Behind The Headlines

This year’s Jerusalem Pride marked a year since the murder of 16 year-old Shira Banki z”l. In an amazing show of solidarity from across Israel’s communities, 25,000 people joined the march, demonstrating their support for the principles of freedom of expression, the dignity of all human beings, and tolerance. The run-up to Pride events across Israel, however, was not without its challenges…

In London for the New Israel Fund’s international board meeting, NIF international CEO Daniel Sokatch and President Talia Sasson answer questions by Britain’s NIF supporters on Israel and Brexit, the BDS movement, and how to make strategic investments for impact in Israel.

Yom Yerushalayim is a highly sensitive day, celebrating the emotive moment in which the Jewish people regained access to the Western Wall, as well as marking the beginning of Israeli occupation & annexation of East Jerusalem. The tense nature of the day is exacerbated by the “March of Flags” a parade in which thousands march through the city waving Israeli flags. The parade culminates in a dramatic march through the Muslim Quarter of the old city, which has been marred for years by racist slogans and incitement to violence.

Yom HaZikaron is Israel’s national Memorial Day for its fallen soldiers and victims of terror. It is marked on the eve of Israel’s Independence Day, suggesting an explicit link between the sacrifice made by those we mourn and the very existence of the State of Israel. Combatants for Peace (CFP) and the Parents Circle Families Forum (PCFF) have been hosting an alternative, and some feel contentious, ceremony to mark Yom HaZikaron for the past decade.

This month, we caught up with Avner Gvaryahu of NIF grantee Breaking the Silence (BtS) to hear how he’s been dealing with the most recent smear campaign against the NGO. Avner responded to allegations against BtS and told us about how he came to break his own silence.

This month, Israeli singer Noa (Achinoam Nini) found herself in the headlines when JNF Canda withdrew their support from an upcoming concert featuring her, falsely alleging that she was a BDS supporter. Noa is an outspoken peace activist & critic of the current Israeli government. Delegitimisation of politically outspoken cultural figures is increasingly prevalent in Israel today with growing attempts to silence and side-line those deemed 'disloyal' to Israel.

This month we take a look at the state of Israel’s democracy as regards minority rights. NIF UK’s Kalela Lancaster speaks to Rawnak Natour, Co-Director of Sikkuy, about the rights of Arab-Israelis as a minority community. We take a deeper look at two key developments: the Arab Economic Development Plan and the New Civics Textbook.

This month, we take a look at the fiery debate currently taking place about the state of Israeli democracy, in the face of attempts to delegitimize and stifle voices critical of government policy. NIF’s Kalela Lancaster speaks to Hagai El-Ad, Director of Israeli human rights NGO B’tselem, who is among those who have been targeted in a recent smear campaign against human rights activists.

Since May, thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to protest what they are calling "the gas robbery": the government deal with multinational Noble Energy and the Israeli Delek Group which protesters claim monopolises the companies' control of Israel's natural gas. In this podcast, NIF's Kalela Lancaster speaks to Alon Visser, one of the leaders of the protests, about how they are linked to the social protests of 2011 and how the gas deal has become a big issue for Israeli democracy.

In this podcast, we host Nimrod Goren, founder and head of the Israeli progressive foreign policy think-tank Mitvim, who talks to NIF’s Kalela Lancaster about the importance of looking outwards rather than inwards at times of crisis and terror, the incentives for peace which the international community has put on the table, and attitudes to peace within Israeli society.

In this podcast, we host Shatil’s Head of Community Organising Avi Dabush, who talks to NIF’s Kalela Lancaster about the growing grassroots movements in Israel that are working to counter hate crimes, and are pushing Israel’s decision-makers to return to the negotiating table with the Palestinians.

In this pilot podcast we are delighted to host Fentahun Assefa-Dawit, Executive Director of NIF grantee Tebeka , who talks to NIF UK’s Kalela Lancaster about the dramatic protests of Israel’s Ethiopian community which have dominated Israel’s headlines over the last month.