Druze Activist Honored by Israeli President for Helping Youth, Fighting BDS

The awards ceremony honored activists and volunteers representing diverse religious and ethnic communities who are all working for the benefit of their communities and the State of Israel.

By United with Israel Staff

Koftan Halabi, founder of DTEC – the Technological Institute for the Empowerment of the Druze Soldier, was one of a dozen recipients of the 2023 Volunteer Award from President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday evening at the President’s Residence.

Among the most prominent activists in the country, Halabi has succeeded, in recent years, in leading what is nothing less than a technological revolution in the Druze community.

While the majority of Israeli Druze have served eagerly in the IDF for decades, with many having lost their lives defending the Jewish state, success in civil life has been coming along at a slower pace, especially in the fields of business and technology. 

Through DTEC, Halabi is securing the economic future of young Druze while easing their integration into mainstream Israeli society.

“This is an exciting step, but for me, it’s just the beginning of the road,” he said upon receiving the award.

Halabi has worked in the Prime Minister’s Office and served as a senior adviser to ministers and Knesset members. His activism and pro-Israel advocacy extend further, including his global fight against organizations promoting BDS and other entities that attack Israel.

Others awarded for their outstanding volunteerism include Oren Or Bittoun, founder and chairman of the “Trauma 4 Good” association, which helps army veterans suffering from PTSD; Amal Abu Elkum, a Bedouin activist focusing on youth at risk, the elderly and families in crisis; California resident David Hager of the Friends of Nahal Haredi, who has been one of the driving forces behind the movement to draft ultra-orthodox youth and promote unity among all segments of Jewish society; Nisim Bar El of the non-profit Yozmot Atid (‘Future Women Entrepreneurs’), helping women gain financial independence; mediation worker Aviva Halabi; Tzilit Jacobson of Bat Melech, which helps Orthodox Jewish women escape violence; and Yam Karp, who connects youth with Holocaust survivors, offering them companionship and support.