Throughout the year 2012, Citizen Accord Forum and Hanns Seidel Foundation arranged for a series of round table meetings, where Haredi rabbis met with various academics and Arab representatives. The aim was to discuss the future of a shared Jewish and Arab society in Israel from an ultra-orthodox Jewish perspective.

The working group presented their achivements also on this year’s Jaffa Convention on 20 December 2012. Some 1,000 participants attended the convention, which focused on topics that determine the agenda and set of priorities of both the Jewish and Arab communities in Israel. The Convention was held at the Arab-Jewish Community Center in Jaffa. It attracted tremendous interest and had a significant public impact. MKs and ministers, directors general of ministries and other senior government officials attended the convention as well as artists and cultural figures, academics and social activists.

Rabbi Michael Melchior, honorary President of the Convention and founder of the Citizens’ Accord Forum opened the convention. He was followed by Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai who stressed the need to break down barriers between Jews and Arabs in Jaffa and in Israel as a whole. Tzipi Livni, leader of the new political party Hatnuah (the Movement), spoke about the hope for peace and called to implement equality in all parts of society, starting with the community in Jaffa. Other opening statements were made by MK Dr. Afou Agbaria and MK Orit Zuaretz, co-chairs of the Knesset Caucus for Jewish-Arab Relations, who called to close the gaps between Jews and Arabs in Israel

One of the most important discussions at the convention was held in the Future Vision panel which was conducted in Arabic, addressing aspects such as education, culture and civil society. Dr. Khaled Abu-Asbah of Masar spoke about the status of Arabic and the shortage of Arab institutions of higher learning. Writer Salman Natour spoke about the cultural connections of the Arab citizens to the Palestinian people, to the Arab world and to a global culture. Jabir Asaqla of Shatil raised the concept of a shared homeland, saying that the Arab minority had posed a challenge to the Jewish majority to view Israel as a homeland for both people.

In the concluding session, a panel of ultra-Orthodox rabbis from the round table series sponsored by Hanns Seidel Foundation spoke about the need to improve relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel and an equitable distribution of resources. Rabbi Menahem Shem-Tov, head of Vaad Harabbanim (the Rabbis Committee), started his address in fluent Arabic and spoke about the shared background of Arabs and Jews from Arab countries. He stressed that the harmonious relations and mutual respect between Jews and Arabs in his native Morocco could be recreated in Israel. Other speakers, such as Rabbi Shalom Peretz, concurred. Rabbi Shem-Tov also spoke about the important work being done by women leaders in ultra-Orthodox society, and gave the example of Rabbanit Adina Bar-Shalom, who is a member of the CAF board of directors and was present in the audience.

The series of round tables will conclude with a position paper that will draft a precise perspective on a shared society in Israel.