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Salam Diabat runs an alternative medicine company near his home in Zarjil, northern Israel. But since the Israeli-Hamas war began on October 7, her customer base has decreased significantly.
“I had a visitor center and I used to welcome customers from Israel and abroad. Of course, now there is no tourism and no visitors, so I had to close the center,” she said. Ta. jerusalem post.
Diabat also pointed out that after Hamas attacks on Israel, anti-Arab prejudice skyrocketed, and many of her former Jewish customers no longer come to her town.
Diabat is an Arab-Israeli woman struggling to survive three months after the war, said Tsofit Gordon, CEO of Yozmot Atid, a non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting minority and ethnic women. The number of female entrepreneurs is increasing, especially among women. Disadvantaged communities are starting and developing small businesses.
Prior to October 7, Yozmot Atid supported thousands of small business owners with programs aimed at women from diverse backgrounds.
In general, about half of the women already ran a business such as food, design, video editing, beauty, or other crafts, and the other half had an idea for a business they wanted to start.
Women accepted into the program will receive group training in business management, from balancing finances to marketing and sales to navigating Israel’s bureaucracy and legal challenges. The women will then be paired with a professional mentor, also trained by Yozmot Atid, who will work with them until they feel they are on track for success.
Program impact
“About 70 percent of the 1,000 women who start the program will start a business or get it on the right track,” Gordon said. “We know from all kinds of research that we’ve done that the survival rate three years after the program ends is about 70 percent.”
The Arab community has always been a focus for Yosmot Atid, she said, noting that the NGO has been working with Arab-Israeli women since 2015. We also work with Bedouin and Druze people. The program encourages the building of a communal society, often matching women from Jewish and Arab communities to form small partnerships, and Jewish restaurant owners receiving kubbeh from Arab cooks. You may be encouraged to buy, and vice versa.
Immediately after October 7, many of the women the program assisted were challenged. As Diabat mentioned, the Arab community has seen a decline in the number of Jews willing to come and shop, Gordon said. However, some Arab Israelis were reluctant to do business with or visit Jewish customers for fear of being forced to discuss the war or their political views.
Gordon said Yozmot Atid has developed a program to provide support to these women.
“We started an emergency response program with several elements,” Gordon said. post.First, we have a dedicated call center that operates for several hours, five days a week. Women business owners can converse with her business consultants on the program.
Second, Yosmot Atid helps navigate Israel’s bureaucracy to help women in need access state business grants and other support.
Finally, the program will offer a series of webinars, workshops, and lectures to help these women utilize this period for self-development or, for businesses that rely heavily on tourism, for physical sales. We help you make strategic shifts, such as moving from to electronic platforms. .
Diabat said he was forced to close his business for two years during the coronavirus crisis, but at the time he didn’t think he would recover.
“Here we are again in such a difficult situation,” she said. “All tours booked for October, November and December have been cancelled.
“It’s difficult to be a female small business owner in general right now, but it’s even more difficult to be an Arab female business owner.”
She said she spends her time attending workshops and improving her business skills. He also called on countries to provide further support more quickly. She says loans are not the solution.
“How can I borrow money?” asked Diabat. “I don’t have enough income to pay it back.”
But she also said she believes this phase will pass.
The war with Hamas “is not forever,” she said.
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