Jerusalem
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has been operating in Israel since 1983 and began its Palestinian work in 1994. With an Israeli-Palestinian team in a joint office in Jerusalem the foundation aims to be a platform of innovation for enhancing freedom in society, strengthening dialogue with the European Union and contributing to the advancement of Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. Together with our partners, we want to strengthen liberal values like the rule of law, respect of human dignity with civil and human rights, market economy principles and entrepreneurship and a democratic culture of tolerance and pluralism.
News
-
Israeli Government Loses Majority: One Final Crack in an Already Fragile Coalition?
On June 13, 2021, the current Israeli government was formed in hopes of ending a political crisis that had dragged Israel through four national elections in two years. After less than a year, this government has lost its slim majority of 61 of the 120 seats in parliament and has shrunk to 60 seats. This means that the coalition's ability to pass legislation has weakened.
-
Voices from Israel: Regional Impact of the Russian War in Ukraine
On February 24, 2022, the invasion of Ukraine ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin began. The actions of the State of Israel since then have been like walking a tightrope: On the one hand, it has joined a condemnation of Russia's actions by the United Nations General Assembly; on the other, it has not joined Western sanctions. It provides humanitarian aid but excludes arms deliveries.
-
Between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem: An Overview of LGBT+ Life in Israel
In 2018, Benjamin Netanyahu wrote that he was proud to be the Prime Minister of a country which “consistently upholds civil equality and civil rights of all its citizens regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation”. He did so in a letter to the World Congress for GLBT Jews after they accused him of “attracting international gay tourism in the country at the same time they discriminate their own LGBTQ citizens”.
-
Israel's Bennett-Lapid Government is a Victory for Democracy
The new and most ideologically diverse government in the history of Israel does not raise high expectations. It seems neither Left nor Right expect paradise from a coalition built on so much compromise. Yet to the polarized political climate of recent years, this is revolutionary. Only a month ago Israel faced one of the worst eruptions of communal violence in years.
-
Gateway to the World - Jerusalem Airport 1948-1967
The exhibition “Gateway to the World: Jerusalem Airport 1948-1967" is dedicated to the golden age of the now-defunct Jerusalem Airport and sheds light on its pivotal role in the economic and social life of Jordanian Jerusalem. The juxtaposing of historic and contemporary images, “then" vs. "now”, featuring photos taken from various sources - including the family archive of Dr. Mohammad Al-Qutob and the images by photographer Arik Shraga.
-
The Illusion of Peace without the Palestinians Is Fading
Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the Islamic Jihad so far holds after more than 4,000 rockets at Israel, with 12 dead, according to Israeli sources, and Israeli air strikes on more than 800 targets in the Gaza Strip, with more than 240 dead, according to Palestinian sources. Military experts believe that Israel achieved in one week as many tactical objectives in Gaza with targeted air strikes, as it did in seven weeks of a costly ground offensive in 2014.
-
Israel One to Four: 1 Deadlock, 2 Years, 3 Lockdowns, 4 Elections
On the night of the 22nd of December 2020, the Knesset (Israeli parliament) disbanded, sending Israel to early elections only 9 months after its last. This will be the fourth round of Israeli elections in just two years, and according to current polls even a fifth round might be around the corner.
Social Media
-
1
Nitzan Amit, another participant in our "Liberalism vs Populism: How can liberals win" seminar, was also very impressed. This is what he had to say: "Never before did I see such quality in a seminar. All sessions about Liberal ideology and the challenges of Populism were fascinating. But the most impressive were the participants! Everyone came from so many countries, all so talented, all so nice, and all so liberal!" Thank you for enriching our seminar experience Nitzan! #fnfjerusalem #IAF
-
143
Earlier this month, we sent Ghadeer Saleh to our International Academy for Leadership (IAF) in Gummersbach, Germany. Here is what she had to say about our "Liberalism vs Populism: How can liberals win" seminar: "It was a unique experience for me that opened the way for me to learn about many different themes, ideas, cultures and nationalities, that diversity created a space for healthy and sound discussion and enabled me to communicate and express without restrictions." Thank you Ghadeer for taking part in this shared experience! #fnfjerusalem #IAF
-
6
Our partner Wattan Media kicked off their training of young Palestinian female journalists as part of our joint project “Leaders for Tomorrow”. We try to support a more entrepreneurial and social spirit among young people by providing a free and safe platform to share entrepreneurial stories in a digital world. Wattan hosted 15 young female journalists from various Palestinian governorates for training focusing on social entrepreneurial journalism in order to emphasize its importance and its role in Palestine’s economic growth. The young journalists get involved in practical trainings and capacity building on social entrepreneurship journalism, citizens journalism, media ethics and standards, human rights and storytelling over a period of three days. This training will support the production of “Leaders for Tomorrow”, which is a series of documentaries that will present inspiring stories about youths’ achievements and success stories in multiple fields. Especially in such sad days after the death of the famous Palestinian journalist and reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, we need to even further strive to support media freedom, freedom of information and supporting journalists themselves to provide their service to the whole population. For the full Wattan video, follow the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNOpOVlByQ0
