The Arab Higher Monitoring Committee

Definition

​

The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee is an independent political organization whose aim is to coordinate the political actions of various Israeli-Arab bodies. The Committee is comprised of Arab MKs, Arab local council heads and representatives of different streams in the Arab sector.

Background

​

The establishment of the Higher Monitoring Committee in 1982 signaled one of the peaks in the Palestinization process that Israeli-Arabs have undergone since the 1970s. During this process, new Arab parties and NGOs that are represented in the Higher Committee were founded.

The Monitoring Committee is not an elected or an executive body and the State does not recognize it as an official or representative Israeli-Arab organization. Moreover, there is a great deal of criticism within the Israeli-Arab community over the Committee's ineffectiveness in promoting issues on the Israeli-Arab's agenda. Despite this, the Monitoring Committee holds informal contacts with government ministries, and its statements are published in the media. The wide representation of political bodies in the Monitoring Committee and the fact that its decisions are received unanimously, give these statements great weight.

Normally, the Monitoring Committee's activities focus on issues on the Israeli-Arab agenda, and that apply to the state's institutions. The secretariat meets every month or after exceptional events, such as the October 2000 riots. The Committee is active in issuing press releases and organizing demonstrations and protests against the establishment. It organizes two annual rallies – on March 30th to mark Land Day and on October 1st, in remembrance of the events of October 2000.