The blood pact with the Druze community, which Israelis came to know intimately during the war, is now transforming into a covenant of life, future and equality through a new leadership program for Arab Druze students named after the late Lt. Col. Salman Habaka.
Habaka, a resident of the Druze town of Yanuh-Jat and a battalion commander in the Barak Brigade, fell in battle in northern Gaza on November 2. He was 33 years old and left behind his wife Arin and their two-year-old son.
Habaka was one of the heroes of the battle at Kibbutz Be’eri. On October 7, he left his family and drove south, where he led a fierce fight against terrorists and saved dozens of kibbutz residents. Shortly before his death, he recorded a message to the people of Israel: “I want all of us in Israeli society to be united.”
His story stands as a model of heroic bravery, patriotism and personal sacrifice for the nation.
Arin, Salman’s widow, completed a master’s degree in education and began working in the local municipality of Yanuh-Jat, where she now serves as a model of female leadership in the Druze community.
The leadership program aims to enable young Druze, especially women, to access fully funded higher education and build their future in the heart of Israeli society. The initiative was inspired by Habaka’s life and legacy; he believed that female leadership and higher education are foundational values and tools for change.
“Salman wasn’t just a wonderful father; he was the one who pushed me to study, believe in myself and always aim high,” Arin shares. “Thanks to his values, the leadership program was born. The Idan and Batia Ofer Family Foundation and Edmond de Rothschild Partnerships joined together in a moving show of support to establish the scholarship fund and commemorate his path, and ours."
“I’m proud to see that the program includes trailblazing women who are realizing Salman’s vision in practice.”
Full scholarships and personal support
This past November, 10 Druze students, both men and women, began their studies at higher education institutions across Israel as part of the program. They receive full-ride scholarships, personal mentoring, workshops on excellence and leadership, empowerment meetings, private tutoring, exam prep and direct support in engaging with faculty. Their fields of study include law, political science, architecture and dentistry.
In a moving meeting with Arin, the female students shared that they plan to take part in efforts to memorialize Salman. Later, a meeting was held at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem with President Isaac Herzog, First Lady Michal Herzog and Batia and Idan Ofer. “I’ve been following the Druze community since my military service," Idan Ofer said. "I hope the State of Israel fulfills its commitments to help Druze in Syria. I’m proud of the leadership program named after Lt. Col. Salman Habaka and hope many more will join.”
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The students meet with President Isaac Herzog, First Lady Michal Herzog and Batia and Idan Ofer at the President's Residence
Batia Ofer said that: “This is a leadership scholarship designed to prepare the next generation of leaders in the region. The dear Habaka family paid the ultimate price, and there is no consolation. We hope to carry on his legacy and commemorate him through scholarships for Druze women and men.”
Being the first female dentist in the village
Sivan Halabi, 24, from Daliyat al-Karmel, is a fourth-year dental student at Tel Aviv University. From a young age, she aspired to break barriers, for herself, her family and for Druze girls who would come after her.
“When I began thinking about the future, I didn’t know a single Druze female dentist—certainly not from my village,” she says. “I wanted to talk to a woman who juggles a demanding career with family life, but there was no one to turn to. So, I decided to be the one others can turn to.”
As part of the leadership program, Halabi manages the Tel Aviv branch of the Generation to Generation organization, which combats loneliness among isolated elderly people through human connection. She manages a network of dozens of elderly individuals and young volunteers, ensuring personalized matches, maintaining relationships and organizing events to foster a sense of belonging. For Halabi, this mission serves as a reminder that every hug, word or smile holds the power to heal.
Her parents supported her, and today she’s on her way to becoming the first Druze female dentist in her village. “I want to be proof that it’s possible—to be a woman, a future mother and a successful doctor. And if another girl looks at me and says, ‘If she did it—so can I,’ then I’ve fulfilled another dream.”
Breaking barriers in high-tech
Sara Ibrahim, 22, from the village of Sajur, is a second-year student in the PPE program (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) at Tel Aviv University.
She is one of only two Arab women to ever enroll in this program since its founding, and her choice sparked mixed reactions in her community: “People didn’t understand why PPE. ‘What are you going to do with that? Why not electrical engineering?’ It’s not common for a woman to study something like this. I heard all those comments.”
But Ibrahim wasn’t deterred and views her studies as a mission. “I’m here to open doors for Druze women. My friend is studying law, I’ll pave the way for her to reach the Supreme Court. We’re beginning to write a new reality.”
Through the Habaka Leadership Program, she leads efforts to remove employment barriers for Arab, and especially Druze, women seeking to enter the high-tech sector. She leads and supports training courses, provides personalized assistance, offers schedule flexibility and connects students to teaching staff. Each student’s challenge is an opportunity for her to intervene, encourage and create solutions.
Sara already knows what her next leadership initiative will be. She was accepted into the Women’s Lobby and received a role in its government affairs department: “I turn every action I take into a bridge toward a more equal future. I’m here to pave the way—even when I’m told it’s not meant for women like me. At the Women’s Lobby, I’ll promote policies that bring Druze women’s voices to decision-making spaces.”
Improving residents’ quality of life
Nur Ghabish, 22, from the village of Yarka, is a second-year law student at the University of Haifa. She always dreamed of pursuing higher education but wasn’t sure which field to choose. Encouraged by her father, she chose law: “I discovered it’s exactly where I can connect my values and aspirations. I want to become a judge—not for the power, but for the responsibility to bring change.
“The mission, the sense of belonging and my desire to help and promote the Druze community and lead change stem from a complex process of identity crisis, conflicting opinions and stereotypes. I feel we’re still confined by the framework society has defined for us, and that’s where my drive to make change comes from.”
As part of the leadership program, Ghabish leads an analysis of local authority performance indicators aimed at improving residents’ quality of life, in collaboration with Prof. Itai Beeri, who researches living standards across Israel’s municipalities.
She has encountered many data points and says the situation in Druze towns is often worse: “It’s exactly this gap that created my deep commitment to lead real change from within the community and for it.”
In addition to her work in the program, Nur also undertakes unique initiatives for the Druze community, including compiling and submitting clemency applications to the President’s Residence and reducing fines, in collaboration with Druze local councils.
Helping student mothers
Lana Tarif, 21, from Daliyat al-Karmel, is a second-year law and economics student at Tel Aviv University: “Law combines for me philosophy, human rights—something I’m deeply passionate about—and it can especially help improve the status of the Druze community in Israel.”
As part of her social engagement in the leadership program, Lana leads initiatives to raise awareness and promote action on sexual harassment in leading academic institutions in Israel. “This role allows me to have broad influence on academic policy surrounding various student issues,” she explains.
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Through her work with the National Student Union, Tarif initiated a first-of-its-kind mapping of officials responsible for addressing sexual harassment in higher education institutions.
She also works to improve conditions for student mothers, such as allocating nursing rooms or ensuring accessible parking after childbirth. “We’re almost invisible, and I want to change that. Feminism and social activism are part of who I am—and now it’s exciting to see it taking shape at Israel’s top academic institutions,” she said.
Beyond her academic work and activism for human rights, Tarif also took part in protests to bring back the hostages and gave a speech at Paris Square in Jerusalem.