Support center for Druze youth opens in Isfiya in memory of Mahmoud Khair al-Din — Jerusalem Post
A center has opened in the Israeli town of Isfiya in memory of Lieutenant Colonel Mahmoud Khair al-Din. It will support young Druze entrepreneurs in starting their own businesses. The initiative has been described as an important first platform of its kind for Israel’s Druze community, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Mahmoud Khair al-Din was killed in 2018 during a covert operation in the Gaza Strip. For a long time, he was known to the Israeli public only as “Lieutenant Colonel M.” His family says the center also continues his work supporting Druze youth, including helping those who enroll in the military boarding school where he studied.
Support for entrepreneurs
With the support of Professor Miriam Adelson, an accelerator program began operating at the center several weeks ago. It is intended to help young Druze people develop in the high-tech sector.
Khair al-Din had a long military career in the Paratroopers Brigade and later in the special operations unit of military intelligence. At the same time, he devoted considerable attention to education, leadership and youth development in his community.
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Foundation projects
In 2009, Khair al-Din founded a nonprofit organization to support young members of the community and worked with the Aharai! program, which helps teenagers develop skills and resilience before military service after they turn 18.
The family also established the Lieutenant M Foundation. Its projects include a memorial and educational center intended to tell the story of Khair al-Din’s life and values, as well as a community and parents’ support center. The foundation works with the Association for the Advancement of Druze Soldiers, which supports Druze people who serve or have served in the Israel Defense Forces.
The officer’s brother, Mamduch Khair al-Din, said the initiative is intended to open opportunities for young talents from peripheral communities by connecting them with Israel’s technology ecosystem and providing mentorship and professional tools.
