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.
