As of the morning of 7 October 2023, the State of Israel is at war with Hamas in Gaza.
The destruction of life and physical property is currently concentrated on Israel’s northern border, in the southern cities, towns and kibbutzim, and in Gaza itself. Jerusalemites – whether Jewish, Christian or Moslem – are not inert to the tragedy, and the circle of those with families and loved ones who are either dead or missing is ever growing. Preventing the spread of violence to the City of Jerusalem is now an international priority.
JICC’s primary role, in peace and in times of crisis is to take proactive, preventative steps that reduce friction and escalation in Jerusalem, including in the Old City and along the ‘seam line’, so that residents from all communities can live and thrive in dignity.
It is clear that the long-term negative effects of the war will continue to be felt in Jerusalem for years to come; the basic conditions for truly shared society in our city have been challenged to their core by the war. Every effort must be made to enable residents to carry out their lives as peacefully, independently and as uninterrupted as possible. This will reduce escalation and restore calm.
Of the 200,000+ Israelis who have been displaced by the war, Jerusalem has received over 15,000 residents of southern and northern Israel. Countless others have their lives in upheaval.
JICC’s Emergency Response to the War
JICC’s work, by its nature, is preventative and therefore the organization’s mission aligned immediately with the ‘war effort’. JICC’s network of volunteers, social media outlets, and communication channels are all relevant assets that are being utilized by staff to improve resilience and reduce escalation.
Mini-Active: 2,000 women volunteers spread across 16 East Jerusalemite neighborhoods are identifying impediments to normal functioning: access for children (including with special needs) and teachers to schools, public transport, hazards and hygiene such as garbage collection, and basic access to medical facilities. These needs are communicated to the municipality and the IDF Home Command in real time. This enables residents to carry out their lives as peacefully and independently thereby reducing friction. The network is also holding video conferences and in person workshops to provide women with a safe space to discuss and process unique stressors resulting from the war. These include: lack of shelters, heavy police presence in neighborhoods, lack of food, lack of income, and widespread unemployment.
Atta’a Center: Atta’a – dedicated to assisting East Jerusalemite Arabs access their basic social rights – quickly moved to a hybrid model and continued to provide rights literacy and services to East Jerusalemites over video conference, telephone calls, and through social media. Responsiveness from government agencies (such as the courts, Ministry of Labor, National Insurance Institute and most municipal offices) is low due to the war. Emergency resources, have enabled Atta’a to also provide rights-based assistance to East Jerusalemites in the fields of labor law (as many people been laid off, furloughed or replaced due to the war), through the provision of legal aid and rights awareness clips. In addition, Atta’a is addressing urgent problems preventing East Jerusalemites from reaching hospitals, lack of medication in local pharmacies, and lack of support services for elderly.
Ultra-Orthodox: JICC has linked with Sisters of Steel, a grass-roots initiative of over 1,000 ultra-orthodox Jewish women who are providing support to war evacuees and their families, spouses of reserve soldiers that have been drafted, and vulnerable ultra-orthodox residents who are not connected to mainstream digital media. JICC is helping the volunteers to be more effective and sustainable. On 28 October, JICC assisted the women to organize and run a video conference attended by 1,200 volunteers. It included a motivational talk by the organization’s founder, a conversation with a psychologist about the dangers of secondary trauma, prayer and song sessions, and an update about volunteer activities and impact.
Shared Spaces: When the war broke out, incidents of skirmishes between Arab and Jewish Jerusalemites soon followed, primarily on the ‘Seam Line’ connecting eastern and western parts of the city. JICC soon identified the need for open and effective communication channels between community centers located along the seam line, and for security personnel patrolling these areas to receive training so that they can provide both a sense of security to residents and act in real time to prevent escalation using non-violence means. JICC is now actively recruiting volunteers to this initiative, and partners include JICC, the Israel Association of Community Centers, the urban clinic at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem Innovation Team, local activists, and the Centers of Social Justice. JICC also forwarded a letter – signed by 50+ Jerusalemite organizations – to Jerusalem Mayor Leon requesting him to reign in Police and amplify voices calling for calm. A list of prominent rabbis signed a letter condemning acts of violence against Arab civilians; this was translated into Arabic and distributed.
Cultural Competence: JICC is running a host of actions to reduce tension in the workplace. These are being provided in local businesses, academic colleges and universities, Jerusalem’s municipal agencies, Hadassah hospitals, Maccabi Health services, and the Science Museum. Our models are nonpolitical and do not seek to change opinions, but rather to impart practical skills that help beneficiaries to successfully manage their multi-cultural work teams. These models were successfully applied during the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest of May 2021, the Judicial Overhaul of 2023 and are relevant now.
