world-economy

Israeli, Palestinian Entrepreneurs Bridge Divide Through Joint Ventures

About 35 Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs are participating in 50:50 Startups, a six-month accelerator program pairing cross-border business teams. The cohort is smaller than previous years due to travel restrictions stemming from ongoing conflict. Participants attend workshops, lectures, and meet with mentors before pitching to investors at a Boston session. Salah Hussein, a 33-year-old Palestinian entrepreneur from Nablus, is among those collaborating with Israeli Jewish co-founders despite childhood trauma from military encounters. Hussein said he wants his children to grow up without hatred. The program, founded seven years ago, aims to build sustainable bridges through commercial partnership. Roughly 90 percent of startups fail, making cross-divide ventures particularly challenging.