As I take on the role of CEO of Together vouch for each other , an organization dedicated to strengthening Israeli society and advancing Israel’s image both at home and around the world, I see this moment as far more than a professional milestone. I see it as a responsibility and as an opportunity to continue a path I have believed in and worked toward for years.
My vision is simple: an Israel that is strong, united, and confident in its identity ,a country in which every citizen feels that they have a place, a voice, and a future.
But building such a society requires honesty about what we expect from one another.
There is, quite rightly, an expectation that Israel’s minority communities will be active partners in this country’s future: that they will demonstrate loyalty to the state, contribute to society, and recognize their connection to Israel and its national identity.
As a Druze citizen of Israel, I believe deeply in that principle.
Israel is the country in which we live, the country in which we build our families and our future, and a democratic state that offers its citizens opportunities to grow, contribute, and shape the society around them.
I also believe that being proud of my Druze identity, heritage, and roots does not contradict being proud to be Israeli. These identities do not have to compete with one another. They can, and should, complement each other.
But loyalty and partnership cannot be a one-way expectation.
If we want minority communities to feel that Israel is their home, the state must also ensure that they genuinely feel like an integral part of that home.
That means closing socioeconomic gaps. It means creating equal opportunities. It means investing in infrastructure, education, employment, and representation. And it means ensuring that every citizen feels seen, heard, respected, and able to participate fully in Israeli society.
This is not a favor to minorities. It is an investment in Israel itself.
A society cannot ask people to feel a deep sense of belonging while simultaneously allowing them to feel excluded from its opportunities and institutions. Belonging is built through responsibility on both sides.
This conversation is particularly important as Israel approaches another election season.
Political campaigns often focus on numbers, blocs, and electoral calculations. But behind every vote is a person a citizen deciding whether they feel that this country represents them, whether their voice matters, and whether Israel is truly their home.
There are voices within Israel’s Arab, Druze, and other minority communities that want to be part of this country’s story. They want to contribute. They want to serve, lead, build, and influence. They see Israel as home.
We must not take those voices for granted. We must strengthen them.
Over the past several years, I have worked across different arenas to advance precisely this connection: between identity and partnership, between Israel’s diverse communities and the broader Israeli story, and between Israel and the world.
I have worked to tell Israel’s story through the people who make up this country, a story that is far more diverse, complex, and human than the one often presented to the world.
I have also worked to demonstrate that one can be deeply rooted in a minority community and proud of its heritage, while simultaneously being an inseparable part of the Israeli story.
And in moments of crisis, we have seen why this relationship matters.
Israel’s intervention and assistance to the Druze community in Sweida was one example of the meaning of responsibility and solidarity. In difficult moments, the bonds between communities and between people become more than words. They become a test of whether we truly believe that we are part of one another’s fate.
But shared life cannot be built only during moments of crisis.
It is built every single day, in our schools, workplaces, communities, public institutions, infrastructure, media, and political system. Most importantly, it is built through a sense of belonging.
As I begin this new chapter, I do so with a deep belief in Israel and an even deeper belief in Israeli society.
I believe Israel can be both confident in its identity and open to the diversity of its citizens. I believe it can demand responsibility and loyalty from all its citizens while simultaneously ensuring that every citizen feels valued, respected, and included.
And I believe that strengthening the bond between Israel and its minority communities is not merely a social responsibility. It is a strategic national interest.
Because a strong society is not one in which everyone looks, thinks, or identifies the same way. A strong society is one in which people who are different choose to build a common future. That is the Israel I believe in. That is the Israel I want to serve. And that is the Israel I intend to keep building