For the Second Year in a Row: Sikkuy Ranked as One of Israel’s 100 Most Influential Change Makers In The Marker’s Magazine

For the Second Year in a Row: Sikkuy Ranked as One of Israel’s 100 Most Influential Change Makers In The Marker’s Magazine

The Marker’s editors, for the second consecutive year, have chosen to highlight Sikkuy’s commitment to and struggle for equality between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel, and in general the organization’s effective and positive approach to advancing relevant policy changes.

We are very excited to announce that Sikkuy was ranked, for the second consecutive year, in Israel’s “100 Most Influential Players” list by the prestigious “The Marker” Magazine!

Awarding Sikkuy NUMBER 10 (!), alongside a small group of other civil society organizations, is recognition of Sikkuy’s shared Arab-Jewish staff capacity for promoting positive government policy, through research and cooperative dialogue, towards equality, and against discrimination.

The past year has been particularly challenging and complex in terms of relations between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. At the same time, we have also seen several significant and unprecedented changes in government policy towards Arab citizens, in part as a result of Sikkuy’s relentless efforts with both government players and local leaders and stakeholders.

Sikkuy’s staff of twenty-five, all of whom are Jews and Arabs from different parts of Israel, are led by a diverse Jewish-Arab board of twelve, who are themselves senior public figures and scholars. Coming with a variety of understandings and approaches to the Jewish-Arab conflict, the team does not always agree. And yet, as a microcosm of what could be externally, Sikkuy’s ability to bridge differences and practically cooperate with government officials, Arab leadership, local authorities, and the media, is an enormous achievement in and of itself. Of this and other recent successes we are very proud, and grateful that a leading media outlet such as The Marker recognizes the impact and importance of our work.

After many years of working to narrow social and economic gaps and to increase civic equality for Jews and Arabs in Israel, several important positive steps have been advanced over the course of 2016. Through the shaping, approval, and on-going implementation of new government decisions, in particular the recent 922 Plan, Sikkuy continues to be a key player in ensuring the government’s policy shift towards more equal and just budget allocations to Arab individuals and communities. While the work is more challenging and complex than one could ever imagine, Sikkuy is deeply and thoroughly committed to using every available strategy and resource to achieve true equality, partnership, and shared society for Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel.

We are grateful to The Marker for choosing Sikkuy, and for their extensive coverage of issues that matter in the struggle for equality. Thank you as well to all of Sikkuy’s followers and supporters, both on social media and on the ground.