Statement on the Nation State Law

There is only one small village in the world where Palestinian and Jewish families have chosen to live alongside one another in a democratic, shared society. This village, Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom, has withstood many challenges throughout its 40-year existence.

We – the Arab and Jewish families that live here – consciously decide to promote coexistence and struggle in a non-violent way on a daily basis to achieve peace and justice. However, with the passing of the law, “Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People”, the aggressive right-wing government has erected yet another set of barriers dividing its citizens.

The new law states that only the Jewish people has the right to national self-determination and removes Arabic from its previous status as one of the country’s official languages. The law formally makes Arabs second-class citizens. It advances the majority group’s religious and national interests while breaking the state’s earlier promises to protect the rights of its other citizens and ensure their equality.

Sadly, this is the latest in a series of racist laws pushed through the Knesset. Taken together, these laws lead us away from democracy, equality and a shared society. They create sharp divisions between the peoples, religions, national groups and other minorities that inhabit this land and wish to live in peace.

The law is said to be symbolic. However, it reflects and embodies the hostile actions taken against Palestinian citizens of Israel on a daily basis. Instead of finding solutions to end the Occupation, systemic injustice and continuing incitement, the political leadership is strategically undermining democracy.

For our friends in Israel and around the world who share our anguish, anger and frustration, this is not the time to despair. We must support each other in our daily efforts to keep hope alive as we work for peace and equality in our region.

Interest in Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom demonstrates that many seek a different model than the one the Knesset is championing. In fact, currently, our main concern is to find room for the scores of families who want to join our community and build homes in the village. We simply do not have enough land to accommodate their demands. Similarly, dozens of families want to enrol their children in our binational Primary School where students learn in Arabic and Hebrew equally. We wish we had the resources for all of them to participate in our educational programs.

We invite you to visit us to see that we have created a different reality by living together in Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom and that peace is possible. We open our gates to everyone who would like to visit our Primary School, School for Peace, and Pluralistic Spiritual Center. We welcome everyone who wishes to learn more about our work to contact our Visitors’ Center for more information and/or to set up a tour of the village.

Together, we can rise to the challenge of resisting those who want to perpetuate oppression and occupation. We can lead the way to an alternative model of living that is based on equality, mutual respect and peace.

Thank you,

Anwar Dawood
Chairman of the Municipal Committee

Eitan Kremer Chairman of the Board of Directors, Friends of the Educational Institutions in the Village of Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom

For more information, please contact Samah Salaime, Director, Communications and Development Office for the Village of Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom by phone at +972-54-979-2389 or by email at samah@wasns.info.

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