Dr. Abuelaish grew up in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and has practiced extensively in both Israel and Gaza, including one of Israel’s main hospitals. In 2009, during Israel’s 22-day attack on Gaza, the Israeli Defense Force shelled Dr. Abuelaish’s home, taking the lives of his three daughters and niece.  Instead of letting hate overcome him, Dr. Abuelaish’s message is one of courage in the face of tragedy:

“I want to give hope in this world where people are desperate and frustrated... to give them a role model with a real example, not to speak about something theoretical but something I lived."

Throughout his life, Dr. Abuelaish has worked fervently to foster peace between Israelis and Palestinians. His powerful memoir, I Shall Not Hate:  A Gaza Doctor’s Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity, published in 2010, is an inspiring account of his work as a doctor and regional activist.  Following the success of his book, Dr. Abuelaish went on to establish Daughters For Life, in honor of his lost loved ones. 

Daughters For Life is a foundation that provides women in the Middle East with scholarships for education and healthcare. The organization’s mission is to enable young women to become active participants in the peace and reconciliation process.  In this spirit, generous foundation scholarships offer women the prospect of earning college degrees from Middle Eastern or Western institutions, an opportunity that they could not otherwise afford.  In particular, Daughters for Life assists women who study medicine, law, business administration, and journalism. These fields represent the careers that Dr. Abuelaish’s daughters and niece were interested in pursuing before their lives were taken.  Daughters for Life also creates advocacy and research initiatives to improve the programs and services offered to women in this region.  According to the organization’s philosophy, “when female values are better represented through leadership at all levels of society, overall values will change and life will improve in the Gaza Strip, in Palestine as a whole, in Israel, and throughout the Middle East."

Dr. Abuelaish was able to transform tragedy into an effort to ensure a brighter future for his war-torn homeland, where over 10,000 civilian lives have been lost since 1987.  In every aspect of his work, he asserts that hate is not a response to war, but rather communication, understanding and compassion are key to bridging the divide between Israeli and Palestinian interests. “All can live in harmony," he says, “and all can reach their full potentials spiritually, emotionally, physically and intellectually."  He is currently a professor of global health at the University of Toronto and continues to serve as the chairman of Daughters for Life.