(Communicated by the President's Spokesperson)
 
Following his meeting last Thursday with the Arab local council heads, President Reuven Rivlin this evening (Sunday), launched a new cooperation project between the President's Office and the Collective Impact initiative, which works to further the level of employment among Israeli Arabs.
 
During the meeting, held at the President's Residence with the participation of CEOs and employers involved in the initiative, the President was presented with an range of possibilities and ways to deal with the obstacles and challenges in the integration of the Arab population into the private sector.
 
In addition, the President was presented with a comprehensive study on the issue, which included interviews with CEOs, senior managers, and human resource professionals from around 50 of Israel's leading companies, including; The Strauss Group; Amdocs; Fattal; Check Point; Herzog Fox Neeman; Shikun & Binui; Teva; HP; Migdal; Matrix; and others.
 
Within the framework of the cooperation project with the President's Office, the President will establish a quarterly business leadership forum of managers, which will be on hand throughout the process of integrating the Arab population in various positions with the participating companies. Participating in the event at the President's Residence was Ofra Strauss, Chairwoman of the Strauss Group; Ilan Birnfeld, CEO of Deloitte; Shai Levy, CEO of Amdocs; Imad Telhami, CEO of Babcom; and others.
 
The President said, "The Arab community of the State of Israel has for a while now, not been a minority. The Arab public, with all its diversity, today makes up more than 20 percent of the general population, and more than a quarter of the children in first grade. One may like it, one may fear it, but one cannot ignore it. This is a community, part and parcel of this land, for whom this land is their homeland. It is a community with a cultural, religious, ethnic, and national identity. Sadly, too few Israeli Jews are familiar with the Arab society, beyond assumptions of stereotype. Therefore, there exists a significant gap, created over the years, between the two societies which live side by side, together - yet blind to one another.

"Over this divide, this gap, we must build a bridge, step by step. The mission to build a bridge, and a basis for a sense of cooperation between the Jewish and Arab communities, is for me a humanitarian, Jewish, Zionist, and national mission of the very highest priority. It is a social and economic challenge which is incumbent upon us, and which is one of the most essential keys to our lives here, for our future, and the future of our children. My friends, you and I are here today, because we are utterly convinced that we must steer the boat, and that we must do it together. The condition for which - to educate and work together - is trust.
 
"Without partnership, rooted in mutual respect and understanding - there will be no trust. Without mutual commitment and a guarantee by both sides to the future and fate of Israeli society and the State of Israel - there will be no trust. Without equality, in the provision of resources and infrastructure, opportunities and possibilities - there will be no trust.
 
"The path upon which we are beginning today, as I believe and hope, will not only make a significant contribution to the rehabilitation and the strengthening of the vital trust between the sides, but will also give them hope. Hope for a future in which the Israeli market will know how to grant the young man from Rahat, and the young lady from Umm Al-Fahm, the 'Israeli dream'.

"You are here today, because you know that the integration of the Arab population in the employment market is not limited to the integration of Arab workers on factory production lines. Instead, it is true integration, whose intention is integration in appropriate employment, in academia, in the fields of leadership, development and management. Therefore, your presence here today, directors of the largest companies, is an extremely important statement. The employment market is the best measure of our ability to live together, and to be a bridge of hope for Israel, and the Middle East. At the end of the day, the private sector is the engine that leads the economy; and you lead that engine. Your recognition of the issue, will secure the future of the market, and of society.
 
"This gathering marks the first step in a long journey, which we must undertake together. And we believe, that we will overcome it together. We will meet again, in a smaller forum in just a few months. We will follow up on the achievements and perhaps moreover review the difficulties, and we will try to find answers for them. We will try to fulfill the potential of this special gathering, of the business leadership forum, in order to aid the integration of the Arab community, for the benefit of Israeli society as a whole. The success of our journey, may alter our long-term reality, yet its failure may lead to pain and distress. We do not have the privilege to fail, nor to give up. Good will alone will not suffice. One thing that I can assure you - as long as you stand by your commitment to this mission, I will be here with you and for you, and my door will always be open to you. We are partners in this national mission which you have taken upon yourselves. We are partners on this journey which is our duty to our children, for us all, each and every one of us."
 
Zvika Ziv, Chairman of the Collective Impact steering committee said, "The employment of the Arab population in the private sector is a condition for economic growth of the markets, and a must for commercial companies. We are talking about a broad, three-sector partnership which will ensure all the assistance that the employers will need."
 
Chairman of 'Youth Team' and member of the steering committee, Dr. Samir Qasem, said, "Our meeting here today, seeks seriously to improve the situation, to realize the vision of an equal society, which grants a fitting place to each and every member of society, and I am sure we will succeed in this."