Maan News reports on this:
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israel has sent a delegation of 100 students to represent it in the annual Apartheid Week in South Africa, an Israeli newspaper reported Tuesday.
The report in Maariv noted one unusual participant in this year's delegation -- a 25-year-old Muslim Bushra Khalilieh, a member of Israel's Arab minority in the Galilee.
The newspaper said Khalilieh was attending university in one of South Africa’s university campuses. Khalilieh, who wears a hijab, came to Israel's defense during activities on campus.
"We toured Johannesburg and Cape Town’s campuses and met local students," she said.
"We spoke with them about Israel and I told them about my personal issue as an Arab girl living in Israel. I feel Israel to be my hometown where there’s equality and I have all my rights.”
"When students hear us, they are surprised as there are some who do not even know there are Arabs living in Israel. I, as an Arab Israeli girl, love my country and believe that it seeks peace and respects all its citizens.”
Khalilieh, a masters student at Tel Aviv University, stressed that she represents herself and not the position of the Israeli government.
“I represent myself as a Muslim Arab who lives in Israel as a liberal and free girl unlike other Arab girls who live in Arab countries and do not have the human rights I have like freedom of expression and dignity.”
She added: "There are people who are calling to boycott us and say that there is apartheid in Israel, but I try to show Israel as a country that’s different from what they think."
The report in Maariv noted one unusual participant in this year's delegation -- a 25-year-old Muslim Bushra Khalilieh, a member of Israel's Arab minority in the Galilee.
The newspaper said Khalilieh was attending university in one of South Africa’s university campuses. Khalilieh, who wears a hijab, came to Israel's defense during activities on campus.
"We toured Johannesburg and Cape Town’s campuses and met local students," she said.
"We spoke with them about Israel and I told them about my personal issue as an Arab girl living in Israel. I feel Israel to be my hometown where there’s equality and I have all my rights.”
"When students hear us, they are surprised as there are some who do not even know there are Arabs living in Israel. I, as an Arab Israeli girl, love my country and believe that it seeks peace and respects all its citizens.”
Khalilieh, a masters student at Tel Aviv University, stressed that she represents herself and not the position of the Israeli government.
“I represent myself as a Muslim Arab who lives in Israel as a liberal and free girl unlike other Arab girls who live in Arab countries and do not have the human rights I have like freedom of expression and dignity.”
She added: "There are people who are calling to boycott us and say that there is apartheid in Israel, but I try to show Israel as a country that’s different from what they think."
If only the BDS Crowd or their Hard Right counterparts could see this.
Here is a woman that will speak "truth to power" and stand up for what is right while at the same time presenting a positive view of cooperation between Jews and Palestinians in Israel.
For the BDS crowd it is important because they are so filled with misinformation regarding the state of Israeli Arabs with whom they conflate with Palestininans in the West Bank. Obviously this young woman, who attends the University in Tel-Aviv is not suffering from the ravages of an imagined Apartheid system (under which this situation would never occur). This goes hand in hand with the many examples of Israeli Arabs wanting to stay a part of Israel rather than move to or become part of a Palestinian State.
This echo's my experience living in Israel around the Israeli Arabs that I met. They were all students at the University and I did not see any outright examples of discrimmination towards them. Now, was their racism there. Yes there was, were there "unspoken" barriers placed before them... Yep. BUT, it was nothing like what the BDS'ers (or those suffering from Israel Derangement Syndrome) portray.
And for those on the Hard Right suffering from MDS (Muslim Derangement syndrome), this along with many other examples goes to show that not all Muslims (and I would venture most) are truly out for our blood. Because that too was my experience living in Israel and interacting with both Jewish and Arab Israelis. In fact, my worst experience was with a young Kahanist... anyway..
I just thought I would add this hopeful story.
BDSers are filled with misinformation indeed.
ReplyDeleteBut in their case it is their own fault and a profound character flaw. They are utterly impervious to facts that conflict with their narrative.
I applaud this young lady's nuanced view of her home country. She is obviously the kind of intellectually open person who belongs at, and can truly benefit from, a university education (unlike many BDSers who are wasting their parents' or the government's money) She won't have any effect on the BDS cult, though.
Well it is one person at a time Fiz. She can affect some small degree of change, and someone else can affect another change and so on and so on. The Butterfly Effect if you will.
ReplyDeleteMy in-laws just worked BDS - they came back from Israel with an Israeli Krav Maga Shirt for me, a Kippah from the Western Wall (that meant the most), a small menorah that says "Jerusalem" on it and they bought Ahava Bath products for my wife and Sister In Law. When I saw the Ahava stuff I had to laugh thinking of all the BDS wankers.
I got two of my favorite shirts in Israel. One is my IDF hoodie. The other highlights the special relationship between the United States and Israel. It has both the American and Israeli flags on there and sets apart the middle three letters in Jersualem. :-)
DeleteHere are how other Israelis were recently met at UCLA.
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/k4kqMn2Xxv8
And some BDSers in Dublin:
http://youtu.be/kwwy-ZqGKFQ
And, of course, the video that clearly reveals what the BDS really wants:
http://youtu.be/9FBnEtV_toU
Well we know what the BDS'ers really want. They want to destroy Israel. I had that fight for a long time at DKos. Their movement is racist based. They see all Jewish Israelis as their enemies.
DeleteThere is no legitimacy to BDS whatsoever.
Here is J Street on BDS
For some, the BDS movement has become a convenient mantle for thinly disguised anti-Semitism. While concern about the present and future of the Palestinian people is both legitimate and warranted, these concerns do not justify categorically delegitimizing and demonizing another people.
J Street recognizes the legitimate and urgent concerns related to peace, justice and human rights that have motivated calls on college campuses and beyond to boycott certain Israeli products or divest from U.S. companies that support continuing Israeli policies of occupation and settlement expansion, or for governments to impose sanctions on Israel. We recognize that the sluggish pace of diplomatic progress toward a two-state solution motivates some of these efforts. However, the urgent need for peace will not be reached through alienation. J Street believes that a peace resolution will be reached through international, and more specifically regional, cooperation. Long-term progress will be achieved through diplomatic means, not isolation.
I could not have said it better myself. And hey... I did not.
There can be a debate regarding J Street on another occasion, but there is no debate about BDS and the nefarious goals it seeks.
DeleteThank you, Bushra Khalilieh. And speaking of BDS, doesn't Tel Aviv University ring another bell? Oh yeah, that's right... ;)
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to shoutout here for Ranya Fadel.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jweekly.com/article/full/64439/from-chillaxing-to-rockets-teens-get-earful-on-israel/
I got to meet her a couple of weeks ago, and she's a lovely woman.