On July 20th, 2015, Daughters for Life Foundation’s Board of Directors visited University of Haifa, Israel, to award six outstanding female students the Annual Award of Merit.

Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, the Founder and President of the foundation, together with the Founding Directors; Dalal Abuelaish and Shatha Abuelaish and his other children, Mohamed, Rafah and Abdullah Abuelaish visited the University of Haifa where Vice Rector Prof. Perla Werner Welcomed Dr. Abuelaish, while Dalal, Shatha, Mohamed, Rafah and Abdullah Abuelaish had a tour at Eshkol Tower Observatory.

The open remarks were led by Mr. Michael Messinger, Executive Director, Resource Development, followed by word of Mr. Amos Shapira, President of the University, who referred to the fact that Dr. Abuelaish’s Family is a tangible example that personal pain, as terrible as it may be, does not have to end in violence.Mr. Shapira also expressed his utmost recognition that Daughters for Life foundation have chosen the University of Haifa as one of the institutions to receive this award.

A Screening of Coexistence Video was followed then word by Prof. Lily Orland-Barak, Dean of the Faculty of Education, honoring the recipients from the Faculty of Education. After a Musical Interlude, a word of Prof. Gad Barzilai, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Award presentation to the recipients from the Faculty of Law took place.

Ms. Iris de Vries, one of the Daughters for Life’s Award recipient, addressed an appreciation speech for Daughters for Life Foundation, uttered her own feeling towards the Foundation’s cause and for this honoring.

Then Dr. Abuelaish spoke to the guests about the Daughters for Life foundation’s vision that one day, all Middle Eastern young women will have the opportunity to attain a high quality education, regardless their ethnicity or religious affiliation, thus creating a peaceful world through the power of education.

The Visit was concluded by a tour at the Charney School of Marine Sciences where accompanied by Gene Regulation in Development and Evolution, Dr. Smadar Ben Tabou deLeon,  the Department of Marine Biology, Marine Geoarcheology & Micropaleontology Laboratory, Dr. Beverly Goodman, the Department of Marine Geosciences and Cnidarians Developmental Biology and Molecular Ecology, Dr. Tamar Lotan, the Department of Marine Biology.