Peacebuilders honoured for defying despair at New Israel Fund’s Human Rights Awards

The idea of peace may be harder to imagine than ever for both Israelis and Palestinians, but the New Israel Fund’s 2025 Human Rights Awards celebrated peacebuilders who, despite enormous challenges, continue to work towards a safer future for civilians in the region.

The awards ceremony, held in central London, combined an evening of music and interactive art designed to encourage attendees to reflect on what peace means to them and how they and their communities have been affected by the conflict since 7 October.

The evening was hosted and curated by renowned Israeli-Palestinian singer and activist Mira Awad.

Speaking to a packed audience, Awad said: “The last two years have been devastating. Even people with high levels of agency and optimism have struggled to keep their spirits up. I have hope, but I am also a realist.”

The first award was presented to Hanan Alsanah, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and pioneering Bedouin lawyer who serves as Co-Executive Director of Itach-Ma’aki: Women Lawyers for Social Justice.

She was recognised for more than two decades of work advancing equality for Bedouin women and unrecognised villages in the Negev.

The NIF said her leadership has brought education, healthcare and recognition to marginalised communities.

Alsanah told guests: “I was born into a traditional, conservative Bedouin family. I am the youngest of 11 children—two brothers and nine sisters. At that time, in my family and in many Bedouin families, daughters were expected to leave school early, wear the hijab and prepare for marriage. I couldn’t accept this reality.

“After a few conversations with my father, I finally convinced him to let me go to university. It was my dream to be a lawyer, but only when I was 35 years old, with four children, did I manage to accomplish this dream. I do this work for women like me.”

The second award went to Avner Gvaryahu, a former paratrooper and former Executive Director of the whistleblowing organisation Breaking the Silence.

The NIF said Gvaryahu “has dedicated his life to exposing the human cost of the occupation and defending democratic freedoms in Israel. His advocacy, often met with fierce resistance, continues to spark vital debates about justice, truth and Israel’s moral compass.”

Gvaryahu told attendees: “7 October hit me—and all of us—very close to home. Many of the victims of the horrific Hamas attack that day were peace activists and members of the human rights community. Some of our own members were murdered. The horrific crimes carried out by Hamas are still shaking us.”

He said that after 7 October, he became “really focused on the way the army conducts its operations” and “feared what would come.”

He told attendees that testimonies from Israeli soldiers about how the IDF has conducted parts of the war in Gaza “should shake us to our core.

“We have to remember and understand that it is affecting our soul—as humans, as Israeli citizens, and yes, as Jews.”

He and Hanan knew each other from another peacebuilding programme, The Alliance, which brings together Jewish and Arab leaders.

Gvaryahu said that after 7 October, many of these groups collapsed under the pressure of what had happened, and peace felt further away.

“You know, the peace community became silent or broke up—that’s what happened in many of these spaces. But not with The Alliance,” he said.

“Most of these programmes say, ‘We can agree about 80 per cent, let’s talk about that 80 per cent.’ But The Alliance is the space where you talk about the things you disagree on.”

He added: “I don’t know if it’s hope, but what forces me—or forces us—to continue, in the end, is our communities, people living through this.”

He said that, in the aftermath of 7 October, the number of Palestinians from the West Bank reaching out to him was what gave him hope.

“It’s these bonds, these links, that ultimately propel you to continue challenging yourself,” he said.

Speaking about the recipients, New Israel Fund director David Davidi Brown said: “The work of Avner and Hanan demonstrates our determination not to give up on humanity.

“It is this dedication to a just, safe and equal future for Israelis and Palestinians that makes me so proud to work for the New Israel Fund.”

Brown also shared words from his colleague Yasmeen, a Palestinian-Israeli doctor and New Israel Fund international board member.

Yasmeen was working in an emergency room in Be’er Sheva on October 7, treating victims of the Hamas attacks alongside Jewish and Arab colleagues.

She said: “In the midst of all the blood and horror of that day, I realised the real divide is not between Arabs and Jews, or Palestinians and Israelis. The actual divide is between those who believe that violence is the answer to this conflict and those who believe in saving lives. The divide is between those who believe it is OK to kill people for a higher purpose and those who believe that every human life is sacred.”

Brown told the multi generational audience of peacebuilders: “The fragile ceasefire can be turned into a future of safety and dignity for all the communities sharing the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.”