On April 23, a group consisting of hundreds of Jewish and Arab Israelis will gather for the 12th consecutive year under the auspices of the nonprofit association Together Beyond Words to commemorate Nakba Day, Independence Day and Memorial Day for Israel's fallen soldiers (which actually falls on April 22). This year, they will gather in the joint Jewish-Arab community of Neveh Shalom to “mark and respect the pain and loss on both sides and facilitate shared independence,” as the organizers said.
It seems that the event carries a special meaning this year. The rift between Jews and Arabs has widened and the sense of alienation has increased. In tandem, two interesting trends are taking place in Arab Israeli society. One group feels utterly despaired and disheartened by the possibility of a shared life and coexistence with Jewish society. The other, apparently smaller, group claims that people must rise above the political slogans, do some soul-searching and find a way for Arab Israeli society to become closer to the Jewish community while blurring the tensions.
