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• April 21, 2026

  Impressions from Art and Shared Society Conference

  The Givat Haviva Art and Shared Society Conference took place on April 17 under extraordinary circumstances. The gathering marked a powerful return to public cultural life after weeks in which the Givat Haviva campus had been largely empty due to the security situation. The conference, entitled The Muses Do Not Remain Silent 2026, brought together Arab and Jewish directors and managers of art institutions, artists, educators, and leading curators from across Israel. Participants shared insights into contemporary initiatives and ongoing work, highlighting the ways in which cultural institutions continue to foster dialogue and cooperation between Jewish and Arab communities. Givat Haviva CEO Michal Sella emphasized the importance of artistic expression during periods of social and political tension. “One of the things we believe in is the arts. Over the past three years so many things have happened that we never imagined could happen. We are being silenced in ways we never thought possible. But art can never be silenced, and we must honor and strengthen it,” she said.

• April 20, 2026

  Dismantling government investments in Israeli Arab society

  Friends of Givat Haviva Media Adviser Kenneth Bandler writes, in his Jerusalem Post column, about the Israeli government’s campaign to dismantle investments in Arab society.  “It is forbidden to harm the essential multiyear plan, whose contributions to education and welfare in Arab society is truly existential,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog declared at the annual Givat Haviva Shared Society Conference in January. The president was referring to determined efforts led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Women’s Advancement Minister May Golan to slash official budgets for improving the daily lives of Arab citizens, who comprise 21% of Israel’s population. This ominous campaign to dismantle essential governmental investments in Arab citizens is especially frustrating for Hassan Towafra. He was the last person to head The Authority for Economic Development of the Arab Community, the principal government office responsible for uplifting Arab citizens to reduce disparities and advance the integration of Arab citizens into Israel’s economy and broader society. Towafra guided the development and implementation of Government Resolution 550, the second five-year national plan investing in and empowering the country’s Arab minority. “People do not realize the consequences of stopping government investments in Arab society,” Towafra points out. “The government only a decade ago began addressing the gaps between Arab and Jewish society, and we already are making real changes in education, employment, transportation, infrastructure, and local economic development.”

Recent Events

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  Jan

  19

  Special Briefing: Survey of Israeli Jews, Arabs

  On Monday, January 19th, 12 pm (ET) Friends of Givat Haviva held a special briefing on the new Givat Haviva survey of Israeli Jewish and Arab citizens. The annual Givat Haviva Partnership Index provides vital insights into public opinion on critical issues affecting Jewish-Arab relations in Israel and the work of Givat Haviva. Givat Haviva CEO Michal Sella, Director of Strategy Mohammad Darawshe, and Adi Sidi, presented the survey results and discussed their implications for advancing Jewish-Arab relations in Israel. This special briefing was the first time the Givat Haviva 2026 Partnership Index was presented in English, and follows the Givat Haviva Conference for a Shared Society that took place on January 6.
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  Jan

  6

  Givat Haviva CEO Michal Sella Opens Shared Society Conference

  The 2026 Givat Haviva conference for a shared society comes at a time when “we are more divided, more hateful, and more fearful of one another then ever. This government continues to incite us against each other,” Givat Haviva CEO Michal Sella declared in her address opening the January 6 event, attended in person by more than 500 people. “This conference is taking place at a critical moment, a volatile moment, a moment in which the ground could slip from beneath our feet,” Sella said. “Therefore, it is also a moment when responsibility passes to us: to civil society, to local leadership, to educators – to demand from our politicians and leaders, to struggle, and to propose an alternative.” “A shared society is not a luxury,” Sella emphasized. “It is a condition for security, for democracy, and for a future in this land. Without equality, without fair law enforcement, and without civic and political partnership – there will be no future here.” Sella thanked the more conference participants “for choosing to come and say: we do not give up. This is the time for repair, recovery, and partnership.” Read Michal Sella’s full speech.