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Magazine I Interview

Photos: PR

Our quick questionnaire What makes you angry? “Ayman Odeh, Ahmad Tibi, Ofer Cassif, and the anti-Israel liars”. What makes you sad? “People who have forgotten about October 7 th ”.

“My dream is to see full Arab and Jewish partnership within Israeli society. It should be a partnership based on mutual respect, love, tolerance. And the common destiny that we share"

I can to raise awareness about the hostages sill captive in Gaza”. I suppose that as an Arab-Israeli, you meet quite a few challenges in your work as an advocate for Israel. “I do. The challenges come from the extremists that exist in every society. The extremists in the Arab society are a minority that tries to silence me by threatening me. They don’t want to hear the truth and they hate that I refuse to be afraid. I truly know and believe that most Arab-Israelis want to be a part of Israeli society, but they won’t speak up for fear of retaliation. I know how violent those extremists are, because they have already targeted me in the past, attacking members of my association, friends, and members of my family. And of course, there are the extremists from abroad, the anti-Israel crowd for whom an

Arab-Israeli advocating for Israel cannot be a real Arab. There’s also an extremist minority inside Jewish right-wing Israeli society for whom I am nothing more than an Arab no matter what I do for the country. And then there’s the extremist left-wing minority in Israel that sees me as a collaborator and a traitor to his people. All of them have one common denominator – fear from the truth. And all use the same strategy of threats and intimidation to try to get me to shut up. But what I have to say to them all, is that they will not have their way”. Where do you get the strength to deal with all of this? “I take it all as my personal quest for truth. I see the lies and the damage done – and I won’t stand for it. Our only weapon is the truth. And with it we will prevail”. What is your dream?

What makes you laugh? “I can’t think of anything funny just now, but I guess I’m always happy when I meet IDF soldiers”. What do people not know about you ? “That I’m a cleaning freak”. What relaxes you? “Classical music and news of another Hamas leader being killed by the IDF”.

“My dream is to see full Arab and Jewish partnership within Israeli society. It should be a partnership based on mutual respect, love, tolerance. And the common destiny that we share, as was demonstrated on October 7 th, when Hamas slaughtered Arabs and Jews alike. My dream is to see a strengthened and united Israeli society, because it’s when we are united that we are unconquerable”. ˆ

28 ATMOSPHERE APRIL 2024