Thus they have the awkward status of being within the State of Israel - and also being part of the Arab people with whom the Israeli government has a tortuous relationship. Israeli Jews form a majority ethnic group within the borders of the State of Israel but, in the wider Middle East, they feel themselves a beleaguered and isolated minority. The village, or moshav, got its first permanent settlers in 1978-79 as part of a private grassroots initiative. It is a bilingual, bicultural, binational elementary school co-ordinated jointly by a professional team of Jewish and Arab educators. Some are residents of the village, others come from the neighbourhood.
Decisions are take democratically.
The School of Peace conducts bilingual workshops, in Hebrew and Arabic. Encounter groups are held, and consultation provided on the making of peace curricula. By 1985, the programmes of the School for Peace had reached 5,000 Jewish and Arab school children. Summer evening adult-education lecturers began in 1992. A year later, the School for Peace had managed, in the face of political resistance, to have nursery, kindergarten and primary school units established and recognised by the regional council of the Ministry of Education.