Founders
Mr. Aiman Saif
A senior economist and the former Founding Director of the Authority for the Economic Development of the Arab Sector, established by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office in 2007. Mr. Saif served in the position of the Authority’s CEO between its founding and May 2018, and in this capacity advanced, monitored and oversaw the wide array of governmental development programs and policies in Arab society, in the scope of over USD 7 billion. He holds an MA in International Economic Development from Clarkson University and an MBA from Otto-Friedrich-Universitat in Bamberg. Aiman is a Senior Partner at the Portland Trust, a Board Member of Kupat Holim Klalit and lectures at Tel Aviv University. In August of 2020, Saif was nominated as the National Coordinator of the COVID crisis for Arab Community.
Dr. Nasreen Haddad-Haj Yahya
A senior researcher and the former director of the Arab-Jewish Relations Program at the Israel Democracy Institute. Dr. Haddad-Haj Yahya is an expert on government plans, workforce development, formal and informal education and state-minority relations, among other issues. She holds an MA in Education and Social Geography and her PhD from Tel Aviv University centers on the phenomenon of “NEET” among the younger Arab generation – people Neither in Education, Employment or Training. Nasreen is a Partner at the Portland Trust and a Board Member of the New Israel Fund.
Mrs. Avivit Hai
An expert on Arab society and Jewish-Arab relations in Israel, and the former Israel Program Director for the Inter Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues. For the past decade Mrs. Hai covered a wide array of issues related to Arab citizens, Jewish-Arab relations and state-minority relations for a coalition of 100 Jewish-American organizations. Her expertise includes, among other things, relevant legislation, government economic development plans, integration of Arab society into the job market, access to higher education and civil society work on these issues. Avivit holds an Interdisciplinary MA from the Law and Society Program at Tel Aviv University.
Our Vision
NAS grew out of our deep and long-standing acquaintance with Arab society in Israel, with all its complexity, beauty and wants, as well as from our ongoing work within and with state bodies, civil society and philanthropy. We believe that there is a significant need to produce services, models and programs that are tailored to the needs and realities of Arab society and its subgroups, in order to realize its full potential and promote a prosperous and equal society in Israel. NAS’s expertise is in mapping realities in the field – including data, discourse, needs and potential partners, in building innovative and culturally-adapted models, and in creating an informed and fruitful partnership between state bodies, business entities, philanthropic actors and organizations from Arab society itself.