.

The organization’s initiatives continue to build bridges between communities, addressing the fears and misunderstandings that often lead to tension and conflict. As an organization deeply embedded in the realities of Israeli society, Givat Haviva exemplifies the power of education and dialogue in promoting equality and understanding.

The organization has worked to pair multiple communities within Israel’s Jewish and Arab sectors, seeing the direct influence of efforts to help one another through action. “In the days following the massacre, the mayor of Umm el-Fahm drove to his Jewish neighbors in Mei Ami to assure them that the fireworks they were hearing were not rockets but a typical Arab wedding custom. He drove to their shelters to tell them that they were safe, and this is a community leader with much bigger responsibilities on his plate, who took the time to understand his neighbors. The fireworks at the wedding stopped out of respect to the trauma their neighbors were feeling,” Sella told the Post.

The future of Givat Haviva is tied to its ability to continue fostering relationships between Jewish and Arab communities, particularly in times of social and political upheaval. The organization’s resilience, combined with its innovative educational programs, serves as a reminder that peace is not an unattainable dream but a continuous process that requires effort, dialogue, and mutual respect.

As Israel continues to face internal and external challenges, the work of Givat Haviva is more relevant than ever. Its efforts to create a shared society not only benefit the immediate communities it serves but also offer a blueprint for a more harmonious future for all Israelis.

“Very smart people tend to forget when it comes to Israel that it’s not only for Israeli Jews but also for Israeli Arabs. People do not understand that the Palestinian citizens of Israel are part of us,” Sella stated.

Ultimately, Arab Israeli citizens have an inherently different experience in their connection to the aftermath of the October 7 massacre. Arab Israeli first responders were killed in action, and they have died serving the country. Still, their experiences in the bigger picture are different from those of their neighbors. They have been pushed into adapting to Israeli life, with little compromise from the other side on adapting to their culture and language.

A year later, as the war rages on, the need for the work of Givat Haviva is increasingly relevant and grows as such on a daily basis. Here live two communities, neither of which has any plan or intention of leaving. Givat Haviva has upped the ante in coexistence education and will continue to do so even when Israel is someday no longer a war and conflict zone.