US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV6266

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 006266 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2015 
TAGS: ECON, KDEM, KMPI, KPAO, IS, ISRAELI SOCIETY 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S IFTAR CELEBRATES RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY 
IN ISRAEL 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY:  Ambassador Jones hosted over 80 Muslim, 
Christian and Jewish guests for an interfaith Iftar dinner on 
October 27 to break the fast during the Muslim holy month of 
Ramadan.  The Iftar brought together Israeli-Arab leaders 
from the political, business and social-action arenas.  At 
the event, the Ambassador showcased U.S. grants to support 
Israeli-Arab education in Israel's south and central regions 
and education programs for the Israeli-Arab community such as 
the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and the English 
ACCESS Microscholarship Program designed to teach English to 
selected underprivileged Arab students.  Post continues its 
outreach to the Arab community in Israel through visits to 
Israeli-Arab communities, meetings with community leaders and 
civil rights representatives.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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Ambassador's Iftar with Israeli Arabs 
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2. (U) Ambassador Jones hosted an Iftar dinner on October 27 
attended by prominent Israeli Arabs from the political, 
social, and economic sectors.  The Ambassador used this 
opportunity to highlight Post's support for Israeli-Arab 
educational and social projects, including grants totaling 
USD 9,500 to support Israeli-Arab education projects in the 
Bedouin village of Rahat and the mixed Jewish - Arab city of 
Jaffa.  He announced that these grants will go towards the 
purchase of English books and other learning material, and 
will also provide for after school programs. 
 
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U.S. Grant for the Irony Yud-Bet Public School in Jaffa 
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3. (C) Azim Mansour, an English teacher at Jaffa's Irony 
Yud-Bet Public School, an Israeli-Arab school with 612 Arab 
students, told econoff September 14 that the school is 
working to expand its English Resource Center.  She added, 
however, that the school lacks funding to help its students 
do better on GOI-administered English tests, and that any USG 
assistance is welcome.  Post worked closely with school 
officials and recently granted USD 2,000 to fund the purchase 
of English language books for the Center. 
 
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U.S. Grant for Bedouin Community Center in the Negev 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
4. (C) On June 10, econoff met with Mansour Nasasra, Project 
Manager for Rahat Forward, a non-governmental organization 
dealing with Bedouin issues in the Negev.  Nasasra, who lives 
in the Bedouin village of Rahat, said his community's 
population is increasing quickly due to a high birth rate. 
He claimed that many families do not have the necessary 
income to live beyond a subsistence existence and that any 
support given by outside sources is appreciated.  He 
indicated that Bedouin youth have access to books, computers, 
and games in school, but that there are no resources 
available for after school learning. 
 
5. (U) Nasasra described the Rahat Community Center as an 
excellent facility built by the GOI, but said that its 
library, the first in Rahat, lacks books and furniture.  On 
August 15, Post gave a grant of USD 7,500 to facilitate the 
purchase of books and other related material for the library, 
which serves approximately 20,000 Bedouin.  Nasasra expressed 
gratitude for the funding and characterized the contribution 
as one that will serve the entire Bedouin community and 
encourage the educational aspirations of Bedouin youth. 
 
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MEPI and ACCESS 
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6. (U) Mansour and Nasasra pointed to Israeli-Arab students' 
low English scores on Israel's mandatory matriculation exams. 
 They have indicated in the past that this is a main barrier 
preventing these students from entering universities.  The 
reason for these low English scores is that English is a 
third, not second, language for most Arabs in Israel.  Post's 
ongoing outreach to Israel's Arab community through a variety 
of grants, programs, and exchanges, including those run under 
the auspices of MEPI, will help address some of the concerns 
mentioned above.  Post will step up its support of Arab 
sector in the 2005 - 2006 school year through the English 
ACCESS Microscholarship Program, providing 770 
underprivileged Arab students an opportunity to improve their 
English. 
 
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JONES