Love them or loathe them, Arabs for Israel are an interesting lot. They’re an American-based collective of Arabs and Muslims who support the State of Israel and the cause for peace in the Middle East. The organization welcomes Muslims, Christians, Jews and people of any faith, be it by birth or conversion. As someone who always feels she needs to hear every side and opinion, I’ve been intrigued by Arabs for Israel since I discovered them in September.
Arabs who support Israel?
On the Inside
Within the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there are many Israeli Arab citizens living in Israel who really feel caught in the middle. Many, but not all, are Palestinians who opted for Israeli citizenship. Most Israeli Arabs are Muslims, and almost all are bilingual Arabic-Hebrew speakers.
A 2008 study revealed that most Israeli-Arabs identify themselves first as Arabs (45%), while only 24% consider themselves Palestinian. 12% consider themselves Israelis. 19% identify themselves according to religion.
From the Balcony
Within the diasporas, there is a growing number of Arabs from a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities who support the existence of Israel and advocate sustainable peace that doesn’t involve the eradication or evacuation of either Palestinians or Jews.
Arabs for Israel is one of several non-profit organizations working to raise awareness and actively support peace efforts in the Middle East.
An Oasis of Peace
In September I visited Israel and Palestine, and I was deeply touched by my experiences, particularly in Gaza and Jerusalem. The overriding feelings I was left was wonder at how inherently similar the two faiths are and sadness at the depth of the rift between them.
During my visit, I stopped in to the Neve-Shalom Wahat-al-Salaam Peace Oasis between Jerusalem and the Jordanian Border, where I met an extraordinary Arab-Israeli couple. Eyas is a Moroccan Muslim and head of the village, and Efi, his wife is a Swiss Jew. They have three grown up daughters and wrote a book about their experiences called Le Marriage de la Paix (The Marriage of Peace). We spoke at length about the couple’s aspirations and challenges, and about their perspective on the “state” of the State of Israel.
The root of the problem, they concurred, is far more political than it is religious. As for the outcome, we unanimously drew a blank.
The Voice of Controversy or The Voice of Reason?
I returned from Israel and Palestine with more questions than answers, and naturally turned to Google. I stumbled across Arabs for Israel and its founder, the brilliant and controversial Egyptian-American Human Rights Activist, Nonie Darwish.
Nonie was born in 1949 in Cairo, Egypt. Her family moved to Gaza in the 1950s when her father, Colonel Mustafa Hafez, was sent by Gamal Abdel Nasser to serve as commander of the Egyptian Army Intelligence in Gaza, then under Egypt’s supervision.
Hafez founded the fedayeen that launched raids across Israel’s southern border between 1951 and 1956. In July 1956 when Nonie was eight years old, her father was killed by a mail bomb in a counter operation by the Israeli Defense Forces, making him a shahid (martyr).
Nasser vowed that all of Egypt would take revenge for Hafez’s death, and. According to Nonie, he asked her and her siblings, “Which one of you will avenge your father’s death by killing Jews?”
Realizing this was not the path for her, or the path to peace, Nonie began an extraordinary career as an author and public speaker advocating peace in the Middle East with a special focus on women’s rights and minority rights. Her persona, conversion to Christianity and her two books have caused their fair share of scandal, and I myself have friends who refuse to read them. Yet I celebrate the fact that the Islamic and Arabic cultures diverse enough to encompass and cohabit with both traditional and progressive ideals. As Arabs for Israel clearly states:
“We are NOT Anti-Islam, Anti-Arab, confrontational or hateful.”
An Original Manifesto for Peace
I find the following selection of Arabs for Israel’s aims as outlined in their manifesto particularly interesting and inspirational in the name of peace:
We are Arabs and Muslims who believe:
- We can support Israel and still support the Palestinian people. Supporting one does not cancel support for the other.
- We can support the State of Israel and the Jewish religion and still treasure our Arab and Islamic culture.
- There are many Jews and Israelis who freely express compassion and support for the Palestinians. We Arabs also express reciprocal compassion and support.
- Diversity is a virtue not only in the USA, but would be beneficial around the world. We support a diverse Middle East with protection for human rights, respect and equality under the law to all minorities, including Jews and Christians.
- We seek dialogue with Israel. We invite you to join us on a path of love.
