The Galillee
Massacre of Jews
Galilee In 160 BC, the Seleucid King Demetrius, on campaign in the east, left his general Bacchides to govern the western portion of the empire. Bacchides led an army of 20,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry into Judea intending to reconquer this now independent kingdom.The Seleucid general Bacchides hastily marched through Judea after carrying out a massacre in the Galilee.
The Galilee is today home to vibrant Israel-Arab communities. Many organizations seek to promote Arab culture in Israel, and promote Jewish-Arab relations. Organizations like Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish Arab Education in Israel, which seeks to bridge the gap between different cultures living side by side by providing an environment where children can learn about the other in an atmosphere of equality and respect, Hagar: Jewish-Arab Education for Equality, which provides a bilingual, educational institution, attended by Jewish and Arab students together in the same classrooms and supports additional community outreach programming, Al-Taj for Health and Heritage, which promotes health awareness in the Arab sector, and Kayan, a group of feminists who are working nationwide to advance the status of Arab women in Israel and believe that social change can be achieved if women are empowered to take a more active role in the private and public life.