As a part of its International Advocacy mission, the Mossawa Center sent an official letter to President Barack Obama as his visit to Israel approaches, emphasizing   key points for his attention in relation to the Arab minority in Israel.

Mossawa, Haifa 20.3.13.  President Barack Obama, who is due to land Wednesday afternoon at Tel Aviv airport for a three day visit to Israel and Palestine, will be addressing issues that are expected to focus on Iran, Syria, and the Israeli Palestinian conflict.  The President will also travel to Ramallah to meet with President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian leaders.  Moreover, as part of his visit, the President will deliver his keynote speech to an invited audience of University students and political actors at the International Convention Centre in Jerusalem this Thursday. 

As a part of its international advocacy work and US advocacy efforts, the Mossawa Center sent a letter to the US State Department and the US Ambassador to Israel addressed to Barack Obama stressing the importance of issues that are key points to the self determination and welfare of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel.  The Center requested that Obama address the following issues during his visit. These include 1) the self determination of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel 2) the implications of defining Israel as a Jewish State on the Palestinian Arab minority, 3) racism towards the Arab minority and other ethnic communities, 4) the marginalization of the Arab minority in regards to the state budget, and 5) the Prawer Plan which will lead to the dispossession of land by tens of thousands of Bedouin inhabitants in the Negev region.

The Mossawa Center stresses that these issues are critical to the Arab minority and President Obama's attention to the Arab minority's narrative will encourage a shared future in Israel.