Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow Coalition

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The Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow Coalition (Hebrew: הקשת הדמוקרטית המזרחית, Hakeshet Hademocratit Hamizrahit) is a social justice organization among Mizrahi Jews (Jews from Arab and Muslim lands and the East) in Israel. They describe themselves as an "a-political, non-parliamentary social movement whose goal is to affect the current public agenda with the aim of bringing a change into the Israeli society as a whole and to its institutions… [to] implement values of democracy, human rights, social justice, equality and multiculturalism." The organization describes itself as "Mizrahi in its goals, universal in its beliefs and open to all those who identify with its values." The Keshet was founded in 1996 by a group of leading Intellectuals, thinkers and artists, among them Prof. Yehouda Shenhav, Dr. Vicky shiran, Dr. Henriette Dahan Kalev, Dr. Dolly Benhabib, Ms. Shosh Gabay, Dr. Yossi Yona, Hana Azoulay HaSfari and many others. Known Activists are:

The current manager of the Keshet is Ms. Nurit Haghagh.

The Keshet is active in a plethora of fields, both as a sophisticated think tank and at the grass-roots level.

[edit] Criticism

The movement enjoys little popularity with Mizrachi Jews. Part of which relates to alienation of religious values as opposed to the traditionalist attitude of most Mizrachi Jews. Another issue is the radical left-wing views held by the movement, as opposed to the generally right-wing views common among Mizrachi Jews. Yet another issue is the refusal of Mizrachi Jews to participate in the politics of identity, frequently referred to by the derogatory term "Tribeness".