Visit to the Israeli youth organisation CYMI in Tel Aviv
DBJR
An important part of the programme was a visit to a local branch of the Hebrew Scouts, where the participants were able to get to know the activities and commitment of the young people there. Further discussions took place at the Ihud Haklai Youth Movement, where three young volunteers who were involved in their "service year" before military service shared their experiences. They discussed how young people in Israel become active in youth movements, what role these movements play during military service and how young people continue to get involved in society after their time in the army.
Another highlight was the exchange at the Arab-Jewish Community Centre in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, which has served as a safe space for more than 3,000 people from the Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities since 1993. Programmes to promote understanding and tolerance are offered here, including learning groups, cultural events and youth encounters. This intercultural work was emphasised as an important contribution to promoting social cohesion within Israel's diverse society.
In discussions with the youth movements HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (No'al), Scouts and Bnei Akiva, the diversity of youth movements in Israel was discussed and how they can work together despite political differences. Another focus was on educational work in a society characterised by ethnic and religious diversity.
The visit to the Massuah International Institute for Holocaust Studies offered deeper insights into the exhibition "Hate Industry - Antisemitism, Racism, Prejudice - the Past Hundred Years". This shed light on the danger of hate speech and propaganda, in particular the role of the mass media in the emergence of racist and anti-Semitic movements. Another item on the programme was the "Local Testimony" exhibition at the Tel Aviv Museum, which dealt with the significance of documentary photography as an expression of local reality. The group also visited Hostage Square, a central meeting place for the families of the hostages of 7 October and their supporters.
The group also experienced a demonstration, in which many youth movements also took part, to draw attention to the problems of crime within the Arab population groups and the apathy and agitation on the part of the Israeli government.
Dr Hadas Aron gave a lecture on the current challenges for democracy in Israel and Europe, focusing in particular on the planned judicial reform in Israel before 7 October 2023 and the resulting mass protests, which were also the subject of the last meeting in Tel Aviv in 2022.
A highlight of the trip was celebrating Shabbat together with the Israeli partners and their families and friends, which led to an in-depth and personal exchange.
The visit to the Israeli Youth Council is an expression of a long-standing and trusting partnership between the Israeli Youth Council and the German Federal Youth Council - a friendship that began in 1970 with the first official delegation from Israel and has grown steadily ever since. A return visit by CYMI to Germany is planned for the future in order to continue and deepen the exchange.