Can Israeli Startup Culture Close The Growing Divide Between Israeli Arabs And Jews?
John F. Kennedy once argued that all of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent.  An entrepreneurs success is determined by personal traits and abilities, but it is essential that each one has the opportunity to develop these qualities. A recently published study reveals that Israeli Arabs have fewer opportunities to be a part of the Startup Nations enterprise. We have seen that entrepreneurial activities can bridge gaps and promote inclusion of marginalized ... [+] groups. getty  With a serial entrepreneur as Prime Minister and an Arab party having joined what has traditionally been an all-Jewish government, Kennedys words may now be more relevant than ever. In the meantime, a special collaboration is promoting much needed equality in the field. PresenTense, with the support of Citi Israel, commissioned a recent study to examine the reasons and barriers behind lack of Arab participation in the Israeli startup ecosystem. Neil Corney, CEO for Citi Israel explains, Entrepreneurship is a critical tool for strengthening local economy, empowering the community and ensuring progress of Israeli society.  Citi Israel and PresenTense have launched unique educational programs,incubators, and support systems to integrate the Israeli Arab community into the startup arena, the countrys largest economic growth engine. We have seen that entrepreneurial activities can bridge gaps and promote inclusion of marginalized groups.  Entrepreneurship is a critical tool for strengthening local economy, empowering the community and ... [+] ensuring progress of Israeli society. Neil Corney Eylon Yehiel  Lately, the sense of division between Israeli Arabs and Jews has increased and many initiatives have been launched in an attempt to bring the two communities together in every way possible. The integration of Israeli Arabs into the startup scene may lead to more social mobility and integration. The study focused on respondents awareness and exposure to entrepreneurship and high tech, while taking multiple factors into consideration. Surprisingly, 64% of Israeli Arab respondents reported that they were not familiar with the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, and high tech, while 88% of Jewish respondents said that they had heard of or been exposed to these concepts. 78% of Israeli Arab respondents said that they had no personal connections with entrepreneurs or employees in the high tech industry, compared with 62% of Jewish respondents. Only 1% of Arabs surveyed reported that they work in the field. Founded in 2009, PresenTense is an organization promoting an inclusive Israeli entrepreneurial ecosystem. The heart of our activity derives from a fundamental belief that entrepreneurship is the 21st centurys superpower, enabling personal empowerment, community development and economic growth, say Co-CEOs, Ariella Rosen and Khouloud Ayuti. To date, we have worked with 1,500 underrepresented entrepreneurs, 70% of which improved their employment status or founded a sustainable startup. As two female Co-CEOs, say the Arab and Jewish Israeli partners,we are proud to be practicing what we preach with respect to promoting diversity, inclusion, equality and a sense of belonging.  Proud to promote diversity, inclusion, equality and a sense of belonging. Ariella Rosen and ... [+] Khouloud Ayuti Shani Nachmias  The findings of the study did not surprise the two; however, thanks to their work, they can already see a light at the end of this tunnel: We work with underrepresented communities every day, and see the gaps in awareness all the time. There were, however, several encouraging findings in this study, including rising awareness in mixed cities in Israel and increased interest in the fields, says Rosen. Ayuti adds: The study shows a greater focus on traditional professions such as medicine and law in the Arab community. The evident gaps in awareness also stem from internal factors and are based on the economic and educational status of the respondents.  The study identified a variety of barriers faced by the Arab population who want to enter the world of entrepreneurship. The lack of resources and budgets in Arab localities allocated to education and infrastructure was reported to be the main barrier. Respondents also cited barriers based on culture and what they describe as discrimination. 22% of respondents said that they believe that Jewish employers prefer to employ people from the Jewish sector; 7% of them listed cultural differences as the main barrier. An additional group of respondents (15%) commented that they were geographically far from Israels main hi-tech centers. A great way to integrate the two communities and benefit both. A win-win getty  My path in entrepreneurship began when I was in the eighth grade and I participated in a Young Entrepreneurs program through my school, says Finyar Abu Hassira Tcrore, alumna of the organizations accelerator and Head of the Arab Department at YSchool, Israels leading online school that offers an innovative and social approach to E-learning. The program lasted for three years during which we established a company where we developed, marketed and sold a new product. Since then, I have known that I want to become an entrepreneur and decided to study entrepreneurship.  Abu Hassira Tcrores path presents a great way to integrate the two communities and benefit both. In a country that adopted entrepreneurship as part of its culture, this trend may promote unity based on common interest. It is imperative to expose Israeli Arab children to the world of entrepreneurship from a young age and arouse their curiosity. I am not necessarily saying that every student should come up with a brilliant idea and make millions from it, but it should help them develop their creativity and spark innovative thinking.  Its a win win, really. The Israeli Arab entrepreneur Peter Siman,an alumni of MoveUp Post Accelerator, Cofounder andCEO of IntraGel Therapeutics, believes that entrepreneurship can unite the Israeli Arabs and Jews: The more Arabs are involved in startups, the more we learn and expand our common knowledge. Once personal and public knowledge increases, the fear and barriers decrease and eventually vanish. The more courageous entrepreneurs enter the startup world, the more Arab startups will emerge. Most importantly, collaboration between Arabs and Jews will be beneficial to both sides: Arabs will be connected to investors and know-how, while Jews can benefit from talented and hardworking entrepreneurs who want to experience success.