Hanan Alsanah

A trailblazing Bedouin lawyer, feminist, and social entrepreneur, Hanan Alsanah is Co-Executive Director of Itach-Ma’aki: Women Lawyers for Social Justice. Based in Be’er Sheva, she has spent over 20 years advancing equality for Bedouin women and unrecognised villages in the Negev.

Hanan founded the first women’s community centre in an unrecognised Bedouin village and launched Israel’s first feminist Arabic-language newspaper, distributed across 45 villages. Her advocacy has brought schools, clinics, and vital services to communities long denied recognition.

On the international stage, she was the first Bedouin woman to represent her community before the UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and continues to promote women’s leadership in governance and peacebuilding.

In the wake of Oct 7, she co-founded a joint Jewish-Arab Emergency Relief Centre in Rahat, delivering aid to thousands of families. Her story is also told in the documentary Her War – Hanan.

Hanan, the first in her family to earn a law degree, has become one of Israel’s most dynamic voices for justice, women’s rights, and shared society.

Avner Gvaryahu

A resolute Israeli activist and former paratrooper, Avner Gvaryahu, is the former Executive Director of Breaking the Silence, an organisation of Israeli veterans committed to exposing the reality of military control over Palestinian life. Raised in a religious‑Zionist family in Rehovot, he served as a sniper‑team sergeant in the Orev unit of the paratroopers—mainly in Nablus and Jenin—where the realities of the occupation left an indelible mark on him.

After his military service, Avner earned a Master’s degree in Social Work from Tel Aviv University and turned his focus to truth‑telling. He joined Breaking the Silence initially as a researcher and tour guide, then as its spokesperson. He later became Executive Director, giving voice to soldiers who refuse to stay silent.

Avner’s work exposes the cost of occupation through firsthand testimonies, public tours, and media appearances, even while facing intense political and social backlash at home.

In addition to his activism, Avner is working behind the scenes on long-term diplomatic and security issues, including fighting back against the controversial NGO bill that threatens the freedom of organisations like his. He is deeply involved in combating the rise of illiberalism in Israel today as part of a network of think tanks dedicated to promoting democratic values and safeguarding human rights.

He lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, a journalist, and remains driven by a vision of Israel strengthened, not weakened, by reckoning with its actions.

Mira Awad

Mira Awad is an Israeli-Palestinian singer, songwriter, actress, and activist known for her powerful blend of music and advocacy. Born in Rameh, a Palestinian village in the Galilee, to a Palestinian father and a Bulgarian mother, she was raised in a multicultural, socially involved environment. Awad studied Fine Arts at the University of Haifa and Music at the Rimon School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

In 2009, she made history as the first Arab-Israeli to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest, performing “There Must Be Another Way” alongside Noa. The song, featuring Arabic lyrics, was a call for peace and coexistence.

Awad has released four solo albums and collaborated with international artists like Andrea Bocelli and Bobby McFerrin. She has also acted in Israeli television and film, including the series “Arab Labor” and the film “The Bubble.”

Now based in London, Awad continues to use her platform to advocate for women’s rights, equal citizenship for Palestinians in Israel, and environmental awareness.