Award winners
Hanan Alsanah
NIF is proud to be honouring Hanan Alsanah, Co-Executive Director of Itach-Ma’aki: Women Lawyers for Social Justice. A Bedouin lawyer, feminist and social entrepreneur, Hanan is transforming the lives of women in unrecognised Bedouin villages in the Negev. She established the first women’s centre in an unrecognised village, founded Israel’s first feminist newspaper in Arabic, and has led successful campaigns to bring schools, clinics and public services to her community. She represents Bedouin women before the United Nations, works to advance women’s leadership in governance and peacebuilding, and co-founded a Jewish-Arab Emergency Relief Centre providing essential aid to thousands in the wake of 7 October.
Avner Gvaryahu
NIF is celebrating Avner Gvaryahu, former CEO of Breaking the Silence, an organisation of Israeli veterans who collect and share testimonies revealing the daily realities of military occupation in the West Bank and Gaza. Under his leadership, Breaking the Silence ran public tours, educational initiatives and international advocacy, giving voice to hundreds of soldiers who have witnessed and participated in the conflict. Avner’s commitment to truth-telling and justice ensures that the experiences of veterans are heard, pressing Israeli society to reckon with the impact of the occupation and to uphold human rights. Avner currently works on long-term diplomatic solutions to the conflict and safeguarding democracy in Israel, including opposing the controversial NGO Funding Transparency Law.
