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al-Madaniyyat: An alternative civil perception for the Palestinian Arab Minority in Israel?
Abstract by Dr. Itamar Radai On Session 161  (Border and Boundaries)

On Monday, November 20 at 1:00 pm

2017 Annual Meeting

Abstract
Between November 2006 and May 2007, four "vision documents" for the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel were published. They were put together on the initiative and under the auspices of Arab civil organizations (rather than political parties). These documents deal with the future of the Palestinian Arab population in Israel and propose changes in the character of the state and of its regime. The documents aroused contradictory responses in the media and in the Jewish population, and, to a lesser extent, the Palestinian Arab community. A recent campaign has been launched by the Supreme Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel, and Dirasat Arab Center for Law and Policy (a prominent Palestinian NGOs in Israel) to create an alternative civil vision. This project is composed of several layers, which intend to substitute the formal government curriculum of civics for Arab high schools in the Israeli state system. As such, the paper will examine and scrutinize al-Madaniyyat, an alternative guide for Arab high school civics teachers, that was composed and distributed by "Dirasat" on behalf of the Follow-Up Committee. The paper will attempt to answer the question: Is there an alternative civil perception, or even vision for the Palestinian Citizens in Israel, following the decade-old Vision Documents? Has the vision changed since 2006-2007? This civil perception will be examined in light of its historical contents and contexts.
Discipline
Political Science
Geographic Area
Israel
Sub Area
Israel Studies