“In these tense times, when Israeli reality appears to be dividing and separating its citizens and residents, the city of Haifa continues to foster an identity of tolerance and values of coexistence.” This was how the Jewish-Arab Beit Hagefen Cultural Center described the Haifa Story Festival, a beacon of coexistence among the Mediterranean coastal city’s mixed population.

The eighth edition of the festival, held on Nov. 1-5, was themed “identity activism in Haifa.” It was open to all and free of charge, featuring such diverse activities as a tour of Haifa’s gay community, a screening of the film “A Trumpet in the Wadi,” which deals with Arab-Jewish relations (after Sami Michael’s novel), and a session on Ethiopian cuisine. Other performances and lectures dealt with identity on a more political level, such as the lecture titled “Who’s Afraid of Palestinian Identity?”

The festival’s promotional material stated clearly that it was being funded by the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and Galilee and was intended for residents of Haifa’s disadvantaged and peripheral communities.

Apart from the Ministry of Culture, various other ministries provide funding for culture and arts events relevant to the ministries’ focus. The commitment to fund the Haifa Story Festival, as well as its nature and diverse programs, were agreed on months in advance. However, on the day before the opening, the ministry informed festival organizers and the Haifa municipality that it was withdrawing its support. Haaretz reported that officials cited the fact that the festival was open to all and not just to residents of peripheral neighborhoods. The organizers decided not to protest the decision publicly and to hold the festival as planned.