Mohammad Darawshe

Mohammad Darawshe (born August 24, 1963) is an Israeli Arab social activist, politician, and conflict-resolution expert. He is known for his work in fostering Jewish-Arab relations and promoting coexistence in Israel. Darawshe serves as Director of Planning, Equality, and Shared Society at the Givat Haviva Educational Center and is a visiting scholar at the Illinois Global Institute. He has also been involved in political campaigns and leadership roles within Arab political parties in Israel.
==Early life and education==
Darawshe was born on 24 August 1963 in Iksal, Israel. He became involved in initiatives promoting coexistence at a young age, participating in the Givat Haviva Encounters program, which brought together Arab and Jewish youth. 
Darawshe pursued higher education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science in 1985. He later obtained a Master of Arts in Public Administration from the University of Hartford and a Master's degree in Peace Studies and Conflict Management from the University of Haifa.https://www.idc.ac.il/he/research/aiep/documents/mohammad-darwisha.pdf
==Career==
Darawshe's career spans politics, social activism, and academia, with a focus on Jewish-Arab relations and conflict resolution. From 1984 to 2000, he worked as a parliamentary and campaign aide for the Democratic Arab Party and later for the United Arab List, managing election campaigns and contributing to political strategies. In 2000, he co-directed The Abraham Fund Initiatives, where he worked on projects aimed at improving Jewish-Arab relations in Israel.
In 2008, Darawshe was elected as a city council member in his hometown of Iksal.
In 2014, he joined the Givat Haviva Educational Center as Director of Planning, Equality, and Shared Society. He focused on promoting dialogue and collaboration between Jewish and Arab communities, particularly in the context of education and policy development. He has also served as the coordinator of various initiatives related to coexistence and peace education.
In 2021, Darawshe took over leadership of the Arab Democratic Party, rebranding it as "Ma'an—Together for a New Era," although the party later withdrew from the elections and endorsed the Joint List.
Darawshe is an accomplished academic, serving as a faculty member at the Shalom Hartman Institute and lecturing at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. His research and teaching focus on peacebuilding, coexistence, and Jewish-Arab relations.
In addition to his activism, Darawshe is involved in academia. He is a faculty member at the Shalom Hartman Institute and has given lectures at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. He is also a visiting scholar at the Illinois Global Institute, where he teaches conflict resolution. Darawshe also holds a fellowship at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin.
Darawshe is a prominent speaker and has presented at major international forums, including the European Parliament, NATO Defense College, World Economic Forum, and the US Congress. He is recognized as an expert on Jewish-Arab relations and conflict resolution and has received numerous awards, including the Peacemakers Award from the Catholic Theological Union and the Peace and Security Award from the World Association of NGOs.
==Personal Life==
Darawshe resides in Iksal, Israel, with his wife and four children. 
 
Category:1963 births
Category:Politicians of Arab political parties in Israel
Category:Israeli academics
Category:Israeli businesspeople