Choosing Health, Building Partnership

Held in Haifa on May 13, 2025, the “Choosing Health, Building Partnership” conference marked the first national health conference focused on Arab society in Israel. The convening brought together over 400 participants from across Israel’s health system, municipalities, civil society, and policy-making institutions. Organized by the Ministry of Health, Joint ELKA, local municipalities, and health funds, the conference marked three years of implementing the national strategic plan to reduce health disparities in Arab, Bedouin, and Druze communities. The plan is anchored in five government resolutions (GR-550, GR-1279, GR-716, GR-717, and GR-88), and its implementation is led by a dedicated headquarters under the leadership of Dr. Nour Abed Elhadi Shahbari.

At the convening, Dr. Nour Abed Elhadi Shahbari , Head of the Arab Health Implementation Task Force at the Ministry of Health, presented the 2024 report on the implementation of the national health plan: “ Over the past year, we established a broad professional infrastructure that integrates new partnerships, innovative mechanisms, and large-scale health promotion processes. We initiated and led groundbreaking initiatives and unique collaborations with health funds, local authorities, civil society organizations, and leading researchers, all aimed at developing long-term solutions tailored to the unique needs of Arab society.”

Gaps and Key Developments in Health Program Implementation

The report highlighted persistent health gaps affecting Arab society in Israel. The plan aims to reduce these gaps by at least 25% across two or more key health indicators. These disparities include:

• Infant mortality rates twice as high as in the general population
• Higher rates of diabetes, obesity, and mental distress
• Lower access to healthcare and reduced trust in the health system
• Cultural, religious, economic, and gaps in healthcare infrastructure and access
• Underdeveloped infrastructure and a lack of public spaces promoting healthy lifestyles.

These challenges are further exacerbated by long-standing service gaps, inadequate budget allocations, and weak integration of local authorities into the national health strategy.

Since the launch of the national health plan, notable accomplishments include:

• An investment of over NIS 650 M in Arab, Bedouin, and Druze localities, with an additional NIS 80 M for East Jerusalem.
• Establishment of 22 regional health clinics and infrastructure projects in 19 Druze and 10 Arab localities.
• Support for 39 civil society organizations through a dedicated grant program in coordinating 150 public health workshops and training sessions for the minority communities in the past six months.
• A national diabetes awareness campaign that exceeded 12 million views.
• Introduction of a scholarship program, “Health Ambassadors – Al-Razi,” through which 120 scholarships have already been awarded to Arab students pursuing careers in health professions.
• Development of culturally adapted early childhood language enrichment tools and injury prevention programs for Bedouin children.
• A NIS 5 M investment in a health workforce development program in partnership with Mifal HaPais, promoting excellence, engagement, and a sense of belonging among young Arab students pursuing health professions where there are existing workforce gaps.

In addition, the regional clusters are leading health-promotion programs, such as fall prevention in the elderly and nutrition programs for children. For example, the Galilee and Valleys Cluster (Galil Amakim) enabled smaller municipalities to collaborate and successfully apply for national programs they could not access on their own.

October 7^th Response

In the wake of October  7^th events and growing social polarization, the Ministry of Health in partnership with JDC-Tevet and Maoz launched another initiative to strengthen shared society within the health system. The program includes the appointment of dedicated diversity coordinators in all health institutions, a series of webinars and leadership workshops on Jewish-Arab relations in healthcare, the development of a new “tension measurement” tool, and the establishment of cross-sector learning forums.

Building Health Through Partnership

One of the conference panels, “Building Health Through Partnership,” focused on fostering collaboration between government ministries, healthcare providers, local authorities, civil society organizations, and philanthropic foundations. Speakers emphasized the need to pool resources and leverage the unique strengths of each partner to create lasting, collective impact. Prof. Nachman Ash, former Director-General of the Ministry of Health, summarized the session: “Leadership must build togetherness—day to day. Only shared routines can prepare us for shared emergencies.” The panel was followed by three TED-style talks delivered by senior Arab healhcare professionals—Prof. Zaher Azzam, Prof. Khetam Hussein, and Prof. Sarah Abu-Kaf—who shared personal reflections and professional insights on the diverse experiences within Arab society.

Healing Together: Arab-Jewish Partnership for a Shared Society

A second panel, “Healing Together: Arab-Jewish Partnership for a Shared Society,” addressed the critical role of inter-communal relations in preserving social cohesion during times of crisis. Speakers emphasized the health system’s cultural diversity as a vital strength. Maintaining this fabric, they argued, is essential to the system’s resilience and its ability to deliver equitable care. Arab healthcare professionals also shared moving personal accounts of exclusion, fear, and resilience during the war. At the same time, the conference highlighted powerful examples of solidarity and shared responsibility: healthcare professionals from Arab society stepped up during times of crisis, volunteering in hospitals and clinics, often under challenging circumstances and personal risk.