The Center for Jewish-Arab Economic Development (CJAED), located in Herzliya Pituach, Israel, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 1988 by Ms. Sarah Kreimer and a coalition of Jewish and Arab businesspeople.""New Israel Fund (NIF) Grantees" New Israel Fund" CJAED works to promote Jewish-Arab economic cooperation as well as develop a thriving Arab sector in order to establish peace, prosperity and economic stability in Israel and the region. The center's main premise is that Israel's primary resource is its people, therefore a vibrant and stable economy requires an integrated society."About CJAED, CJAED" In 2010, CJAED was recognized as one of the "Ten Top Israeli Business Ventures" that promote peace in the Middle East."Koosterman, K. 2009, "Ten Top Israeli Business Ventures That Inspire Peace in the Middle East" Israel21c"
Background Israeli-Arabs constitute 20% of Israel's 7.4 million citizens, yet remain largely socially and economically disadvantaged with limited access to business credit, skills training, and marketing opportunities."2006, "Statistics Report: Less Enlisting to Army" Ynet News" According to a 2007 study, 56% of Israeli-Arabs lived under the poverty level IN 2006"2007 "Report: Poverty among Arab population growing" Ynet News in comparison to 17% of Israeli-Jews."2007 "Report: Poverty among Arab population growing" Ynet News
Israel has the highest poverty rate among the other OECD member nations, which affects Israeli Arabs and Haredim (ultra-religious Jews) to the greatest extent."2010, "Economists: Education Israel's home-grown danger," Ynet News" Israeli Arabs have the highest unemployment rates among Israel's minorities and suffer from lower quality of public education. The OECD reports that public spending on education in Arab municipalities is 1/3 less than in municipalities that are predominantly Jewish."2010, "Economists: Education Israel's home-grown danger," Ynet News" Forty-six of the 47 Israeli municipalities with high unemployment rates are populated by Arab-Israelis. These disparities are further exacerbated and perpetuated by the tendency of Arab families to have more children and could be eased by greater female empowerment."Economists: Education Israel's home-grown danger, Ynet News" The average Israeli Arab woman has 4.0 children during her lifetime while Israeli Jews average 2.7."2004, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Retrieved 2009-10-08" As of 2008, only 22% of Israeli Arab women participate in the workforce, in comparison to 71% of Jewish women."Sinair, R. 2008, "Arab Women- The Most Exploited Group in Israeli Workforce" Ha'aretz"
Experts including the Or Commission, Lapid Report, and Shimon Shamir (Former Ambassador and Head of the Institute for Diplomacy and Regional Cooperation) have asserted that the establishment of industrial/employment zones adjacent to Arab towns are key to improving the economic situation by reducing unemployment, facilitating women's entry into the labor market, and increasing municipalities' tax revenues."Shamir, S. "The Arabs in Israel- Two Years After the Or Commission" " Additionally, the Or Commission stated, “In contrast to the past, Arabs should receive significant shares in joint industrial zones with Jewish towns.""Shamir, Sh. "The Arabs in Israel- Two Years After the Or Commission" " According to the Inter-Agency Task Force, opportunities for economic development within the Arab sector have been hampered by the lack of industrial zones, which is also a factor in the low revenue levels among Arab local authorities. As of 2008, 90% of industrial zones in the Galilee region were under the jurisdiction of Jewish local authorities. CJAED is currently addressing this issue by expanding joint Jewish-Arab industrial zones through their Bar Lev and Mevo Carmel projects."2008, "CJAED Hosts IATF in Nazareth" IATF"
The executive director of the center is Mr. Helmi Kittani. In 2009, Mr. Kittani was awarded the New Israel Fund's Human Rights Award."New Israel Fund Press Release, Human Rights Dinner" In 2002, Mr. Kittani and Ms. Kreimer were awarded the Speaker of the Knesset's Quality of Life Award for the organization's efforts in promoting tolerance and coexistence.""News in Brief" Haaretz" In 2009, Kiram Baloum, Director of the Women's Unit, was selected as one of Ha'aretz-The Marker Magazine's Top 40 women "making a change in Israeli society""Blackburn, N. 2007 "Altering the future of Israeli Arab women - One At a Time", Israel21c" and Ynet included Jasmine among the "Top 12 Social Projects of 2006.""Blackburn, N. 2007 "Altering the future of Israeli Arab women - One At a Time", Israel21c"
Units
Business Unit & Sulam Loan Fund The Sulam Loan Fund, the main initiative within the Business Unit, was founded in 2004 in order to provide urgently required credit for small businesses under Arab or joint Jewish-Arab ownership. The fund is a joint partnership between CJAED, UJA-Federation of NY, Mercantile Discount Bank, Olivestone Trust, and large private donors. Over the past five years, loan funds in Israel have become an emerging strategy for Jewish Federations to provide resources for economic development, regional growth, and the creation of much-needed new jobs."2009,"Groundbreaking Jewish-Arab Loan Fund" Jewish in St. Louis" Within this partnership, CJAED guarantees 50% of the loan to facilitate access to credit for entrepreneurs who do not have sufficient collateral including small individually or family-run enterprises, innovative businesses, women entrepreneurs and young business owners.""Sulam Loan Fund" CJAED" It is the first loan fund to specialize in Israel's Arab sector and has assisted in the disbursement of 279 loans totaling $6.4 million since 2004. Loan sizes vary from $10,000 - $38,000 with the average loan summing to $23,000.""Sulam Loan Fund" CJAED" The loans are granted for long-term periods - up to 5 years.""Sulam Loan Fund" CJAED"
In 2009, 45% of the loans were for business creation and 55% for expansion. Examples for businesses that received a loan are restaurants, a cosmetics and hair care business and more.""Sulam Success Stories" CJAED" Sulam Fund has also enabled 104 women to create or expand their businesses with approximately $2 million of credit. Recent increases in the size of fund's collateral pool has enabled more loans to be approved by 43 of Mercantile Discount bank's branches.""CJAED 2009 Annual Report", CJAED"
On July 1, 2009, CJAED and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung hosted the 4th Annual "Jewish-Arab" Business Conference at the Dan Acadia Hotel in Herzliya. The conference, entitled "Economic Opportunities in Times of Crisis" featured both Jewish and Arab speakers who addressed the effect of the 2008 financial crisis and the consequences for Israel's Arab communities and businesses. Speakers included Avishay Braverman, Minister of Minority Affairs, Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal, Head of the EU Delegation to Israel, and Aiman Saif, Director of the Authority for the Economic Development of the Arab, Druze and Circassian Sectors.""CJAED 2009 Annual Report", CJAED"
The Business Unit is led by Mr. Tarek Bashir, an attorney""About CJAED", CJAED" and a member of the advising committee of the Prime Minister's Office Authority for the Economic Development of the Arab Druze and Circassian Sectors.
Women's Empowerment Unit & Jasmine The Women's Empowerment Unit provides Jewish and Arab Israeli female entrepreneurs with skills training, consulting, and networking advice to build and strengthen their businesses. Jasmine: the Association of Businesswomen in Israel was launched in September 2006"Wrobel, S. 2006, "Jewish & Arab women unite in the spirit of entrepreneurship" Jerusalem Post" as a result of research surveying 400 women with businesses in Israel and 13 organizations that work for the economic empowerment of women. The main findings of this research suggest the greatest need among women in business was for greater information, advocacy and national representation, and access to credit and other forms of finance.""Jasmine," CJAED" Ofra Strauss, Director of the Strauss Group, is the President of Jasmine and Kiram Baloum is the Director of the unit."2009, "Women: Breaking Business Barriers," Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung" In 2009, Jasmine launched the Jasmine Portal (www.jasmine.org.il), a sophisticated tri-lingual resource that functions as a virtual ‘hub’ and online marketing tool for businesswomen from a crosssection of fields and from all communities in Israel. In 2009, the first fifty businesswomen built websites through the Jasmine portal.""CJAED 2009 Annual Report", CJAED"
In November 2009, CJAED organized its 11th annual Jewish-Arab Businesswomen's Conference. This conference entitled “Women: Breaking Business Barriers” included speakers from both Jewish Arab sectors and discussed the tools accessible to women for promoting and development their businesses as well as the challenges and effects of the current global economic situation."2009, "Women: Breaking Business Barriers," Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung" Jasmine's President Ofra Strauss said with respect to the Jasmine Portal that “the Jasmine Portal will enable more women to realize their potential, earn a living and provide for their families. It offers them a site where they can find interesting issues and challenges while earning recognition for their successes.""Altering Jasmine Portal empowering women in business, CJAED" As of 2010, the Women's Unit has trained over 1,200 women leading to the establishment or expansion of 600 businesses."2010, "Jewish & Arab women unite in the spirit of entrepreneurship" The Jerusalem Post"
Asalla Natural Desert Products is a group business entrepreneurship project formed by 8 Bedouin women from the village of Tel Sheva in the Negev. Within Tel Sheva, unemployment and crime are high and there is little urban or industrial infrastructure."2007, "Israel's Bedouin women turn desert plants into skin remedies" Israel21c.org" In 2005 the group took part in a course, which was planned and executed by CJAED in collaboration with the local community center and the Tel Sheva Local Municipal Council. This course promoted personal empowerment and professional training, delving deeply into the subject of traditional medicine and healing by use of plants and herbs. Tel Sheva and Jasmine together built a program to develop the business with the hope of creating an herbal medicine and cosmetics chain based on their age-old Bedouin traditions and techniques. Each businesswomen was given a 20,000 shekel loan from the CJAED Sulam Loan Fund."2009, "Asalla's Approval from the Ministry of Health" CJAED" The plants required for the products are currently picked by the group in unprotected desert regions. In the later stages, following negotiations with the Ministry of Agriculture, the company will be given land on which they can grow the plants. The Asala initiative has a planned line of 24 desert cosmetic products for the face and body, six of them (a facial cream for nurturing dry, regular and oily skin, and a cleansing cream for the three skin types) already received the Ministry of Health's approval and another 3 are in development stages. The products being developed are designed for care of complexion and beauty and for treating various skin problems. Asala products will be found in leading stores throughout Israel."2009, "Asala's Approval from the Ministry of Health" CJAED"
Joint Jewish-Arab Employment Zones