Editor’s note: As part of our ongoing series with the Alliance for Middle East Peace, we have been featuring the voices of peacebuilders from the region over the past weeks. When covering the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the media and peacebuilders face a similar issue – there is an overwhelming focus on the political situation and acts of violence, but very little on the actual people involved.
This series tries to address that by highlighting the people who must live out the reality of this conflict every day – the Israelis and Palestinians who are actively working to build peace and understanding between the two communities. Many, including the Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (MEET) have real-world impacts, helping to build bonds between young Israelis and Palestinians that help to create a more inclusive society. MEET’s focus on entrepreneurship and leadership training, engaging both communities equally, is crucial given the current situation in the region, and given the current economic exclusion and difficulties many Israelis of Arab and Palestinian descent face – and the dire situation facing Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. As a general note, Peace News has received no compensation from any organizations in this series, and each piece, including the following text, is written by an author involved in the work of their organization.
October 7th marked the beginning of one of the most violent periods in our region, and an immensely challenging one for Isreali-Palestinian relations in Israel. Now, even more so than before, Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (MEET) reiterates its unwavering commitment to a vision of a shared and peaceful future that young Israeli and Palestinian leaders can envision, together, as a fundamental pillar of our shared society’s resilience and strength. Youth and young people, who are most susceptible to the long-term implications of violence, constitute a growing portion of our society and are crucial players in it. It is precisely within today’s reality, that there is a dire need to cultivate and build binational networks of young leaders who can identify, innovate, and jointly address pressing social, economic, and political challenges toward a sustainable future.
Established in 2004, in partnership with MIT, MEET is an educational excellence program for promising Israeli and Palestinian youth (ages 15-17), cultivating the up-and-coming young change-makers that will shape our shared future. MEET educates and empowers its students, teaching them computer science, entrepreneurship, leadership skills, and, most importantly, how to solve complex problems by working together from an early age. Each year, 300 Israeli and Palestinian bright high-schoolers from diverse areas of the region, 50/50 in gender and nationality, participate in MEET’s three-year intensive program. At MEET they learn how to work together, harnessing tech innovation to build a resilient democratic society, impact their communities, and shape their shared future.
Our response to the events of October 7th immediately centered on two pivotal objectives: ensuring the safety of our students, alumni, and team, and upholding community unity and program quality. Additionally, MEET has been dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where community members feel empowered to voice their concerns and needs. The organization has also striven to remain flexible in its approach to best address individual and collective needs during this time. Above all, MEET believes the circumstances further highlight its crucial role in upholding its mission—safeguarding the strong bonds between Palestinians and Israelis.
Within the initial 72 hours, MEET conducted safety check-ins with staff, 215 students, and alumni, ensuring their well-being and offering crucial support. Additionally, the organization organized training workshops for its diverse team, fostering open dialogue and collaboration. MEET actively engaged parents and alumni through Zoom calls, sustaining meaningful discussions amid challenging times. The organization facilitated platforms for its students and alumni to join weekly dialogue groups, encouraging collaboration while addressing individual and collective emotional needs.
Since then, MEET’s bi-national team has worked tirelessly, taking essential steps to support the community. Despite challenges, MEET launched its year-long program online, achieving a90% attendance rate in bi-national sessions. Leveraging its expertise in hybrid learning, the organization smoothly transitioned to a fully online model, embracing a project-based learning approach.
Furthermore, MEET recently started offering an educational experience with KIBO, a child-friendly robotics kit, to Israeli and Palestinian children (ages 6-8) from northern and southern communities who have been displaced due to the current regional turmoil. Our binational alumni volunteer to teach the children in their native languages (Arabic and Hebrew) at makeshift schools and centers around the region. Our primary focus has been in geographic areas that are known to host a large number of evacuee families, including Nazareth, Tel Aviv, and Herzilyiha, and will extend to Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Tiberias, and Eilat.
The organization has also shared its experiences with multinational organizations, offering guidance to those facing similar challenges and underscoring its commitment to the broader ecosystem.
The MEET community encompasses a diverse array of people and perspectives. During these times, the organization has engaged in many difficult and complex discussions. However, this is not MEET’s weakness but its strength. The organization is thankful for all those who feel that MEET holds an important enough place in their lives to share their perspectives throughout this challenging period. The MEET community—its team, students, parents, and alumni—has stood firm in rejecting hate and violence throughout, staying devoted to the shared vision of unity.
In the face of challenging circumstances, MEET’s team has remained a symbol of resilience, embodying unity and dedication to a brighter future amid regional turmoil. The organization extends its deepest gratitude to all who have contributed to its efforts.
Yaniv Sagee
Yaniv is an educator and agent of social change in the field of Israeli-Palestinian relations, with more than 30 years of international experience in the fields of education, NGOs, and social impact.
Throughout his career, he has held various management positions, including the CEO of the Center for Shared Society at Givat Haviva; co-founder of the Center for Share Society’s international boarding school for Israeli, Palestinian and international high-schoolers; Chairperson of the National Council for Youth Movements in Israel; the Israeli representative in North America for Givat Haviva, Hashomer Hatzair, and the Kibbutz Movement, and the youngest Kibbutz Secretary-General.
