Center staff
Chairman of the Association: Dr. Amir Khnifess
A social and public activist within the Druze community and the eldest grandson of Sheikh Salah Khnifess, who served as the first Druze member of the Knesset and was one of the founders of the Jewish-Druze Covenant of Life in Israel.
Dr. Khnifess is a retired IDF captain and holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of London, as well as a postdoctoral degree from Georgetown University in the United States. He is the founder of the Druze Movement for Democracy and Equality, a lecturer in academia, and a researcher at the Center for Druze Studies.
Dr. Khnifess leads the struggle against the Nation-State Law and the judicial overhaul within the Druze community. Following the outbreak of the Iron Swords War, he established the Druze Civil Sector Logistics and Supply Support Network.
CEO of the Center: Gila Livni-Zamir
Born and residing in Haifa, Gila Livni-Zamir is a publicist, social and urban entrepreneur. She is a graduate of the Mandel Leadership Program for Social Leadership and a director training program.
She holds a bachelor's degree in Communication and Society from the Open University and another in Education and Visual Communication Design from the WIZO Haifa Academy of Design and Education.
Previously, she served as a communications advisor in both the political and municipal arenas.
A board member of the "Hadar Community" Directorate, she has led transformative processes in Haifa, particularly in the Hadar neighborhood. She lectures on "The Power of the Individual to Create Change." Her research, "Postmodern Trends in Israeli Society as Reflected in the Film ‘Shuro’", which examines the Sabra myth in a postmodern era, was published in the book Visual Literacy: Study, Research, and Creation.
CEO of the Center: Gila Livni-Zamir
Born and residing in Haifa, Gila Livni-Zamir is a publicist, social and urban entrepreneur. She is a graduate of the Mandel Leadership Program for Social Leadership and a director training program.
She holds a bachelor's degree in Communication and Society from the Open University and another in Education and Visual Communication Design from the WIZO Haifa Academy of Design and Education.
Previously, she served as a communications advisor in both the political and municipal arenas.
A board member of the "Hadar Community" Directorate, she has led transformative processes in Haifa, particularly in the Hadar neighborhood. She lectures on "The Power of the Individual to Create Change." Her research, "Postmodern Trends in Israeli Society as Reflected in the Film ‘Shuro’", which examines the Sabra myth in a postmodern era, was published in the book Visual Literacy: Study, Research, and Creation.
The Public Committee of the Israeli-Druze Center
Dr. Ola Abu-Hassan Nabwani
Residing in Julis, Dr. Abu-Hassan Nabwani holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she researched the differences between Arab and Jewish women in balancing family-building and career development. She is currently a research fellow at the Truman Institute and a teaching fellow at Emek Yizreel and Kinneret Academic Colleges. Additionally, she is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Human Services at the University of Haifa, studying work-family conflict, life, job, and marital satisfaction, as well as remote work, comparing Jewish and Arab populations. She leads research on gender and family in the Druze community at the Israeli Druze Heritage Center.
Dr. Shuki (Yehoshua) Amrani
Raised and residing in Petah Tikva, Dr. Amrani is a retired Colonel and former Director-General of the Ministry of the Interior and Chairman of the National Planning and Building Council. He is the chairman and owner of Tovanot, a company specializing in planning and construction. He serves as the Head of the Bar-Ilan University Real Estate Center, a member of the committee for reviewing the appointment of directors in state corporations, a research fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) at Reichman University, and a member of the public council of Yad Vashem. Additionally, he volunteers as Chairman of Tzala, an organization dedicated to strengthening social resilience in Israel.
Dr. Amrani was awarded the Ometz Prize for promoting good governance in public service. He holds five academic degrees: a Ph.D. in Political Science from Bar-Ilan University, two master's degrees in Political Science and International Relations, and Social Sciences with a specialization in Internal and Public Audit from the University of Haifa, a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Sociology, and a teaching certificate in Social Sciences from Bar-Ilan University.
Dr. Ido Zelikovitz
Born and residing in Haifa, Dr. Zelikovitz is a historian specializing in the modern Middle East. His research areas include the social and political history of the Palestinians, the Israeli-Arab conflict, Israel and the inter-Arab political system, Arab nationalism and Islam, and the role of higher education in shaping national identity in the Middle East.
He is a research fellow at the Chaikin Chair for Geostrategy at the University of Haifa, a senior lecturer, and the head of the Middle Eastern Studies program at Emek Yizreel Academic College. He is also a teaching fellow at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy, and Strategy at Reichman University and a policy fellow at Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies.
Dr. Zelikovitz has published two books on these subjects: Students and Resistance in Palestine: Books, Guns, and Politics (Routledge, 2015) and The Fatah Movement: Islam, Nationalism, and the Politics of Armed Struggle (Resling).
Brigadier General (Res.) Hasson Hasson
Born and residing in Daliyat al-Karmel, Brigadier General (Res.) Hasson Hasson has served in various senior and sensitive positions within the security system, including multiple command roles in Military Intelligence, where he was awarded citations and decorations as a special operations officer. He also served in the Menashe Brigade in the Judea and Samaria Division and the Counter-Terrorism Staff at the Prime Minister's Office.
Beyond his classified military roles, he served in the National Security Council and as the Military Secretary to Presidents Shimon Peres and Reuven Rivlin.
His father, Sabri Hasson, was the first Druze officer to enter officer training after the enactment of the mandatory conscription law for the Druze community.
Brigadier General Hassan holds a bachelor's degree in Law from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, a master's degree in Political Science from the University of Haifa, and an honorary doctorate in Philosophy from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.
