Dr. Edy Cohen, our own Israel Today correspondent for Arab affairs and one of the most influential commentators in the Arab world.

On October 27, a historically significant event will take place in Tel Aviv: For the first time, a major conference on “The Future of Minorities in the Middle East” will be held. The initiator and host is Middle East expert and Israel Today correspondent Edy Cohen. Dozens, even hundreds, of participants are expected—Alawites, Druze, Christians, Assyrians, Kurds, Yazidis, and others. They are coming to Israel to build bridges: bridges of unity, dialogue, and above all, hope for peaceful coexistence among nations. Most of them are traveling from Europe and the USA, where they have emigrated in recent years.

Millions of Arabs of all religions and denominations have been raised in their countries—through the education system and, of course, state media—with hatred toward Israel and Jews. They have absorbed hatred for Jews, for foreigners, and for those who are different. To this day, in Syria and Iraq, anyone who is not Muslim is considered an infidel. Those belonging to the LGBT community are deemed legitimate targets. In schools, they were taught that the USA and Israel are the devil, that Western states aim to harm Arab countries and the religion of Islam. Generation after generation has been indoctrinated in this way.

Yet today, after all the changes in the Middle East and the massacres of minorities, thousands of those Arabs who once hated Israel are coming to the Jewish state to meet the Jews—the same Jews that Arab leaders and state media have demonized for generations.

Against the backdrop of the massacres and abductions that have targeted religious and ethnic minorities in Syria and Iraq, including systematic persecution and displacement, the conference will provide an excellent platform to address the issue of minorities and the deep Israeli connection to it. It will focus on Israeli aid and shed light on the future of minorities—from Druze and Alawites to Assyrians, Yazidis, Christians, and other groups. It will also discuss ways to achieve justice and hold those responsible for crimes against humanity accountable.

The conference, with the participation of international and Israeli figures, aims to open new horizons for dialogue on reconciliation, justice, and securing the fundamental rights of those communities that have long been an integral part of the regional fabric. It will serve as a bridge for these minorities to Israel and the Jewish people. As a reminder: Israel has always supported and aided minorities—in the past, for example, the Kurds, and in the present, the Druze.

This is the first conference of its kind to take place in our region—a particularly significant event following the massacres of Alawites and Druze in Syria. It is important to emphasize that the Arab world has not condemned these massacres. On the contrary: it supports al-Joulani and even blamed the minorities for being the cause of these acts.

The conference will be held in Arabic and will take place on October 27, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the House of Zionist Organizations in Tel Aviv.

Israel Today will be on hand to provide exclusive coverage.