Last month, Social Equality Minister May Golan (Likud) announced the closure of the Emergency Information Center for Arab society in Kafr Qasim, effective May 13. The Center was established to serve as an intermediary between state authorities and Arab society since the onset of the war, based on a model developed during Corona to improve coordination, services, and compliance between the government and Arab communities. Operated in collaboration with the Home Front Command and National Council for Heads of Arab Local Authorities (NCHALA), the Center disseminated information in Arabic, supported Arab local authorities in meeting crisis needs, and promoted emergency training—frequently underdeveloped in Arab society.
As reported in “The Marker,” senior security officials believe the Center has been a key factor in curbing violence and maintaining relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel. The Center’s activities are perceived as the state acting on behalf of Arab society and received significant attention in Arab media and networks. For government authorities, the Center was key for tailoring responses to the needs of Arab society.
In the decision to close the center, Minister Golan argued that it was unnecessary and expressed concerns about potential fund leakage to dubious organizations: “The Ministry for Social Equality is not <…> a money distributor, especially when there is a concern about budget funds leaking to organizations that do exactly the opposite of reducing gaps in Arab society.” A long list of civil society organizations submitted an appeal to the minister, urging the continuation of the Center’s activities during these emergency times. Beyond ceasing essential activities, the closure is seen as another instance of the government pulling back from close partnership with Arab society in line with recent budget cuts.
On June 3, 2024, the Knesset State Audit Committee discussed the Center’s closure. The Ministry of Social Equality, represented by its Director-General, Hasan Tawafra, Director of the Authority for Economic Development for Arab Society at the Ministry, Ofer Dagan, co-CEO of Sikkuy-Aufoq, and other stakeholders presented their cases for or against the decision. The committee unanimously decided to mandate the State Comptroller to investigate the issue. Concurrently, a petition with over 2,300 signatures from Jewish and Arab citizens was submitted, urging the center’s closure to be canceled.
In the meantime, the NCHALA maintains some of the staff engaged in the Center to sustain some of its essential activities.
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Do you need support integrating these resources and issues into your philanthropic, communal, or Israel education work? Reach out for consultations, connections to experts, program support, training, or to plan your next event or mission. If you’ve used our resources, tell us about your experience!