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Five years ago, the Abraham Accords opened a door that generations believed would remain forever closed. What followed was not just diplomacy between governments, but something far more powerful: people began crossing borders, meeting face to face, and discovering that much of what they had been taught about the “enemy” was wrong.
In 2020, a young Bahraini woman named Fatema Al Harbi walked through that door. She had grown up believing Israel was demonic, that Jews hated Muslims, and that the divide was absolute. Then she met the people. There, in the streets of a country she had been taught to fear, she encountered Maryam Younes, a Lebanese Christian who fled to Israel two decades earlier. Their friendship would become a blueprint for what the region could become when curiosity replaces fear.
The Moment That Changed Everything
Fatema arrived in Israel in 2020 as part of the first non-governmental Bahraini delegation, organized by Sharaka, which means “partnership” in Arabic. Sharaka is an NGO founded by young leaders from Israel, Bahrain, and the UAE to promote peace, cooperation, and friendship across the region. She came not with political agendas, but with simple curiosity. What she discovered transformed her life.
Instead of the enemy she expected, she found a dynamic democracy bursting with diversity. She saw Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Bedouins living and working together based on their shared Abrahamic roots, highlighting the deep historical and spiritual ties that connect Israel not only to the region, but to its people. Many Jews were from Arab countries, and many Israelis were Muslim. They welcomed her into their homes, treating her with generosity and respect, both as a committed Muslim and as a woman.
The consistent message she heard was the same: they wanted peace. A Holocaust survivor she met taught her a lesson that would define her mission: “If you get to know the other, there is no space for hate.”
Parallel Paths to a Shared Purpose
Maryam Younes fled to Israel decades earlier under entirely different circumstances. At age five in 2000, her family fled Lebanon when it was targeted by the Islamic extremists. Israel became their refuge. She grew up preserving her Lebanese identity and Christian roots while integrating into Israeli society. She calls herself ‘a bridge’, a very proud Christian, a very proud Lebanese, and a very proud Israeli.
When she met Fatema during the 2020 delegation, something clicked. Here were two women from different countries, different faiths, and different journeys, discovering they shared the same dream: to show the world that the Middle East could be defined by connection rather than division. Their partnership was born from that shared realization.
From Personal Courage to Public Mission
Fatema returned to Bahrain forever changed. Despite facing criticism, she quit her job to work for Sharaka. Today, she serves as Gulf Affairs Director for Sharaka, organizing cultural exchange trips and leading Holocaust education programs. As an author, public speaker, and European Commission peace ambassador, she travels the world showing that peace is built through understanding.
Maryam took a different approach. As a content creator, she posts videos in Arabic on social media showing everyday life in Israel. She focuses not on conflict or politics, but on simple human moments: eating knafeh in Tel Aviv, lighting Hanukkah candles with her Haredi friend, and visiting churches and mosques.
These images shock viewers in the Arab world who have only seen Israel through the lens of misinformation. But the private messages she receives tell the real story. People write that they never knew this was how Israel looked, that visiting Jerusalem is their dream, and, most importantly, that they wish for peace.
Better Together
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Two Women, One Mission: Help Change the Future of the Middle East
Fatema Al Harbi was taught to see Israel as an enemy. Instead, she chose to build a bridge. This is the story of the partnership she forged with Maryam Younes to redefine their region.
