Gaza war undermines social cohesion in Israel's multicultural city of Haifa

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00:00 Every year, Haifa charity Beit Hagafen is marking its 60th anniversary.

00:05 Over the festive period and against a backdrop of the war in Gaza, the coexistence and closeness

00:11 between communities that it promotes has taken on a particular nuance.

00:16 "Jews and Arabs live in Israel.

00:18 That's a fact.

00:19 It's reality.

00:20 I think that the identity of all those who live here has become more complex over the

00:24 last two months.

00:25 Whether you're a Jew, Arab, Muslim or Christian, all our identities have been put to a harsh

00:31 test.

00:32 I think that there are a lot of questions but that there are also answers."

00:38 For Beit Hagafen, those answers include talking, exchanging views and culture.

00:44 One example is this family musical.

00:46 In the audience, Jews, Christians and Muslims like Fadi, who's sad that moments like this

00:52 are increasingly rare.

00:55 "I am 40 years old and 20 years ago there were plenty of events like this between Arabs

01:02 and Jews.

01:03 I took part when I was at school.

01:05 In my building there are both Jews and Arabs.

01:07 I have Jewish friends and I work with a lot of Jews.

01:10 We live together."

01:11 Haifa is a bubble of coexistence, earning a reputation for such across Israel.

01:19 But the balance here is a delicate one.

01:21 The town saw ethnic rioting in May 2021.

01:25 The Arabs who agreed to talk to us all wanted to show their loyalty to Israel, as if they

01:30 had something to prove.

01:32 "Of course I feel Israeli all the time because I was born under this flag.

01:39 I grew up in Israel.

01:41 I have an Israeli ID card and passport.

01:43 I feel completely Israeli."

01:48 Off camera though, they're more circumspect, telling us of a sense of mistrust from Jews,

01:53 even as Hamas views them as traitors to the Palestinian cause.

01:58 The mayor of Haifa understands the dilemma.

02:01 Today she's being interviewed by Israeli television, following the death of four soldiers

02:05 from Haifa in Gaza.

02:07 Elected on a Labour Party platform in 2018, Inat Kalash Rotem has long believed of a particular

02:14 challenge in maintaining the social fabric in Israel - economic inequality.

02:19 Official figures show that Jewish households have an income on average 51% higher than

02:24 Arabic ones.

02:26 Since the war broke out though, the danger now comes from hatred and fear.

02:30 "We are going to do everything in our power, despite the government, to make sure that

02:37 we continue to live here together.

02:39 There was a survey a few weeks ago asking the Arab population in Israel and 70% said

02:47 that they are with Israel, they stand with Israel.

02:50 There's no question with whom they identify."

02:52 Perhaps for the mayor.

02:55 But another survey has shown that 90% of Jews expect violent clashes between the respective

03:01 communities in the near future, with 70% of Arabs saying the same thing.

03:06 Over the holiday season this year, the annual festivities where Haifa's Jews, Christians

03:11 and Muslims mingle and meet have been cancelled amid security concerns.

03:16 In a country at war, and in a society ever drifting towards the political right and ever

03:22 extreme political discourse, Haifa's multicultural existence appears almost as a flickering light

03:28 in darkness, one its residents hope won't be snuffed out.

03:32 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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