In the heart of Israel, in worlds old and new, lies the city of Jerusalem. Over thousands of years, merchants have flourished here, contributing to an economic foundation that would help the city continue to exist into the future.
Though living in a socially and politically divided country, Israel’s Jewish and Arab Israeli populations can find commonality in the economic needs for survival. The NGO Yozmot Atid recognized this and decided to use this common factor to bring the two communities together.
Partnering with USAID, Yozmot Atid’s West-east Jerusalem Program came to life. Together, they launched an ambitious program aimed at fostering entrepreneurship among Jewish and Arab women, offering a lifeline to those facing financial distress. At a time when economic hardship and cultural tensions often exacerbate divides, this program stands as a beacon of hope, offering training, mentorship, and collaboration.
Funded through USAID’s Conflict Management and Mitigation, the organization describes its Female-Led Microbusiness Development for Promoting a Culture of Peace program as empowerment and enrichment for female-led microbusinesses.
The most recent session was held at Ramat Rahel, bringing together women from all backgrounds across Israel’s Jewish and Arab communities for months of collaboration, helping one another advance life in their communities. Through training and mentorship, Yozmot Atid’s initiative has brought more than 700 Palestinian and Jewish Israeli women from Jerusalem alone, over the period of three years, with that number continuing to grow.
The project uses this mechanism as a platform for participants to directly address challenges related to the conflict, under the guidance of experienced mentors and community leaders. Cohorts of around 40 would engage in a course on business entrepreneurship, partake in joint meetings and workshops, and go on trips with the goal of networking and creating business collaborations.
Through meetings and language-specific training, the initiative addresses the unique challenges these women face, from cultural barriers to financial literacy, helping them build the confidence and skills needed to succeed.
The focus on language training is particularly crucial in bridging gaps between the two communities. Arab and Jewish women, often separated by language, come together to learn not only about business but also about each other.
“There’s a sense of solidarity that develops when you’re learning side by side,” said one of the program participants, highlighting how mutual understanding grows alongside entrepreneurial expertise.
Collaboration across communities
The program isn’t just about entrepreneurship; it’s about fostering collaboration. Through joint ventures, women from different cultural and religious backgrounds come together to build businesses. Whether it’s in beauty, food, or alternative health care, these women are learning to value one another’s ideas and talents.
“Take these two women – one is a face paint artist for children and does a lot of birthday parties. Her partner’s business sells healthy chocolates, and by facilitating that professional relationship, they can partner together in many ways,” Yozmot Atid’s CEO Tsofit Gordon told In Jerusalem shortly after the latest cohort wrapped up their sessions.
Gordon said the events of Oct. 7 have added a new layer of tension to these collaborations, threatening the fragile trust that has been built. Through careful mediation and continued joint efforts, the program strived for the women’s economic needs and shared goals to remain at the forefront.
“Oct. 7 hasn’t changed that women still need to provide for themselves. They still need a job. They still need to create a livelihood for themselves. So they continue to come to this program, and they still want to be involved, and they still want to complete the program,” Gordon added.
“They really learn to appreciate one another. For example, particularly in Jerusalem, the gaps between the Jewish women and the Arab women are quite wide in terms of business, in terms of business knowledge, in terms of their education, since they don’t speak a common language.”
Women in the program learn to coexist in ways unexpected – helping one another learn how to ask critical questions to their partners in business and in life, navigating the bureaucracy of business ownership in Israel, and in so many other ways.
Barriers broken, bridges built
For many Arab women in Israel, cultural and social barriers have historically limited their participation in the workforce, particularly in leadership and entrepreneurship roles. But thanks to Yozmot Atid’s support, women are breaking these barriers, creating businesses ranging from beauty salons to home-based food services.
Gordon noted that many of these women from Arab communities frequently need male permission for participation – not for the organization but by their own local customs and standards. “Many women struggle to even get permission to kick-start their plans,” Gordon said.
Each person comes with her own battles, both business and personal. “In [some] cases for the Arab woman, she needed to get approval from her husband so she could come to the course… But she needs to ask him, and it’s not something that may come easily for her. The women also support one another with working through the government steps of setting up a business, so they speak to one another with great appreciation. They learn things about one another that they would never have outside of this course; they don’t really meet in their city,” Gordon noted.
“They all come because they want to create a livelihood for themselves. They want to create financial independence for themselves, and that is why they come to this course, even though they understand that it’s a course for Arab and Jewish women. They accept that this is the reality. They come to be able to provide.”
What’s ahead?
The success of the program in Israel has inspired plans for expansion. Yozmot Atid is looking to expand the model to women entrepreneurs residing in the West Bank, potentially bringing them to Cyprus to meet with their cohort. Including this group of Palestinian women beyond Jerusalem’s borders will aim to foster cross-border collaboration, extending beyond Israel’s immediate communities.
While economic necessity drives many of these women to participate, the program does not ignore the tensions that have recently resurfaced. Facilitators report that while collaboration remains strong, there are moments of friction that must be carefully managed.
The Oct. 7 attacks created an emotional undercurrent that cannot be ignored, but facilitators arrived prepared to help the women navigate these difficulties through dialogue and mutual support.
Ultimately, the program serves as a reminder that even in times of conflict, there is space for collaboration, growth, and understanding. As more women gain financial independence and learn to appreciate the value of their counterparts’ businesses, the ripple effects will be felt not only in their individual communities but across the broader region.
