A shining light in Israel’s education system, the Hand in Hand schools, bring together Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel in a dual-narrative, bilingual environment.

More than 1,800 students attend Hand in Hand schools, but their unique model means that it’s not just the students impacted by the program, but also the circles around them. Parents, friends and the wider communities in which the schools are embedded reduce the distress and fear of living in a conflict zone.

By embracing ‘the other’, there is greater trust and better relations between Jewish and Palestinian Israelis living in close proximity.

Whenever there are incendiary moments like the Nation-State Law’s passage, or skirmishes on the Gaza border, the Hand in Hand communities are equipped to work through them, know their classmates aren’t their enemy, and set a standard for a shared Israeli society.