Jerusalem
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has been operating in Israel since 1982 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
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FNF Jerusalem joining Freedom Games in Poland
It was a great pleasure and honour to organise a panel discussion during the Freedom Games in Lodz, Poland. The Freedom Games conference brings together Liberals from across Europe.
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An Identity Crisis for Israeli Liberals
Since Netanyahu’s religious nationalist government came to power at the end of 2022, the foundations of Israeli democracy have been under attack. Many liberals are calling for the government to resign. The Israel-Gaza war has not only changed the political landscape in Israel, but it also opened up a conflict between liberal individualism and illiberal collectivism. The international community is divided - and Israeli liberals are struggling to find their place.
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Young Palestinian East Jerusalemites in Israeli Academia
A precise analysis of the increasing enrollment of East Jerusalem Palestinian students in Israeli higher education institutions in recent years and examines the impact of the ongoing war on the trend.
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Celebrating International Youth Day
We are pleased to work with the Palestinian Youth Forum for Freedom and Democracy (PYFD) in hosting the conference, "Challenges of Palestinian Youth," held at the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
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From Memory to Action – How to Act when Never Again is Now?
Since the October 7th Hamas terror attacks, the world has been witnessing a new dimension of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiments, which indeed makes us wonder, whether Never Again is not already here and now.
This was one of the main questions in our panel discussion, in collaboration with the Rubinstein Center for Constitutional Challenges at the Reichman University in Herzliya, to which we invited leading thought leaders from Germany, Great Britain and Poland.
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Global Power Shifts
This paper addresses the increasingly close relations between Russia and Iran, particularly since Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine. The new power dynamic is a crucial element in Russia's strategic alignment with systemic partners to redefine the international world order. Specifically, Iran's production and delivery of UAVs in support of Russia's war objectives in Ukraine have shifted the power balance from Iran's weaker position to an exchange now occurring on almost equal footing.
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The Gaza war in a Nutshell
The Hamas terrorist attack on the 7th of October shook Israeli society to its core. After years of failing to negotiate peace, many Israelis settled for security. Now, with neither peace nor security, a divided and traumatized Israel faces its darkest hour. It is still too early to predict how or when the war will end, but certain steps can already be taken to improve the post-war reality.
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Request for Proposal: Research and Conference on East Jerusalem
The Jerusalem office of Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF Jerusalem) needs a service provider to conduct academic research and policy papers analyzing municipal issues and contested political, social and economic challenges existing in Jerusalem, the same as organizing bilateral meetings, a social media campaign and a public conference on developments in East Jerusalem.
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Jerusalem Office is Hiring - Project Assistant
FNF is a creative innovation platform of freedom for society, and its mission is to appeal to specific target audiences interested in liberal solutions who share the core values of the foundation. FNF advises, inspires, and motivates leaders in society, and it creates, builds, and promotes subjects of freedom for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Looking forward to 2024, we are looking to fill another position in our diverse Jerusalem team.
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The Reforming of Netanyahu’s Israel
The Israeli public voted on November 1, for the fifth time in three years for two alternative governments. This time, Netanyahu’s bloc managed to get 64 out of the Knesset’s 120 seats, finally gaining the majority he needed to form a government. Now with a clear majority for his camp, Netanyahu was given the complicated task of forming a government. In the last few months, it became quite clear that these elections will be decided by which bloc has a higher voter turnout, and if they manage to save the smaller parties from disappearing, and thus wasting votes
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The Completion of Israel’s transition to a “Two Bloc System”
Israeli elections are right around the corner, and millions of Israelis are going to vote again on November 1, for the fifth time in three years. Since the Israeli Knesset dissolved on June 30, 2022, little has changed on the Israeli political map. There are still two main blocs, PM Lapid’s diverse liberal “center-left” coalition and former PM Netanyahu’s religious far-right opposition. This “Two Bloc System” is still being challenged by Minister of Defense Benny Gantz, who offers an alternative government that includes parties from both blocs.
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Request for Proposal: 8 Economic Radio Shows
The Jerusalem office of Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom needs a service provider specialized in the socio-economic situation of Palestine, that during the year 2022 can provide a maximum of 8 economic radio shows by inviting high ranking guests and specialists from the economy and entrepreneurship scene. In addition, the service provider should plan, organize the 8 radio shows, prepare and publish those episodes on YouTube and social media.
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Another Round of Early Elections in Israel – How Will it Look?
While United States President Joe Biden was scheduled to meet PM Bennett in Jerusalem, Yair Lapid was already able to show diplomatic qualities on the world stage as new Prime Minister of Israel in his stead. If this government proved more stable, Lapid would have only become Prime Minister next year. Nevertheless, with the Israeli Knesset voting unanimously to disband on June 30, 2022, November 1, 2022, was set as the date for early elections and Lapid became PM.
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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.
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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.
Social Media
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We are excited to invite you to a symposium on the occasion of the publication of a research on *"Tradition, Crisis, and Renewal in East Jerusalem Society" by Dr. Amnon Ramon, which we advanced together with our partner @מכון ירושלים למחקרי מדיניות - Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research When? Thursday, November 28th, 2024, 17.00-19.30 Where? Jerusalem Institute For Policy Research, Radak Street 20, Jerusalem What? The symposium is devoted to the deep societal transformations the Palestinian Arab population of East Jerusalem has been undergoing in recent years. In the first part we will analyze the impact of these processes on the Palestinian society in the different neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. In the second part of our symposium, we tackle the question, how these internal social changes can be integrated into policies tailored to the diverse population segments of East Jerusalem in areas such as employment, social services, higher education, and more. See enclosed a detailed program. For registration follow the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczN_tmxeiqrct_-PcW-IxCO2M8EmGiSKJH0Z7glR69mgAyQA/viewform
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Strengthening Journalism in Palestine with the “Daqeeq” Program. Our partner Wattan Media, through its “Daqeeq – Accurate” project, is empowering Palestinian journalists to verify information, combat misinformation and hate speech, and promote media and digital literacy. By leveraging skilled fact-checkers, the initiative exposes media manipulations and false information, ensuring trustworthy and credible reporting. The project also included a three-day intensive training program for 15 young journalists, enhancing their expertise in professional journalism, source verification, credibility building, and media literacy to help create a more informed and resilient society.
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We had the privilege of convening and hosting members of our ME 2.0 community—comprising Palestinian and Israeli entrepreneurs, business leaders, and young professionals—for a half-day retreat in Jerusalem. The retreat took place at the beautiful Arab-Jewish Cultural Center, Feel Beit (Feel Beit), which provided a welcoming and safe space for meaningful dialogue. We began by checking in with one another, sharing how the ongoing war is affecting us both personally as well as professionally. Together, we exchanged best practices for coping with emotional stress, frustration, and feelings of hopelessness. In the second half of the day, we were honored to host Amira Mohammed and Ibrahim Abu Achmad, founders of the podcast “Unapologetic – The Third Narrative.” These two Palestinian activists explore paths toward reconciliation and peaceful solutions to the war, while delving into Palestinian identity, history and culture. Amira and Ibrahim shared how the events of October 7th and their aftermath have reinforced their conviction that a new, open dialogue about the war is urgently needed. They emphasized the importance of amplifying Palestinian voices in peacebuilding and trust-building efforts. The retreat fostered an intimate and open exchange, offering comfort during these challenging times. It reaffirmed the strength of our small yet resilient community.
