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Shoshan Haran

Shoshan Haran is an Israeli agronomist who founded the Fair Planet nonprofit and was held hostage by Hamas for 50 days after the Be'eri massacre.

born 1956Founding Fair PlanetCaptivity in Gaza after October 7Campaigning for the hostages' return

Occupation: agronomist
Education: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rutgers University
Founded: Fair Planet (2012)

Shoshan Haran was born in 1956 in Be'eri

Shoshan Haran was born in 1956 and grew up in Kibbutz Be'eri. Her parents, Avraham and Rina Habron, were among the founders of the kibbutz.

She earned a BA in plant protection at the Hebrew University's Faculty of Agriculture and then worked in farming at Be'eri. She returned to complete a Ph.D. under Ilan Chet. She did postdoctoral work at Rutgers University with a Fulbright scholarship.

Back in Israel, she worked for 11 years at Hazera Seeds developing vegetable varieties. In 2012 she founded Fair Planet, which helps small farmers in Africa get suitable seed varieties. The group started in Ethiopia and later expanded to Tanzania and Rwanda.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants abducted her from her home in Be'eri with her daughter and two grandchildren. Her husband Avshalom and her sister were murdered that day. She was released after 50 days in the first hostage deal of November 2023.

After her release she campaigned for the return of the hostages and addressed the UN Security Council in May 2024. In June 2025 the Open University of Israel gave her an honorary doctorate. Her book about her captivity was published in January 2026.