The resilience of Israel’s north

One of Israel’s most prominent civic voices will visit Sydney later this month to share her perspective on rebuilding communities in the country’s war-affected north.

Liat Cohen Raviv, a resident of Metula, Israel’s northernmost town on the Lebanese border, is the founder and chair of Matzpinim, a non-partisan civic movement that has mobilised thousands of residents and organisations across northern Israel to ensure border communities help shape national policy and the region’s future. The movement has focused on making sure the voices and needs of those living along the border are central to reconstruction planning, rather than sidelined by decision-makers further south.

Named by Globes as one of Israel’s 50 Most Influential Women in 2025 and recognised by the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, Cohen Raviv brings more than 25 years of experience leading social, educational and civic initiatives in Israel and internationally. She is a former chief executive of the global Diller Teen Fellows program and today advises leaders and public institutions on systemic change, leadership and resilience.

“The story of Israel’s north is not only a story of war,” Cohen Raviv said.

“It is a story of what ordinary people choose to do when waiting for someone else to fix reality is no longer an option. That is where responsibility becomes action, where people discover that even in the most uncertain times, they still have the power to shape what comes next, and where hope stops being something we wait for and becomes something we build.”

Cohen Raviv said the true test of recovery would be whether young families choose to build their lives in the Galilee because they believe it is a strong and worthy place to do so, not because they have no alternative.

Cohen Raviv also stressed that the relationship between Israel and Jewish communities around the world should not be built only around moments of crisis. With her visit to Sydney, she said she hoped to open a broader conversation about how diaspora communities can play a role not just in responding to emergencies, but in helping to shape the long-term future of regions like the north.

“The most meaningful question is simply how we can become partners in shaping what comes next,” she said.

Cohen Raviv highlighted the role women have played in holding communities together through years of uncertainty.

“Women across Israel have been at the heart of holding families and communities together through this extraordinary period,” she said. “In Israel’s border communities, women have carried an enormous share of the consequences of this crisis, but they are not only carrying what has happened. They are already shaping what comes next.”

Cohen Raviv will appear at the WIZO NSW annual gala event, alongside The Australian columnist and associate editor Chris Kenny, who also hosts The Kenny Report on Sky News Australia. Kenny has been a vocal ally of the Jewish community, particularly in the wake of October 7 and the Bondi Beach terror attack, speaking and writing in support of the community at a time when many in the Australian media were less forthcoming.

Liat Cohen Raviv will deliver her keynote address at the WIZO NSW Gala on Sunday, August 23. Book tickets.