Mike Prashker, at The Blogs

Oct 28, 2022, 6:39 PM

The not-so-subtle racism of Jewish exceptionalism

Jewish-Israelis and Jews everywhere committed to the core democratic and Jewish values of human dignity and social justice for all, rightly tremble in trepidation. We are appalled at the prospect of unprecedented electoral success for the “Religious Zionist” party in...

Jul 24, 2021, 9:29 PM

Featured Post

The deed shapes the heart – and reduces prejudice

We can change people's minds by changing their behavior, because changed behavior changes minds

May 21, 2021, 6:08 PM

Strong webs of shared Israeli citizenship

Just a week ago, with the missiles beginning to fly between Gaza and Israel and violence erupting between Jewish and Arab mobs on Israel’s streets, I described my “Vision of Victory”. I urged everyone committed to building a more successful...

May 14, 2021, 4:49 PM

Picture of Victory

Everyone is talking about “Pictures of Victory”. That's mine --- accompanying this piece. Taken not very long ago in the town of Lod, the epicentre of our beloved country’s current catastrophe. The town of Lod, Israel’s back-yard; ten minutes drive and...

Apr 12, 2021, 7:08 AM

They Will Unite Us

Three months after a mob of ultra-nationalists stormed the United States Capitol, six ultra-nationalists took their wrongful places in the Knesset. While the iconography of their battle flags differs, the message is the same: If you think, look, pray, and...

Feb 18, 2021, 7:45 PM

Cancel the ‘Covid-Games’!

It comes as no surprise that the Covid pandemic has placed significant strain on the already frayed fabric of Israeli society, as it has on most others around the globe. True, there have been some positives. Two prominent examples are...

Feb 2, 2021, 5:17 PM

Jewish space lasers — as funny as blood-libels

I like to think I can take a joke and find no pleasure in spoiling a good one. That said, I feel strongly (I surprised myself at quite how strongly) that Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene's "Jewish space laser" conspiracy...

Jan 31, 2020, 8:13 AM

A Hug for Israel’s Arab Citizens

I have worked for over 25 years to strengthen the cohesion of Israeli society based on meaningful shared citizenship. This work is grounded on my personal, Jewish-Zionist, civic and democratic world-view. Accordingly; I want to extend a warm hug...

Nov 2, 2018, 4:09 PM

‘Growing Up’ in Beit Shemesh, Lakiya and Haifa?

The lead-up to Tuesday's municipal elections was very depressing for all those working to promote a more mature democratic culture. Such a culture is the bedrock of a more cohesive society, improving the prospects for a better shared future...

Oct 18, 2018, 11:55 PM

Too Bad: A Tough Zionist Argument Just Got Tougher

Beyond the needless hurt it has caused Israel’s Arab-Palestinian citizens (one in five Israelis) and the harmful setback to building a more cohesive society, the recently legislated Nation-State Law has made an already tough-to-win Zionist argument tougher still. From...

About Me

Mike Prashker is an Israeli educator, social entrepreneur, writer and public speaker. He founded MERCHAVIM - The Institute for the Advancement of Shared Citizenship in Israel in 1998 www.machon-merchavim.org.il and directed the NGO for 17 years before joining the Board of Directors. In 2014 Mike was appointed Senior Adviser for Strategic Partnerships at The Ted Arison Family Foundation where he is leading social cohesion initiatives, including "The Social Cohesion Leadership Program". Prashker’s book "A Place for Us All - Social Cohesion and the Future of Israel" (Alouette 2017) is published in a single volume in Hebrew, Arabic and English www.aplaceforusall.org. The book aims to contribute to the promotion of social cohesion by providing a precise definition, identifying geo-political, social and economic conditions conducive to its promotion and presenting a range of strategic initiatives for its practical advancement in Israel. While acknowledging Israeli society is in democratic crisis and at a critical cross-roads between accommodation and fragmentation, it also offers an optimistic re-assessment of the historical trajectory of Israeli democracy and inter-community relations.

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