Ufuq Yaffa is a bi-national activist group consisting of Palestinian and Jewish residents of Jaffa who love their city, and are deeply committed to promoting equality and justice therein.

Ibrahim Agbaria and Rachel Hagigi, long-time Jaffa residents, activists, and School for Peace facilitators, act as group guides and facilitators.

The first 4 Ufuq Yaffa meetings took place between October and November 2022, in which the members began to explore three processes:

• Consolidation and formation
• Expectations of group activity and setting shared goals.
• Research of existing initiatives in Jaffa

Next, the group will decide on a specific field of concern, and choose one or several projects to execute.

We are delighted to report that the group consists of a roughly equal number of Jews and Palestinians, making it a safe space for both national identities. The all but trivial willingness of locals to join a shared bi-national activist group is very encouraging, especially since the space they inhabit suffers from oppression and discrimination, which makes single-national activism the norm. We are dedicated to maintaining a shared safe space.

As part of the group’s research into existing Jaffa initiatives, the third and fourth sessions included introductory presentations by representatives from different organizations who shared their projects:

• Khadijeh Dasuki, leader of “Arous Elbahar,” presented her NGO dedicated to promoting Arabic women in Jaffa.
• Abeer Shehab presented the “Dantil” organization, representing women in Jaffa who work in female associated crafts.
• Rachel Beitarie presented “Zochrot,” an organization that raises awareness of the Nakba and the Palestinian right of return among Jewish-Israeli Public.
• Ronny Kauffman, Ufuq Yaffa member, presented “Kulna Yaffa” – opposing Amidar )a state-owned housing company(evictions of locals.
• Gabi Abeed presented the “Rabita,” The Association for the Arabs of Jaffa.
• Amoneh Asfour presented 2 educational organizations: “Hand in Hand,” a formal bi-lingual Jaffa elementary school, and “Sadaka-Reut,” an informal bi-national educational youth facility.
• In upcoming sessions, our group facilitators, Ibrahim and Rachel will each present their own projects: Rachel will introduce “The Streets of Yaffa,” in which activists revives the old effaced Arabic street names of Jaffa, and Ibrahim will introduce “Jaulat Yaffa,” a guided tour project connecting the Nakba to the violent unrest of May 2021.

After the first 4 sessions, which consolidated the group and educated its members on existing Jaffa initiatives, two major fields emerged as focal points of interest: education and housing.

In housing, the group identified two substantial concerns. The most acute matter is ceasing the eviction of long-time residents, and coming to an agreement with authorities so as to guarantee that no one is thrown out of their home and into the street. At the same time, it is paramount to form future avenues for housing, so that young Palestinian couples can afford to stay in the city, and avoid being pushed out due to soaring prices. In other words, an additional goal is to guarantee accessible housing for veteran residents.

In education, the group addressed both formal and informal platforms, acknowledging that both are essential and complementary in forming a new generation of Jaffa residents who will act to improve the city.

In December, we will hold a weekend seminar for group members in which they will decide on one or several projects on which to focus their efforts. The weekend will take place in Peki’in to allow some reflective distance from Jaffa, and jump start the new phase of activity. Members will have an opportunity to deepen their faith in the group, and receive practical activistic tools on how to get started, recruit the community, and promote change. After the seminar, group members will use their new found knowledge to choose a project in a specific field, and determine an outline for activity, after which they will realize their plan. At this initial stage, the nature of the group’s activity will be determined by that of the project. The School for Peace will continue to provide guidance throughout the process until the project’s completion.

Rachel Hagigi, the SFP appointed Jewish facilitator, added:

“Ufuq Yaffa” is, first and foremost, an activist group, but will continue to thoroughly research the fields in which it acts. In this sense, it is also a research group. I hope that it persists over time, and will continue to function after the initial guided stage. Our goal is to create a group that will consistently respond to the burning topics in Yaffa.”

“Also, we believe that shared discourse is itself a political act,” Rachel said. “Just holding meetings is already an important political move. It allows a deeper understanding of the situation by incorporating different perspectives, thus creating a complete and multifaceted picture of the reality as it is perceived by different participants. This is the spring board from which we leap into action. Although we are a Jewish-Palestinian activist group, we accept that people manifest multiple identities beyond Jewish and Palestinian nationalities, and our goal is that this space allows us to acknowledge the complexity of each individual, and society at large. The idea is to provide an environment where we can examine our identities from a position of strength and confidence, so that we can peel off the layer of hesitance, or survival habits that come with possessing certain identities. The point is precisely to emphasize difference, but from a position of strength. I hope the group can become such an enabling safe space.”

Ibrahim Agbaria, the SFP appointed Palestinian facilitator, spoke about the political importance of the group’s existence, and his personal vision for it:

“The events of May 2021, and the recent national election results, show that we are in the midst of a politically fraught period, that is especially challenging for residents of mixed cities. Shared Palestinian-Jewish action in mixed cities is crucial for achieving justice and equality, and is becoming less and less common. We hope this group can become the cornerstone of a shared activist community in Jaffa, that creates its own content and organized activity, thriving well into the future.”