RLF in Israel

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation is committed to
democracy and civic participation based on values like
solidarity, social justice, non-violence and peaceful
international cooperation. Its Tel Aviv office, established
in March 2009, works in the framework of German and
Israeli laws. It intends to support activities of Israeli nongovernmental
organizations in the following areas:

• Civic education and culture
• Higher education and research
• Communal activities
• Strengthening civil society and democratic participation
• Human and civil rights
• Protection of the environment.

RLF activities in Israel take place in the context of German-Jewish and German-Israeli relations. Consequently, the office works mainly on the following three levels:

1 - Providing information on German history, culture and policy in Israel
The RLF office in Israel promotes efforts to deepen the relations between Germany and Israel as well as between the European Union and Israel. It informs the Israeli public about historical and actual political and social developments in Germany and Europe. Respective activities are held in the field of public education and include conferences, public meetings and dialogue between various population groups at different levels.

2 - Supporting Israeli civil society by cooperating with local NGOs
As an organization that stands for democratic values, solidarity and the peaceful settlement of conflicts, the support of Israeli civil society is one of RLF’s core objectives. In cooperation with local NGOs, the RLF office in Israel promotes and supports projects aimed at the integration of minorities, conflict prevention and non-violent conflict management. The contractual partners of RLF in Israel are grassroots movements, feminist organizations, universities, organizations promoting minority rights and others. Together with them, the Foundation seeks to bridge gaps, to promote mutual understanding and tolerance, reduce stereotypes, and foster positive inter-group attitudes. Especially the inner-Israeli Jewish-Arab dialogue, but also the empowerment of women and the promotion of young leaders are important tasks on the way to strengthen the democratic structures of Israeli society.

3 - Promoting realistic and comprehensive knowledge of Israel in Germany
The legacy of the Holocaust requires intensive study and debate on the darkest chapter in German and Jewish history. The RLF attaches particular importance to increasing awareness of the Holocaust among younger Germans and to the resolute fight against all kinds of anti-Semitism in Germany and Europe. In addition, the RLF in Tel Aviv wants to inform the German public about the complexity of Israeli social and political reality, the multi-faceted Israeli society and the difficult Israeli-Palestinian relations. It considers an objective and future-oriented dialogue between Germans and Israelis to be essential.