New Israel Fund honours ‘Rising Stars’ of progressive activism in Israel

Two emerging leaders were honoured for their dedication to securing equality and justice for Israelis and Palestinians at New Israel Fund UK’s Human Rights Awards ceremony last night.

Rawyah Handaqlu, Head of the Emergency Headquarters to Combat Crime and Violence in Arab Society, and Eran Nissan, CEO of digital activism movement Mehazkim, were recognised by NIF UK as the Palestinian and Jewish “Rising Stars” of human rights activism in Israel at an event which raised nearly half a million pounds for Israeli civil society organisations.

Handaqlu, a lawyer and Palestinian citizen from Jatt in Israel’s “triangle” area, was honoured for her work at the helm of a new taskforce devoted to combatting crime and violence in Arab society. She has also been involved in a number of joint Jewish-Arab regional council leadership projects and is a lifelong campaigner for gender-based issues.

“Receiving this award is not only my personal honour, for me it is also a mission and responsibility, so I want to dedicate this award to everyone who has to struggle every day to be heard, to achieve justice and safety,” said Handaqlu. “I'm a girl from the Jatt triangle, a minority Arab woman, so I never dreamt I’d be here.”

She added: “I’m an Arab, I’m Palestinian, I live in Israel. I belong to this place. I can’t emigrate. There is something about the warmth of the people here that attracts me. Maybe I crave high blood pressure – dealing with both Jews and Arabs definitely raises it...At least here, when I fight with someone, I can say I’m in my homeland. My father and grandfather were born here.”

Nissan, who is Jewish-Israeli, was recognised for his work with Mehazkim, a digital movement that reaches 1.5 million Israelis a month to strengthen the progressive faction in Israel. Alongside the Mehazkim movement, Nissan speaks out against the rhetoric of Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, who, he said, “continues to drip poison into open wounds in Israeli society” by inciting violence against Arabs and advocating for Jewish supremacy.

“We have a leadership deficit in Israel in the last couple of decades, and when you don’t have someone to look up to, you lower your sights and you look around you,” Nissan said. “There are a lot of good, inspiring people around who are doing amazing work.”

A qualified medic, Nissan also provided immediate emergency room care in the wake of the October 7 attacks, and more recently rushed to aid those injured during a terror attack in Jaffa last month.

“The most important struggle we have in Israeli society is to support Jews and Arabs who understand our future here is together and that we need to build it together as equals,” Nissan said.

The NIF event, held at a central London venue and hosted by award-winning Israeli comedian and activist Noam Shuster-Eliassi, also saw Handaqlu and Nissan in conversation with CNN journalist and +972 Magazine co-founder Ami Kaufman.

Since October 7 NIF, a US-based NGO that partners with Israeli organisations strengthening democracy and human rights for both Jewish Israelis and Palestinians, has raised over £4 million in donations for Jewish and Bedouin communities impacted by the Hamas attacks. The organisation has also raised nearly £1 million for humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.

Funds raised from the event on Sunday night will go towards the £2.5 million in grants to dozens of Israeli civil society organisations working to achieve “a more just, safe and equal society,” according to David Davidi-Brown, chief executive of NIF UK.

“When many are divisive and hateful, when people insist we choose a side, being together tonight and supporting our work with Eran and Rawyah and hundreds of leaders from all different communities across Israeli civil society shows determination to be on the side of all people – Israelis and Palestinians, Arabs and Jews – suffering during this conflict,” said Davidi-Brown. “When hope is too hard to find, we must follow the example of Rawyah and Eran and their determination, courage and compassion.”