A study done by our partner the Palestinian Center for Research & Cultural Dialogue. The title of the study book is “The role of civil society organizations in promoting political participation in Palestine”.

Click here to view the study.

Available only in Arabic.

A booklet guide done by our partner AL MARSAD – Arab World Democracy & Electoral Monitor, in cooperation with FNF and funded by the GTZ. The booklet’s title is: “Electors’ Educational Guide 2010” .

Click here to view the guide.

Available only in Arabic.

]]> http://www.fnst-jerusalem.org/2010/05/12/electors%e2%80%99-educational-guide-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.fnst-jerusalem.org/2010/05/12/status-of-freedoms-in-palestine-future-and-perspectives/ http://www.fnst-jerusalem.org/2010/05/12/status-of-freedoms-in-palestine-future-and-perspectives/#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 19:11:48 +0000 anne http://www.fnst-jerusalem.org/?p=1521 Status of Freedoms in Palestine Future and Perspectives

A booklet done by our partner the Freedom Forum Palestine (FFP) and funded by FNF. The book reviews the FFP annual conference which took place on the 18^th and 19^th of  December 2008 titled “Status of Freedoms in Palestine Future and Perspectives”

Click here to view the book.

Available only in Arabic.

This text is also available in Hebrew and German

The translated version of the German Foundation’s Naumann-Brochure is now available in Hebrew. It includes several contributions, such as of Prof. Dr. Lord Ralf Dahrendorf (1929-2009) and Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler, President of the Federal Republic of Germany. In addition to that, an academic article written by Prof. Dr. Moshe Zimmermann from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, was added:  “A Road not Taken: Friedrich Naumann’s Attempt at a Modern German Nationalism”. The brochure also contains a chronicle of activities of the “Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty” from 1958 to 2009.

Please click here to view the publication in Hebrew.

To view the publication, please click here.

This text is also available in German language.

The new publication of the participants’ contributions of a round table meeting in October 2009 is now available in Hebrew for reading on our website.

The meeting was held by the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty and dealt with essential questions never before dealt within an academic forum:”How will the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel affect the two central majority and minority national groups – Jews and Arabs – in Israel?”.

To view the publication, please click here.

Through an initiative of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty, Liberal International’s key documents have been translated and published in Arabic. The 92-page volume titled ‘The Program of Liberal International – Key Documents of the World Federation of Liberal Political Parties’. If you are interested in ordering a copy, this can be done by contacting Egypt@fnst.org and you will receive a hard copy of the book for free. The book is also available for downloading at http://www.scribd.com/fnfcairo. , plus you can view the Foundation’s office in Cairo website at  www.fnst-egypt.org

To view the book, click here
Guidelines for right of association PDF file

Editor: Dr. Issam Suleiman

Published jointly in Palestine by the Coalition for Accountability & Integrity (AMAN) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty
This book examines the prevailing laws for political parties, NGOs and labor unions in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. It identifies obstacles and solutions for legislation related to freedom of association. Moreover, it is a tool to promote dialogue between the different stakeholders in order to reach mutually accepted compromises and agreements and to inspire Arab legislators to promote freedom of association.

The book sets the minimum standards/guidelines for freedom of association reached during international conferences held in Cairo in 2007 and 2008. These guidelines, it is hoped, should govern the three laws in the five countries as reference to legislators in the Arab world. A comparative chapter, prepared by an international expert, elaborates on how freedom is reflected in laws in other countries of the world taking into consideration state obligations.

The volume has been produced within the framework of the EU project titled: “Enhancing the legal framework of Associations in the Arab World through national dialogue and empowerment of civil society”.

National versions of the publication are available in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.

For further information go to: www.arab-laws-reform.net and www.aman-palestine.org
You may ask for a free copy of this book by sending an email to rana.alami@fnst.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it adding your full name and postal address.

64% of Israelis Want a Jewish Prime Minister Only

A new poll commissioned by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Israel revealed that 64% of the general population of Israel supports legislation that would insure that only a Jew could be elected Prime Minister.

Surprisingly 31% of Arab Israelis also support this legislation.

A poll commissioned by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Israel and conducted by KEEVOON Research and Strategy, headed by Mitchell Barak, revealed that a clear majority of Israeli citizens support, or view positively, legislation that would guarantee that only a Jew can be elected Prime Minister of Israel.

The poll was a national representative sample of 609 respondents who were questioned in Hebrew, Russian, or Arabic. The poll, with a margin of error of + / – 4.1%, tested liberal and democratic values of Israelis and their application in real life situations.

For results, click here: Survey Liberal Values in Israel

A contradictory picture emerges from the survey. There is a very large gap between liberal and democratic values on the one hand (between 75-95%) and those same values applied on the other. This gap is most apparent on issues relating to rights of minorities.

Among the examples of conflicting results is the fact that the majority of the population (55%) supports enforcing the rights of Arab Israeli citizens, while 64% support legislation guaranteeing only a Jew can be elected Prime Minister. Additionally, 51% of the general population supports the notion that Arab Israelis should perform some type of national public service, (48% of Arab Israelis support it as well.)

Another interesting finding from the survey is that 77% of Israelis support equal treatment of all Israeli citizens without discrimination regardless of ethnic or religious background. In spite of that only 61% believe that Jews and Arabs should be treated equally with regard to budget allocation.

37% of Hebrew and Russian speaking Israelis feel that the Jewish character of Israel is more important than the democratic character. While a surprisingly low 47% of Arab Israelis feel that the democratic character of Israel is more important than the Jewish character. Additionally 97% feel that tolerance towards one another is important, while at the same time one-third (33%) of all sectors believe that Jews and Arabs should live in separate neighborhoods.

75% of Israelis (including 21% of Arab speakers) support removing any restrictions on the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shabak) when preventing terror attacks – even if it means violating a suspect’s civil and human rights. This clearly indicates the priority Israeli citizens give to national security over democratic principles.

When asked where Israel should invest most improving relations, 36% choose neighboring countries which was the greatest response.

89% of Israelis agreed with the statement of State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss that Government corruption is a danger to democracy and the rule of law and that “political corruption is like a cancer deep in the body of the State. This clearly indicates the importance that most Israelis feel towards the rule of law as one of the pillars of democracy.

Finally it is important to point out that between 64% – 70% of the population could not identify a political party or personality that represented liberal values like civil rights, equal opportunity, free market competition, pluralism, openness, and limited involvement of the State. 44% feel that a party representing these ideal is necessary and 56% would vote for it.

The representative of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Israel, Dr. Hans Georg Fleck, reflected on the results of the survey and said: “The conflicting results confirm that the Israeli public attaches supreme importance to liberal values and democratic institutions, even though they are unwilling to implement these values in specific areas. This seems to be as a result of the unique and difficult security situation in the region, which leads to an increased need for security and to “fortify democracy.” As a German Foundation for liberal policy we will continue to work in all sectors of Israeli society to increase awareness and implementation of liberal values. One cannot separate the application of these values from the freedom and responsibility of the individual, which should be perceived as an opportunity and not as a threat.We believe that a stable liberal democracy is an anchor of stability and a source of prosperity for Israel and the entire region.”

See and download the info leaflets of our Liberal Institute on selected liberal topics:

Liberalism – Click here to download PDF file

Responsibility- Click here to download PDF file

Market Economy- Click here to download PDF file

Competition- Click here to download PDF file

Between September, 25th and October 18th, 2007, the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation for Liberty conducted an extensive survey on “Public Perceptions towards Liberal Values in Palestine”. The sociological investigation was implemented in cooperation with the associate partner of the FNFfL, the Freedom Forum Palestine, and conducted by the “Near East Consulting”, a polling institute based in Ramallah. More than 1600 residents of the West-Bank and the Gaza-strip were consulted. Beside questions concerning the self-perception, strong emphasis is given to the importance of liberal values in the Palestinian society. Especially the relation between religion, state and the individual as well as the attitude towards economic, social and democratic issues are part of the poll. Thus, the survey highlighted many interesting and sometimes even contradictory results, as f. ex. the strong support of democracy, while simultaneously the idea of theocratic rule is backed up by a vast majority.

The entire survey has been published in English and Arabic.

Click here to download