FREDDIE KRIVINE INITIATIVE

For a second successive year, Children of Peace is supporting the valuable work of this important NGO, bringing together Arab and Jewish youth in Israel through the spirit of tennis.

Jane Krivine CEO, and daughter of the founder Freddie Krivine, outlines the significance of their work…

Although the Arab villages in our programme are situated between two major Israeli cities, Tel Aviv and Haifa, and have spectacular views over the Mediterranean, they are part of a large disadvantaged minority in Israel, and find themselves excluded in many ways. Among the problems confronting many if not most of Israel’s Arab communities are unemployment, a weak education system, high crime rates and discrimination.

Sadly, political tensions, the ongoing conflict and flares of aggression from both Arab and Jewish youth in the immediate region, are part and parcel of daily life. The Freddie Krivine Initiative provides a haven of safety and stability for Arab children aged 6 to 16, and its popularity with parents grows and grows.

While he was President of the Israel Tennis Association Freddie Krivine (1920 – 2005), was determined to help in any way he could. He saw a route through tennis, and used his connections and experience to introduce tennis to the children of Jisr az Zarka and other Arab villages, and through tennis to introduce Jewish and Arab children to each other.

The largest village – with which the Freddie Krivine Initiative has been associated for over twenty years – is Jisr az Zarka, known to be among the poorest and most disadvantaged. With barely 25% completing high school and a disturbingly high level of gang warfare, for many children the future looks hopeless. Jewish and Arab children are separately schooled, and a disturbingly large proportion of Arab teens from the homogenous villages barely speak or understand Hebrew, and will enter the workforce at only the most menial level.

This is where FKI brings hope.

The lives of more than 150 Arab youngsters each year take a new direction with twice-weekly tennis training. They meet Jewish children on the courts and at the annual summer schools where they hear and speak Hebrew, along with homework and conversation with native English speaking and native Hebrew speaking volunteers. Jewish children who have never met an Arab child find through the FKI, a common language and a new perspective, at regular meets on the tennis courts. Minds are broadened when Jewish and Arab families meet each other for the first time at mixed religious celebrations and festivals. All children on the FKI tennis programmes are expected to complete High School.

If there is any doubt to the success of the twenty plus year programme, readers are welcome to meet the doctors, nurses, teachers, physiotherapists and business owners who all know their forehand from their volleys, their backhand from their smash because they used to learn tennis on the FKI programme, thanks to Freddie’s vision.

The charity is in his memory.

HUMANS WITHOUT BORDERS

Each year we are delighted to support our colleagues and Partners at Humans Without Borders in Israel who work with their Palestinian counterparts in the West Bank to arrange an Annual Fun Day for sick or disabled Palestinian children.

Fun Days include days out to a zoo or play centre or at the beach in Tel Aviv. Children and their families are collected in the West Bank by the HWB volunteer team and can spent time away from daily troubles. The families are joined by medics and a Palestinian cook to produce their favourite meals.

This year the Fun Day has been postponed until later on this summer.

Talks took place in Beijing on Wednesday 14 June between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and President Xi Jinping. China’s interest in the region can be seen as a challenge to the role of the US on the international stage, and bore fruit in March when an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran was brokered.

Xi confirmed his support for Palestinians, and his desire for Palestine to become a full member state of the UN. He also called for a strategic partnership of mutual support between China and Palestine including negotiations over a free trade agreement.

Xi offered his own sense of what a solution would look like – an independent Palestinian state following the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. He emphasised the need for aid and support from the international community, and stated China’s willingness to help achieve a reconciliation.

An official Chinese source reported on Abbas’ response:

“Abbas reaffirmed Palestine’s steadfast commitment to the one-China principle and firm support for China’s just position on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang.”

Xinjiang is the home of the Chinese Muslim Uyghur minority whose treatment has led to grave concerns about human rights abuses.

You can read more.

Proposed changes to the judiciary have prompted concerns both at home and abroad, with many asserting that they contradict democratic norms. Tensions have come to a head in the Knesset recently due to conflicts over the election of two political representatives to sit on Israel’s judicial selection committee. Although the convention has been for both the government and the opposition to nominate appointees, government hardliners want control over both posts.

A recent report in the Guardian draws attention to the concerning implications of one aspect of the controversial judicial overhaul package which has received little attention. This change would give religious courts far more power…

“The rabbinic courts follow halacha, Jewish law, and do not allow women to be judges. According to Dr Susan Weiss of the Centre for Women’s Justice, which provides legal aid and advocacy for women in Israel, rules allowing female witnesses are inconsistently applied, and rabbinical judges have barred female witnesses from testifying, even in domestic abuse cases.”

Although participants have to agree to have their case arbitrated in a religious rather than a secular court it is feared that women in some more conservative, ultra-Orthodox communities will come under pressure to do so.

You can read more.
First Guardian article.
Second Guardian article.

It went peacefully, but with tight security in place – including around 2000 police. This reflects the violence which has marred events in the past, in particular the murder of Shira Banki in 2016 by an ultra-Orthodox extremist.

Although the parade went ahead as planned, there are conspicuous tensions between Israel’s current government and the LGBTQ community in Israel, and placards protesting the government’s attacks on the High Court and judiciary were in evidence. The national security minister, Ben Gvir, has frequently protested against the Jerusalem parade in the past – and this year was greeted by jeers from the crowd.

Protests against this year’s parade were led by hard-line Rabbis such as Bentzi Gopstein. Incongruously, their objections were mirrored by Hamas, who called for Palestinians to confront the participants, declaring…

“We, the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, strongly condemn the fascist occupation authorities for allowing the organization of a provocative march for ‘perverts,’ which is scheduled to roam the streets of occupied Jerusalem on Thursday.”

The relationship between gay Palestinians – whether living inside or outside Israel – and Israeli Pride events is a complex one. The parade included placards calling on Israel to ‘stop pinkwashing’ and protesting against the occupation. It has been alleged that gay Palestinians seeking sanctuary in exile sometimes come under pressure to collaborate with Israeli security forces.

You can read more.

Olive Tree, Bruce Kee, Unsplash.

China flag came from Wikipedia, Creative Commons. Palestinian flag from Engin Akyurt, Unsplash

Jerusalem dome, Raimond Klavins, Unsplash.

Classroom, Kenny Elaisin, Unsplash.

Pride image, Toni Reed, Unsplash.

Other images were supplied by the subjects.