Arab citizens were deeply impacted by October 7 and its aftermath, experiencing loss of loved ones, hostages, vulnerability to rocket fire, economic insecurity, and fear from violence and incitement. From the night of the attacks, Arab and Jewish organizations, leaders, and volunteers have been working together to preserve Jewish-Arab partnership in this difficult time, meet emergency needs, and prevent escalations. These stories are a vital part of the extraordinary Israeli mobilization around the crisis and are central to shaping Israel’s social fabric moving forward.
Many of the organizations leading these efforts have been supported by the American Jewish community for years. They are eager to share the inspiration, challenges, and urgency that drives their work. Making them part of solidarity missions is key to enabling American Jewish communities to be well-informed and engage with the complex and critical work for Israeli society that lies ahead. Such visits also make Arab citizens and shared society organizations feel visible during these difficult days.
The following document lists nine organizations that are well equipped to rapidly host visits and missions. These organizations have joint Jewish-Arab teams and programs spanning emergency responses in the North and south, shared society in mixed cities, de-escalation and preserving Jewish-Arab relations overall. They span a range of locations and logistical considerations, and all have shelters. There are many other options that may also be suitable for different groups and itineraries.