Bangladesh, March 21 -- In the mid-1990s, American marketing consultant Gary Wexler was tasked by the Ford Foundation with helping strengthen civil society communications among its Israeli grantees. The foundation was funding both Jewish and Arab organizations, aiming to support democratic development and coexistence. What Wexler encountered, however, revealed a stark divide.

While Jewish groups spoke optimistically about peace and regional cooperation, Arab organizations approached discussions from an entirely different perspective. Conversations about coexistence were largely absent. Instead, a single name repeatedly surfaced whenever difficult questions arose: Ameer Makhoul.

Makhoul, who headed an Arab civil society organization in H...