Wikipedia

Sharaka

Sharaka (Arabic: شراكة, romanized: sharāka, lit. 'partnership/cooperation') is a non-profit and non-governmental organization established in 2020 by people from Israel, The United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain after the signing of The Abraham Accords.[1][2][3] The stated mission of the organization is to develop bonds between young Israeli and Gulf leaders, in order to strengthen peace, trust, and cooperation between the respective societies. The organization presently has three operational divisions located in Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.[4]

Sharaka
FormationDecember 2020
FoundersAmit Deri
Key people
  • Dan Feferman
  • Fatema El Harbi
  • Ofir Ohayon
  • Najat Al-Saied
Websitesharakango.com

Background

edit

Sharaka was established in 2020 by people from Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, with funding from Israeli and American donors. The idea of establishing the organization took shape after the signing of The Abraham Accords between the countries.[5][6] The organization's primary goal is to "lead social initiatives that bring Israel's voice to strengthen familiarity with the State of Israel in the Arab world and create cooperation between young people in Israel and Arab states."

Activities

edit

Sharaka has brought delegations of leaders, influencers, and activists representing academia, art, politics, education, and the hospitality industry from various countries to Israel. These diverse delegations both learn about each other's history, society and geopolitical realities, and share their own culture and perspectives.[7][8][9] first through online activities during the pandemic, and now increasingly through meetings and delegations.

Delegations to Israel

edit

In mid-December 2020, Sharaka organized a delegation of 11 opinion leaders and social activists from the Gulf to visit Israel. The group arrived on December 11 and traveled throughout the country, from Jerusalem to the Golan Heights, meeting Jewish, Druze, and Bedouin Israelis along the way, including President Reuven Rivlin and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabi Ashkenazi. The delegates participated in a Hanukkah menorah-lighting ceremony at the Western Wall. They also visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center, the Knesset, and the Israel Museum.[10][11][12] The delegates faced backlash online from anti-Israel and anti-normalization voices in their home countries as they took to social media to share their experiences and to reaffirm messages of peace and coexistence.[13]

In October 2021, a 9-member delegation from Bahrain officially linked to Sharaka made a trip to Israel, headed by author and peace activist Fatema Al Harbi, who serves as vice chairman of Sharaka's Bahrain chapter. The delegates included Bahraini businessmen and officials with Bahrain's Education Ministry. The trip consisted of tours of Yad Vashem, the Old City of Jerusalem, and various historical and religious sites, as well as meetings with Israeli government officials and activists.[14][15][16][17][18]

On 8 May 2022, a 15-member delegation of Pakistanis and Pakistani Americans visited Israel in a trip organized by Sharaka in partnership with the American Muslim and Multifaith Women's Empowerment Council. Delegates included Fishel Benkhald, considered to be the "last Jew in Pakistan", and prominent Pakistani journalist Ahmed Quraishi, who was later fired by the state-run Pakistan Television for being part of the delegation.[19] The group visited Yad Vashem, met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and other Israeli officials at Beit HaNassi (the president's residence in Jerusalem) and visited Druze and Bedouin homes in northern Israel. The visit was vehemently criticized by Pakistani officials, who denied that the delegation was on an official visit.[20][21][22][23][24]

In March 2023, delegates from Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, and Turkey visited Israel to learn about the Holocaust as a way of promoting tolerance. The group visited Yad Vashem: The World Holocaust Memorial Center in Jerusalem, among other places.[25]

Holocaust commemorations

edit

On January 27, 2021, Sharaka organized an online event to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, with Israeli, Gulf and Arab participants. The event featured a testimony by Jewish Auschwitz survivor Vera Kriegel and a speech by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.[26][27][28][29]

In April 2022, a number of social-media influencers and journalists from Lebanon, Syria, Morocco, Turkey, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and the Gulf countries took part in the International March of the Living, visiting concentration camps and annual Holocaust memorial events in a trip organized by Sharaka.[30][31][32]

United States

edit

In November 2021, Sharaka delegates from Israel, Morocco, Syria, and the Gulf made a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area in California to tout the benefits of strengthened relations between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates following the signing of Abraham Accords, and to discuss and promote regional peace.[33] The delegation included Syrian-born American journalist Hayvi Bouzo, Moroccan artist and activist Chama Mechtaly, and Sharaka leaders from Israel and the Gulf countries.[34] The group met with Jewish leaders, local politicians and activists, and students. The visit included panel discussions and presentations at synagogues and Jewish cultural centers, San Jose State University, and the Commonwealth Club of California, where Sharaka leaders urged the American audience to "put aside the political polarization" when approaching the Middle East.[35][36][37]

In April 2022, the University of Connecticut’s Abrahamic Programs co-hosted a discussion welcoming Sharaka. The event was a collaboration between UConn's Abrahamic Programs; UConn's Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Justice; Center for Judaic Studies & Contemporary Jewish Life; UConn Hillel; Middle Eastern Cultural Programs; Muslim Students Association; and the Consulate General for Israel. Sharaka delegation members related their experiences of visiting other nations and establishing real connections on the person-to-person level, as well as their reasons for joining the organization.

In August 2021, a Sharaka delegation visited Atlanta, Georgia to discuss The Abraham Accords. Conferences were held at Congregations Or Hadash in Sandy Springs, hosted by the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, the Atlanta Rabbinical Association and the Atlanta Israel Coalition, and at Congregation Ohr HaTorah, in conjunction with Congregation Beth Jacob and hosted by Americans United with Israel and the Israel Consulate General.[38]

United Arab Emirates and Bahrain

edit

In April 2021, Sharaka organized a special ceremony in Dubai where Emiratis and Israeli Jews gathered for joint Ramadan and Lag BaOmer festivities. The event included the Lag BaOmer custom lighting of a bonfire, and a traditional Ramadan iftar meal.[39]

In November 2021, Sharaka hosted joint celebrations in Dubai to mark the UAE's 50th National Day, and to celebrate Hanukkah.[40]

In December 2021, leaders of Sharaka and of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute met at a private event at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi to sign a cooperation agreement (MoU) to promote and further strengthen ties laid by the Abraham Accords, in the presence of AAPI Chairman and former senior presidential advisor Jared Kushner as well as a number of senior Emirati politicians.[41]

In January 2022, Sharaka signed an agreement with The UK Abraham Accords Group, headed by former Defence Minister and MP Dr. Liam Fox and attended by the Emirati Ambassador to the UK.[42]

On 16 January 2022, Sharaka led tree-planting ceremonies in Dubai in honor of Tu Bishvat. The next day, similar events were held at the Neot Kdumim Park in Israel, and in Bahrain. The events were held in collaboration with the Fakhruddin Group and the Storey Group (Dubai) and the Jewish National Fund USA (Israel).[43][44]

In May 2022, members of the Sharaka delegation attended a memorial organized by the Dubai's Jewish community to express their condolences and pay their respects to the Emirati community after President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan's death.[45]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "The Sharaka Project brings Israeli-Arab peace to ordinary people -opinion". The Jerusalem Post. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  2. ^ Rudee, Eliana (2020-12-30). "Bahraini and Emirati activists in Israel express feeling 'like family returning home'". JNS.org. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  3. ^ Divon, Michal Michelle. "The unthinkable has become natural". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  4. ^ "About Us". Sharaka. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  5. ^ "URGENT AGENDA: DECEMBER 31, 2020". www.urgentagenda.com. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  6. ^ "Rivlin hosts Bahraini delegation, calls King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  7. ^ "UAE, Bahrain take part in Hanukkah ceremony at Jerusalem's Western Wall". Middle East Monitor. 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  8. ^ "LIVE EVENT: UAE & Israel: The Business of Peace". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  9. ^ "Medved: How Israel and Gulf economies can do the 'business of peace'". The Jerusalem Post. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  10. ^ "UAE, Bahrain delegations take part in Western Wall Hanukkah lighting ceremony". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  11. ^ Soesan, Joop (2020-12-27). "Groep jonge influencers uit de Emiraten en Bahrein maakt reis door Israël | Joods.nl Nieuws". Joods.nl: Nieuws uit Joods Nederland en Israel (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  12. ^ Gross, Judah Ari. "After making friends with Gulf, Israel brings in influencers to reach its people". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  13. ^ Rudee, Eliana (January 2021). "Bahraini, Emirati activists in Israel feel 'like family returning home'". www.israelhayom.com. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  14. ^ "Attempting 'to promote peace, build bridges between Israelis, Bahrainis'". The Jerusalem Post. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  15. ^ "From Bahrain to Yad Vashem: Gulf State Delegation Visits Holocaust Memorial Center". Haaretz. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  16. ^ Hasten, Josh (2021-10-08). "In eight-day trip, Bahraini influencers see the reality, and warmth, that is Israel". JNS.org. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  17. ^ "Bahraini activists find common ground with Israelis on country-wide tour". The Jerusalem Post. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  18. ^ Berman, Lazar. "From Western Wall to Old City alleys, curious Israelis embrace Bahraini visitors". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  19. ^ "Pakistani journalist Ahmed Quraishi fired from PTV over Israel visit". Daily Pakistan Global. 2022-05-30. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  20. ^ "A Pakistani Group Visited Israel. Then Pakistan Erupted". Haaretz. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  21. ^ "Pakistani-American defends Israel visit amid criticism". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  22. ^ "Pakistan had nothing to do with expats visit to Israel". Al Araby. 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  23. ^ "Israeli president confirms meeting delegation of Pakistani expats". The Express Tribune. 2022-05-29. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  24. ^ Isaac, David (2022-05-17). "Muslim-American delegation visits Israel, UAE in support of Abraham Accords". JNS.org. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  25. ^ Smilk, Carin M. (2023-03-17). "Arabs in Sharaka delegation to Israel describe eye-opening education about the Holocaust". JNS.org. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  26. ^ Rudee, Eliana (2021-01-27). "In a first, Arab-initiated event commemorates the Holocaust in wake of Abraham Accords". JNS.org. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  27. ^ "Arab Gulf initiative to promote Holocaust awareness, combat anti-Semitism | Opinion". Newsweek. 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  28. ^ Oryszczuk, Stephen. "'Never again' in Hebrew and Arabic as Gulf states mark Holocaust Memorial Day". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  29. ^ "The Abraham Accords deserve a Nobel Prize | Opinion". Newsweek. 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  30. ^ Sacerdoti, Jonathan (28 April 2022). "Arab delegates join the March of the Living for the first time". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  31. ^ "In groundbreaking step, Muslim delegation participated in 2022 March of the Living - EJP". ejpress.org. May 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  32. ^ Schwartz, Yaakov. "Muslim influencers visit Auschwitz, seek to bring truth of Holocaust to Arab world". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  33. ^ "Can Middle East activists get US Democrats to join the Abraham Accords?". The Jerusalem Post. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  34. ^ Kamaras, Jacob (2021-11-12). "'People-to-people' relationships are centerpiece of Abraham Accords' progress, advocates say". JNS.org. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  35. ^ Berman, Lazar. "Young peace activists promote Abraham Accords in California". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  36. ^ Stutman, Gabe (2021-11-09). "Arab and Israeli delegates tout Abraham Accords on Bay Area visit". J. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  37. ^ Yemini, Ben-Dror (2021-12-03). "Meet the delegation of Jewish and Arab 'angels of peace'". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  38. ^ Nissani, Stephanie (2021-08-10). "Sharaka Delegation Discusses The Abraham Accords". Atlanta Jewish Times. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  39. ^ "Arabs and Jews celebrate Lag Ba'Omer, Ramadan together in Dubai". Israel National News. 29 April 2021.
  40. ^ Berman, Lazar. "In UAE and Israel, Hanukkah and a National Day are a time to celebrate together". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  41. ^ Baker, Rasha Abu. "UAE-Israel ties: Kushner witnesses MoU signing with Sharaka". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  42. ^ Saleh, Amjad (November 2022). "UK Abraham Accords Group, Sharaka sign MoU to promote and expand Abraham Accords".
  43. ^ "Tu Bishvat planting ceremonies held in UAE, Bahrain". The Jerusalem Post. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  44. ^ "Sharaka hosts multiple tree planting events for peace in Abraham Accords countries". JNS.org. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  45. ^ Isaac, David (2022-05-17). "Muslim-American delegation visits Israel, UAE in support of Abraham Accords". JNS.org. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sharaka&oldid=1255781140"