For weeks I've been debating whether we – Israel's Arab citizens – should join the protests against the judicial reform.
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Until now, I have felt that as Arabs with a complex identity, as Palestinian citizens of Israel, we did not belong in the demonstrations held under the flag of Zionism. In addition, such a move could harm the goal of the Jewish protesters because the new government would interpret Arabs joining the demonstrators as highly negative.
This was the case in the first few weeks of the protests when Palestinian flags were waved by demonstrators. In our experience, the presence of Arabs will also prompt a particularly harsh dispersal of protesters, which is why many choose not to attend.
As a Palestinian citizen of Israel, I watch from the sidelines shocked and unable to understand how a state that was successfully created on the basis of democratic laws, even if at the expense of the Palestinians, is destroying its very own achievement.
For weeks, I thought that a battle is being waged between Jews: secular vs. religious, Left vs. Right. But as time went on, I realized that the process is destructive for the Arab sector as well.
It is no secret that many in the Coalition are not interested in a multicultural Israel that would include the Arabs, which is why they strive to take control of the government and deny any basic right related to the Palestinian identity in Israeli society.
Moreover, they want to prevent any integration by Arabs into Jewish cities and aid anyone seeking to prevent exposure to Arabs, for instance as caregivers. I have no doubt this will be followed by a blockage of funds meant for the Arab public in Israel, including educational and cultural institutions.
Other future laws will prevent Arabs from integrating into government and municipal institutions and will lead to a major decrease in their representation at these workplaces. The unbearable ease of regime change in Israel requires us to take a clear side in the protest and make our voices heard in demonstrations and the media.
Perhaps this will damage the uniform image that emerges from the protest, but in the future, Jews and Arabs standing together will strengthen our integration into Israeli society while preserving our historical identity as Palestinians.
As such, I call on everyone who cares about our future and the future of our children, Arabs as well as Jews, to raise their voices against the violation of the rights of citizens at every possible opportunity.
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