Galilee Society Newsletter - Issue 21

1. The Galilee Society Newsletter
In This Issue: Issue 21, August 2006
• Arab Population in Northern Israel
Suffers Heavy Losses in Israel’s • Women in Science
War in Lebanon
• The Galilee Society Sets up Crisis • New, Free Way to Give to the
Center Galilee Society!
• The Galilee Society Tours the • Other News in Brief and How to
United States Donate
Arab Population in Northern Israel Suffers Heavy
Losses in Israel’s War in Lebanon
For the past four weeks, the population of northern
Israel has suffered the consequences of Israel’s war
against Hizbollah forces in southern Lebanon. The
war has taken its toll on both parties and although
far fewer civilians have been killed and displaced in
Israel than in Lebanon, the psychological and
economic toll is nevertheless great. All aspects of
life have been disrupted in northern Israel as people
in the region take refuge in shelters.
Under heavy Israeli bombardment Hizbollah forces
have responded by firing more than 3000 rockets
into northern Israel, killing at least 37 civilians and
injuring many more. Since around 50% of the
population in this part of the country is Arab many
Arab localities have also been bombed and Arab
homes damaged. Many of those killed and injured
by Hizbollah rockets in Israel were also Arabs.
The Arab community in Israel is a relatively
vulnerable population group which has access to far
fewer services than the Jewish majority. In many

2. Arab communities there are, for example, no air raid
sirens or public bomb shelters, and few buildings
even have private shelters or safe rooms. In many
cases, the mayors have asked for these things to be
installed, but the government has ignored their
requests. In Nazareth, the biggest Arab city in Israel,
no air raid sirens were installed until after two young
Arab boys, Rabia and Mohammed Abu Taluzi, were
killed in rocket attacks two weeks ago.
In addition to the loss of life and psychological strain
the situation causes, the economic consequences
are also severe for the disadvantaged Arab minority.
Many are losing income as they are not able to
attend work as usual, and some may even be fired
as a result. Arabs also typically have problems
obtaining compensation from the government for
damaging acts of violence and war, although they
may be affected the same as others.
The Galilee Society Sets up Crisis Center
In response to the war between Israel and Hizbollah,
the Galilee Society has decided to set up an
emergency services center for the underserved Arab
population of northern Israel. This Ataa 48 Crisis
Center is a joint initiative between the Galilee
Society, Adalah, Sawt Elamel, the Arab
Psychological Association in Israel, al-Ahali and
other organizations. The motivation behind setting it
up was that the Arab citizens of Israel continue
receiving inferior care and compensation, despite
being heavily affected by the war.
It is important that social services be made available
specifically for the Palestinian community in Israel,
as they often have different circumstances, linguistic
needs, and other obstacles preventing them for
seeking help from outside sources. In theory, these
services should be provided by the local authorities,
but they severely lack the necessary funding and
training to make this a viable option. The current
emergency conditions, coupled with the lack of a
national center for public information and guidance,

3. creates an urgent need for coordinated efforts to
provide more services.
The Crisis Center set up by the Galilee Society
consists of a crisis call center offering help and
guidance in Arabic. Basic information is available
directly from the emergency operators whereas
more specific questions are referred to one of the
experts constantly on call. Psychologists and social
workers help people deal with the psycho-social
strain of the war, especially the effects on children,
whereas lawyers advise people on such matters as
legal compensation and damages, as well as
employment and worker rights.
The staff and volunteers involved with the Crisis
Center have also conducted field visits to the
villages affected by Hizbollah rocket fire, in order to
gather first hand information about the situation of
the local Arab population. Through these visits
information has been gathered regarding the
material damage caused by the war, allowing those
involved to provide assistance and legal advice
regarding compensation. Visits were also made to
the families of this killed in rocket attacks.
In connection to this project, the Galilee Society is
also running a public awareness campaign in order
to inform Palestinians in Israel about issues of
safety, rights and other critical issues. This will be
done through a variety of media, including a website
set up especially for the information center,
containing guidance, details about the crisis hotline
and other relevant information.
The Galilee Society Tours the United States
On 2-12 June 2006 a tour was conducted in the
United States by Mr. Wael Omary, Chair of the
Board of the Galilee Society, Dr. Basel Ghattas,
General Director of the Galilee Society and Ms.
Riham Barghouti, Coordinator of the Friends of the
Galilee Society. The aim of the tour was to
disseminate information about the work of the

4. Galilee Society and to promote the newly
established Friends of the Galilee Society to garner
membership and advance key projects.
During the tour, a number of gatherings and
meetings were held with Palestinian and other Arab
Americans in six cities in the United States, including
San Jose (CA), Sacramento (CA), San Diego (CA),
Las Vegas (NV), Chicago (IL) and Rockville (MD).
With the assistance of community leaders in each
location, a total of more than 100 people attended
the gatherings, making the tour quite a success.
The gatherings consisted of introductory remarks
made by Mr. Wael Omary, followed by a PowerPoint
Presentation providing a detailed overview of the
work of the Galilee Society since its establishment in
1981, given by Dr. Basel Ghattas. Where possible, a
short film was also shown about Al Maissam – The
Medicinal Plant Center. Brochures about the Friends
of the Galilee Society and about the planned
construction to expand the Galilee Society Main
Office in order to house the Research and
Development Center were also distributed. A plaque
was presented to the event organizers in each city in
appreciation of their efforts.
During the tour, the Friends of the Galilee Society
was able to enroll some new members and create
links with other Arab-American organizations. For
example the Galilee Society’s General Director was
invited to attend the National Arab American Medical
Association (NAAMA) International Convention in
Jordan on 1-6 July 2006. At the end of the tour, the
Board of Directors of the Friends of the Galilee
Society held a meeting to discuss the future
development of the organization.
Preparations are currently underway to organize the
next tour. Tentatively scheduled visits in the fall
include Florida, Michigan, Arizona, North Carolina,
Washington and Massachusetts. The Friends of the
Galilee Society is also in the process of setting up a
website to provide updated information about the

5. Friends of the Galilee Society and how individuals
can become members.
To become a Friend of the Galilee Society, please
contact Ms. Riham Barghouti at rbarghouti@gal-
soc.org and receive your membership materials and
more!
Women in Science
The R&D Center has always made an effort to
provide research opportunities for female scientists,
readily apparent by the number of young female
scientists working at the Center. There are currently
five female junior scientists out of ten total junior
researchers and one female research intern.
Yet, there are concerns about the role of women in
science in the Arab sector of Israel, and the future of
female scientists in the R&D Center in particular.
"We are often asked why we do not have female
PhD students working in the R&D Center," says
Scientific Director, Dr. Isam Sabbah, referring to the
questions asked by various international visitors to
the Center. "I tell them that this is not a case unique
to the Arab sector in Israel. When I was completing
my PhD research in Environmental Engineering at
The Technion Institute in Haifa, there were few
female students in my field and only one female
professor", Dr. Sabbah says. As the trend slowly
shifts to a higher amount of females pursuing
science PhDs, he envisions hiring a female Senior
Researcher. An effort was made in the past, but it
was difficult to find local female candidates that
matched the research needs of the R&D Center. It
was also difficult to channel the resources to hire a
new researcher.
Statistics indicate that there is indeed a very small
pool of candidates. Rikaz, the Galilee Society’s
statistical databank for the Palestinian minority in
Israel, suggests that only 1.5% of Palestinian
women in Israel between 35 and 44 hold a college
degree or above in Engineering, and only 0.9% in

6. the Physical Sciences. No data was collected for the
Biological Sciences in this age group. As a
comparison, 35.8% of women within this age group
hold a college degree or above in Education and
Teacher Training. Although the survey is only a
sample of the Arab population in Israel, it was taken
from a large, representative sample and presents a
fair picture of the size of the R&D Center’s candidate
pool.
When asked for their opinion on why so few women
pursue advanced degrees in the sciences, many of
the young female scientists in the R&D Center
suggested that it is a question of self-selection.
Women tend to prefer a career in a less demanding
field in order to have more time for family life. This
response is not surprising, and could be extended to
most of the world. Susanne Grund, a biologist
researching at the R&D Center from Germany,
suggested that this was certainly the popular belief
in Western Europe. Only one of the current female
researchers, Ahlam Saliba, has children. She
emphasized that it is quite challenging to find a
balance between work and family life.
Apart from the obvious constraints it has for women
with children, Maisa Gamal Haj, a chemical
engineer, suggested that there are misconceptions
associated with science that give the impression that
all sciences are the arena of men. By way of
example, she said that chemical engineering may
require a certain amount of physical strength that
some women may find challenging, and this
becomes generalized to all areas of chemistry and
engineering. Bernadette Soudah-Abou Atta, a food
engineer, also pointed to the difficulty for Arab
citizens, male and female, to find work in advanced
professions in Israel. A PhD does not necessarily
make them more competitive, and may even present
fewer opportunities for finding an appropriate job.
The female scientists in the R&D Center also briefly
discussed why they chose their course of study and
what their future career plans are. Most pursued

7. science because of a genuine interest in their
respective fields (Chemistry, Biochemistry,
Nutritional Science and Environmental Science).
This reply is, of course, coated with a fair amount of
modesty. To pursue higher education in the
sciences, they would also need high scores on their
Bagrut, the Israeli high school matriculation exam.
Because all of the female scientists in the R&D
Center are young, falling in the 25-35 age bracket,
higher education is quite likely. Some even
mentioned going as far as the PhD level in their
current fields. These women recognize that it is
difficult to raise a family and pursue higher science
education. They know that they are adding to their
challenges, not subtracting from them. They are yet
another example of Middle Eastern resilience.
PROFILES:
Maisa Gamal Haj recently received her BSc in
Chemical Engineering from the Technion Institute.
She is currently working for Nano Brachytherapy
Ltd., a start-up company owned by Dr. Sobhi
Basheer, to develop medicine for cancer that will
treat the tumor without affecting other cells in the
human body.
Susanne Grund holds an MSc in Agrobiology from
the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany.
She is working on a research internship with Dr.
Hassan Azaizeh on sustainable fermentation of olive
mill wastewater for small units of production.
Seba Jwabra received her MSc in Medicinal
Chemistry and BSc in Chemistry from Hebrew
University in Jerusalem, Israel. She is currently
researching with Synthatex Fine Chemicals Ltd., a
private company started by Dr. Ahmad Yazbak that
is based in The Galilee Society R&D Center. Jwabra
is involved in preparing isonitrile compounds for use
as building blocks in pharmaceutical chemistry, and
in preparing a small molecular library.

8. Ahlam Saliba studied Chemical Engineering from
the Technion Institute, and is currently completing a
BSc in Biology from Open University (located in
Haifa and Tel Aviv). She is researching with Dr.
Isam Sabbah on wastewater treatment from the
R&D Center' pilot site in Sakhnin. She is also
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working to develop a service lab for chemical and
biological tests for water and wastewater.
Bernadette Soudah-AbouATTA holds a BSc in Food
Engineering and Biotechnology from the Technion
Institute. She is currently researching with Dr.
Bashaar Saad to determine the effect of medicinal
plants on various diseases, including psoriasis.
Ahlam Suleiman recently joined Synthatex Fine
Chemicals Ltd. She received her MSc in Medicinal
Chemistry from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
In addition, the R&D Center supervised Anaheed
Sarawan in her MSc research. Under the
supervision of Dr. Hassan Azaizeh, Dr. Jeries
Jadoun and other researchers, Sarawan
successfully completed her MSc in Microbiology
from Haifa University on bacterial microbes that live
inside the plant tissue of carob trees.
New, Free Way to Give to the Galilee Society!
Now, every time you make an online purchase through
your favorite stores, the Galilee Society can earn up to
26% of your purchase! This is available by using an
exciting service called I Give, a charity portal which
arranges donations from businesses.
How you can be sure the Galilee Society receives a
donation from your usual shopping:
1) Go to www.iGive.com and set up a personal account
(takes just a minute)
2) Set Friends of the Galilee Society as your charity
3) Whenever you do your on-line shopping, make sure

9. you are logged into your I Give account. You can either
log on and click on the stores link from the I Give
website, or you can download a toolbar which will
automatically recognize participating sites!
Additionally, when you shop from E-bay, you can earn a
donation of about 5$ if you sign up for a new e-bay
account through www.igive.com and make a bid on an
item within 30 days.
There are over 600 participating businesses. Purchases
of plane tickets, telephone services, groceries, clothing,
cosmetics, sport equipment, music, hotel reservations,
test preparation courses, office supplies, and more, can
earn donations to the Galilee Society. Stores include: E-
bay, Barnes and Noble, Office Depot, Old Navy, Sprint,
Expedia, Starbucks, The Body Shop, The Wall Street
Journal, Avon, Lancome, and Radisson Hotels. For a full
list, visit http://www.igive.com/html/faqs.cfm
Other News in Brief and How to Donate
NAQAB DEPARTMENT AND THE OPEN UNIVERSITY TO PROVIDE BA
COURSE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR BEDOUIN WOMEN
The Galilee Society Naqab Department recently made an agreement with
the Open University to set up a BA program in special education for
Bedouin women in the Naqab. The aim of this project is to improve the level
of education available for local kindergarten assistants. Twenty-five women,
who previously completed the Galilee Society’s Kindergarten Assistance
course, will take part in the first course which will begin in October.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CENTER TAKES UP CRITICAL SEWAGE
CASE IN TAYBEH
The Galilee Society Environmental Justice Center was recently alerted to
the complete lack of a sewage treatment system in the Arab town of
Taybeh in the center of Israel.
Inadequate sewage facilities are a common problem in Arab towns and
villages in Israel, with sewage regularly flowing in public places, causing
epidemiological diseases, water pollution and environmental degradation.
The situation documented by the Center’s staff during a visit to Taybeh was
critical and worse than the average Arab town.

10. Taybeh, situated approximately 20km from Tel Aviv, is one of the largest
Arab towns in Israel and yet no sewage treatment system has been put in
place. Seeing as Taybeh is surrounded by Jewish towns which all have
appropriate sewage facilities, this constitutes a clear case of discrimination
against the Arab minority in Israel. The Center is therefore initiating a
campaign to pressure the responsible authorities to rectify the problem.
R&D ACTIVITIES
On July 13th, Ken Ferguson, Chair of the US-Israel Binational Science
Foundation (BSF), visited the R&D Center. He was accompanied by
Rosemary Gieseke of the American Embassy in Tel Aviv. According to
Ferguson, he was on a "fact-finding mission" to assess the potential
research contributions Arab scientific research organizations in Israel could
make to the Binational Science Foundation. He selected the R&D Center
for his visit because it is one of two research and development institutes
recognized by the Israeli Ministry of Science that focuses on issues related
to the Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel. The BSF (www.bsf.org.il) was
established in 1972 as a joint initiative of the US and Israeli governments,
to foster scientific collaboration between researchers in both countries. The
visitors toured the R&D Center laboratories, and expressed interest in the
environmental biotechnology research conducted there. Ferguson was
particularly impressed with the R&D Center' innovative wastewater
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treatment research.
On Thursday, June 29th, five members of Ort Braude College in Carmiel,
Israel (http://braude.ac.il) visited the R&D Center. The group included Dr.
Shmaryahu Rozner (President of the College), Dr. Yohanan Arzi (Vice
President of Academic Affairs), Dr. Rosa Azhari (Head of Biotechnology
and Engineering), Mr. Yacoub Al Malech (Head of Ashkolot, R&D Branch of
Ort Braude) and Dr. Ehud Kroll (Head of Mechanical Engineering). The
group discussed forming a strategic partnership with the R&D Center
through joint proposals and adjunct professorships. Their visit also included
a tour of R&D Center laboratories.
DONATE
Help achieve equitable health, environmental, and socio-economic
conditions and development opportunities for Palestinian Arab citizens of
Israel by supporting the Galilee Society' work.
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How to Donate to the Galilee Society

11. Tax-Exempt Donations
In order to facilitate giving, the Galilee Society has recently received tax-
exempt status in the United States, via the Friends of the Galilee Society.
To donate in the United States, please make checks payable to the Friends
of the Galilee Society and send them to:
Dr. Shouki Kassis
Chair, Board of Directors
7 Lee Road Audubon, PA 19403
United States
Tel: +1 610 662 3693
Bank transfers to the Friends of the Galilee Society can be made to the
following account:
Account Name: Friends of the Galilee Society
Bank Name: PNC Bank
Branch: Audubon Village Shopping Center
Account Number: 86-0943-9642
Please inform Friends of the Galilee Society of your donation:
rbarghouti@gal-soc.org.
Direct Donations
To donate to the Galilee Society directly, please send checks (in any
currency) payable to the Galilee Society at:
PO Box 330
Shefa-Amr, 20200
Israel
Alternatively, bank transfers (in any currency) can be made directly to the
Galilee Society' bank account.
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Account Name: The Galilee Society – The Arab National Society for Health
Research
and Services
Account no.: 9800
Bank name: Bank Hapoalim
Branch no.: 731
Bank address: Jabour Street, Shefa-Amr 20200, Israel
SWIFT code: POALILIT
Please inform us of your donation at fnassar@gal-soc.org

12. The Galilee Society - The Arab National Society for Health Research and Services
is a leading community-based Arab NGO. The overriding goal of the Galilee
Society is the achievement of equitable health and socio-economic conditions for
the Palestinian citizens of Israel.
The Galilee Society
P.O. Box 330, Shefa-Amr 20200, Israel
Tel.: +972 4 986 1171
Fax: +972 4 986 1173
Email: admin@gal-soc.org