YINZ/YIDZ

The Jerusalem Post reports on a new loan program for small businesses that promote Jewish-Arab coexistence in certain regions around Israel:

The Jewish-Arab Employment Zone Loan Fund is meant to give Israeli Arab business owners "the support to develop their businesses, create economic development and employment with a hope to fortify Jewish-Arab relations and build strong and stable communities in various regions of Israel," according to a statement this week from the United Jewish Communities (UJC), which is spearheading the project.

The UJC is working with the Jewish Agency for Israel on the fund. From the UJC:

One of the 15 projects supported by the Social Venture Fund, the Jewish-Arab Employment Zone Loan Fund is designed to give Israeli-Arab entrepreneurs the support to develop their businesses, create economic development and employment, fortify Jewish-Arab relations and build strong and stable communities in key regions of Israel. Those regions include Yokneam/Megiddo (Mevo Carmel) and Carmiel and the neighboring Arab town (Bar Lev) in Northern Israel and Lehavim, the Bnei Shimon Regional Council and the Bedouin town of Rahat in Southern Israel.

Karmiel, obviously, is one of Pittsburgh's sister-regions in the JAFI Partnership 2000 program. Because Karmiel is a "mixed city," with  large Jewish and Arab populations, it is a focal point of efforts to promote coexistence.

One of the biggest proponents of coexistence efforts is the Abraham Fund Initiatives. When President and CEO Ami Nahshon came to Pittsburgh earlier in the summer, he told The Chronicle that economic initiatives would go a long way toward improving the relationship between the Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel:

“If the Israeli economy more fully utilized and integrated the Arab community, that would make a huge difference in Israel’s gross domestic product and Israel’s economic self-sufficiency."