Building a Shared Society: Arab-Jewish Relations and their Peaceful Future

What does it truly take to build a shared, equitable society in a region shaped by deep political, social, and cultural divisions? While traditional dialogues often focus on simple “coexistence,” true social cohesion requires moving toward an active, integrated Shared Society—one grounded in civic equality, economic partnership, and institutional reform. Join renowned Israeli-Arab leader and dialogue strategist, Mohammad Darawshe, for an inside look at the practical models, policy challenges, and community-level initiatives shaping Arab-Jewish relations in Israel today. Come learn about Givat Haviva, a civil society organization for social change, working to promote a model society in Israel; an equal and prosperous democratic society for all citizens, working for peace with its neighbors and a political solution based on two states with good neighborly relations. The organization’s activities focus on the areas of education; language acquisition; development of shared leadership; culture; and art. . . . Mohammad Darawshe is the Director of Strategy at Givat Haviva’s Center for Shared Society. He holds a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Management from the University of Haifa and is a Robert Bosch Academy Fellow and faculty member at the Hartman Institute. He will serve as a visiting professor at American University in fall 2026 and expects to complete his Ph.D. in identity education in January 2027. Previously, Darawshe served as co-director of The Abraham Initiatives, elections campaign manager for the Democratic Arab Party and the United Arab List, and a leadership fellow at the New Israel Fund. He is a member of the executive boards of Darkenu, Pnima, and the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy and previously served as an elected council member in his hometown of Iksal. Darawshe has lectured before the European Parliament, NATO Defense College, World Economic Forum, Club de Madrid, U.S. Congress, and Israel’s Presidential Conference. He is a recipient of the Peacemakers Award from the Catholic Theological Union and the Peace and Security Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations. He has served as a member of the National Committee on Coexistence Education Policy, the Three-Sector Roundtable at the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Strategic Planning Authority for the Economic Development of the Arab Sector.