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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I was amazed this week when a Jewish youngster at Tel Aviv University told me that the main problem in Israel – in his opinion – was that the Jews have not yet decided what kind of country they want.

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And there I was thinking that as a Palestinian Arab who lives in Israel, I was the one who was pendulating between two identities created by the establishment of the Jewish state.

Just like that, our identity as Palestinians turned more complex as we became citizens of Israel. Most of us managed to come to terms with our identity, being torn between belonging to the Palestinian people and carrying Israeli citizenship, and made a great effort to integrate into the society. Some efforts were successful, such as in education, while others much less so, such as employment, with the employment rate in the Arab sector being much lower than the average population.

Contrary to the Israeli-Palestinian dilemma, the Israeli-Jewish identity dilemma surprised me. Yes, the Jewish people have a state that was defined in the Declaration of Independence as Jewish and democratic. The same people who fought to preserve their religion in Europe, greatly impacted the world's economy, and suffered a terrible loss during the Holocaust, finally established a state, even if at the expense of a bloody conflict with the Palestinians.

I guess I had not internalized the fact that Jews in Israel have not yet decided what they want their country to look like. Consisting of Jews only? Of seculars only? A state of Jewish law? A bi-national state? A state for all its citizens? These questions form the basis of the Jews' internal struggle in Israel, the greatest of which at the moment is the fight against the proposed legal overhaul.

It illustrates this identity struggle, much like a triangle.

Hypotenuse – these are the many Jews who have no problem with Israel becoming a non-democratic state with a Jewish majority rule, based on the growing ultra-Orthodox sector.

Base – these are the minority Jews, but who contribute the most to the economy, who are fighting to preserve Israel's secular identity and separation of powers.

Height – this is the National Religious sector, which is fighting in all ways possible for full control over all parts of the country.

Within this triangle, we – the Arabs – are struggling to survive, until the identity of the Jewish state is decided. We are fighting for equal rights and against racism, for a good livelihood and education, and for life without violence stemming from a poor socio-economic situation.

We fight, but remain confined in the middle of the triangle, wondering if we still have a chance of becoming a fourth side – as a sector that contributes to the country's economy, education, and culture and brings benefits rather than endless struggles.

As someone who has recently been awarded for social involvement in Israel, I say it is time for the Arab sector to become that side – without being asked to give up its historical Palestinian identity and the natural and human sense of empathy with the Palestinian people's suffering.

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Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims, begins this year in early April. It is a month in which Muslims connect to God and his commandments, including prayers in various houses of worship, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.

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Most Muslims fast during the hours of the day and pray in mosques at night or early in the morning. The fact that many Muslims in Israel continue work as usual does not make things easier and can even lead some to exhaustion.

Given that the May 2021 Gaza fighting coincided with the last few days of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr – the holiest day of the month – all elements in Israel must learn from the past and strive for days free of escalation and provocations while providing freedom of worship.

This is a strategic decision that must be implemented on all levels: to instruct every police officer to contain small incidents as well as immediately and thoroughly investigate any unusual incident to prevent unnecessary escalation that could lead to an unnecessary conflict, damaging the process of healing in the ties between Jewish and Arab Israelis.

Now is not the time to argue over who is responsible for last year's events, but to prove that we can achieve multiculturalism in Israel if we truly want peace. All parties must work for lasting calm, without ego or constant efforts to prove who is boss. Let the worshipers flock to the mosques even if extremists are not thrilled, and give those who fast breathing space during the day, even if involves holding back from saying something that irks us at the moment.

As a Muslim who fasts and prays on Ramadan, and strongly believes in the sanctity of the month, I know how important it is for every Muslim to be calm, caring, supportive, and accepting during the fast. This is not at all a culture of violence, which, unfortunately, is attributed to the Muslim sector at this time.

All we ask on Ramadan is to be allowed to fast in peace and be given free access to mosques, including in east Jerusalem; To rejoice and not see policemen entering holy Muslim places unnecessarily. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past and allow extremists to trigger violence.

The police must hold honest conversations with the heads of Muslim communities out of a recognition of the freedom of worship and a genuine conviction that peace is tested in moments of mutual respect during the holidays. The political leadership – the prime minister, Knesset members, and mayors – must refrain from statements and actions that could escalate matters just to garner votes. They must seek to calm the public and build basic trust.

These are holy and sensitive days, which can bring about pure and positive soul-searching, or, alternatively, a renewed flare-up of unnecessary violence. Ramadan is a month of commandments and faith, and all parties must emphasize this and apply it in action.

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A lot has been written about the horrific murders that take place in the Arab sector daily. They occur with chilling ease due to the availability of firearms to any who seek.

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The responsibility rests first and foremost on the killers and those who sent them who have lost every touch of their humanity and determine the fate of others, without any remorse or deterrence, simply because they are not afraid.

I have already suggested appointing a commissioner for the matter, we have already analyzed the reasons behind the atrocious violence, which is based on poor education, and have blamed the police for their incompetence. And yet, I still lack a full picture that would explain to all of us the horrific reality of the continuation of this never-ending killing.

I recently internalized that the violence continues due to the calm after the storm, the silence that follows the headlines. The silence that stems from a lack of persistent, assertive, and even roaring response from the Arab sector itself, of which I am a member, and which is satisfied with an immediate response following each murder and does not persevere until the goal of eliminating crime completely is achieved.

This silence turns into fuel that feeds a firestorm that destroys everything in its path. It is the silence of the Arab sector whose members are afraid of criminals, understandably, and whose leaders are not brave enough to maintain the alarming issue at the top of the public agenda. An Arab sector whose teachers and school principals do not hold regular anti-violence workshops or do not hold in-depth conversations with their students, and are content with a brief mention. An Arab society that shows questionable respect to those in positions of power and does not fully renounce criminal gangs who kill our children, sons, daughters, and parents.

As someone who researches the spine, I would like to see the Arab sector grow a backbone and care for its children on all levels – educational, social, and physical. As a man who lost his brother to such violence 25 years ago, I would like to see each one of us stand firm against it and work tirelessly to improvise our society.

I would like to belong to a society that constantly works to eliminate the danger, especially as someone who was targeted at the age of 11 by my brother's killers.

A would like to belong to an Arab society that is proud of its amazing culture, rich language, poetry that penetrates the soul, education based on impressive history, and one that believes in its abilities and brings it to the forefront.

And lastly, I want to feel safe and protected within my Arab sector before we begin to (rightfully) blame the overall society that exhibits passivity and detachment from the events that occur in its backyard.

I would like to scream out to the divinity of all religions and apologize for how we hold the holy human soul so cheap and return it pierced with bullets and shots that target all, regardless of their religion, race, gender, and nationality.

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These exhausting deliberations are the result first and foremost of our failure to learn anything from the process we have undergone thus far. We are fighting one another and ensuring the general population is made to feel helpless and loses its faith in the system managing Israel's fight against the virus.

Enough is enough. The time has come for the events we've experienced to inform a clear and tested method for coping with the pandemic, in particular in light of the fact that around half of the population has been vaccinated. And yes, just like with the flu vaccine, inoculation needs to happen every year anew, and there is no need to get the public panicked over it.

Ongoing, informed, and measured management is what we need, not moves to upend previous decisions just to suit the atmosphere. By now, we should be able to formulate specific protocols for allowing students to enter schools the same as we did over the last year. For example, all teachers in schools must be vaccinated, and they are the ones responsible for students' and parents' health. Likewise, if one student has been infected in a class in which a majority of students are vaccinated, the rest of the class should not be required to enter quarantine but rather take a coronavirus test.

As a professor at Tel Aviv University, I believe the same criteria can of course be implemented at all the academic institutions without exception instead of leaving college students unsure of what the upcoming semester will look like. Similarly, one can already delineate clear criteria for entry to weddings in all sectors, including in the Haredi and Arab populations, to raise awareness of vaccination and allow such events to be held without concern the government may suddenly decide to cancel them at the last minute. In the same breath, restaurants operating in accordance with the green pass should not be shuttered.

The same is also true of the problematic component of canceling flights and banning travel to "red" destinations despite all the means we have at our disposal that do not require such extreme measures. One could, for example, have encouraged passengers to get vaccinated as a condition for flying to countries Israelis are prohibited from visiting due to high infection rates instead of canceling all flights to those destinations outright. This would secure a double victory as it would increase vaccination and allow for the continuation of routine life. At the same time, Israel could significantly raise the cost of a plane ticket for those who remain unvaccinated and seat them in an isolated section of the plane so that everyone comes to the conclusion they would be better off getting vaccinated and flying instead of spending their vacation frustrated at home.

The time has come to take a deep breath and follow clear guidelines decided upon in advance on all activities so that we can deal with the pandemic on one hand and continue to live normal lives on the other. This is possible, especially in light of the fact that we have access to vaccines. The hysteria is unwarranted. All we need to do is learn from the past and advance toward a different but optimistic future.

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These are hard times in Jaffa in the wake of the violent events of the past 24 hours. It's a time of ongoing helplessness over an uncertain future from the perspective of the older residents, Arabs and Jews alike. In days such as these it is incumbent upon us, all residents of this enchanting city, to look at the glass half-full and highlight the co-existence between Arabs and Jews that has always been the case, even before the inception of the state.

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Yes, there have always been anomalous events that cloud the viability of co-existence. These uncommon events tend to occur due to a lingering sense of social discrimination, which triggers frustration that sometimes translates into violence. Life can be beautiful in Jaffa, and we all have neighbors, Jews and Arabs, who we have been friends with for years. These are neighbors who celebrate the various religious holidays together; neighbors who share the unique foods of both cultures; neighbors who take care of everyone's children in times of emergency; neighbors whose children play outside together despite the socio-economic gaps. Examples such as these and many more are a part of my daily life as an Arab resident of Jaffa. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

However, we cannot bury our heads in the sand and ignore the difficulties. As an academic researcher and clinician, I must diagnose an illness precisely to provide my patients the most effective care. And there's no doubt that the worst disease afflicting Jaffa's Arab residents is their dire socioeconomic situation in general and the catastrophic housing situation in particular. Both these problems have always been a trigger for violent, individual anomalous events that spread to the masses, as we just witnessed.

It's not enough to turn the city into a first-rate tourist attraction for Jews and Arabs alike, from Israel and abroad. The residents' standard of living must be improved so they don't feel like tourists in their own city. Sadly, I can't recall one serious project aimed at solving the severe housing problem afflicting Jaffa's longtime Arab residents. I am using this platform to call on all leaders and all investors who come to build in Jaffa to work on behalf of true inclusion for all residents and not to divide people along religious or socio-economic lines, which, to my sorrow, has been the case in Jaffa up to now when it comes to housing projects. The city must remain multi-cultural and eschew the creation of expensive real-estate bubbles only for the city's affluent residents.

There's no question that violence from all sides must be denounced and discouraged. But there's also a need for a broad view of the situation and to reduce the stimulations and provocations that can lead to outbursts of violence. This is where prudent law enforcement by the police comes in.

Enforcement doesn't just entail physical violence with horses and batons, which is sadly the case most times protests are dispersed in general and in Arab society specifically. Enforcement involves open dialogue and meeting with residents on the ground so that frustrations can be vented rather than suddenly erupting into violence. Smart enforcement includes personal self-restraint on the part of police officers in the field so that matters don't spiral out of control, as I've seen occur to my regret. The police must remember that truly keeping the peace means striving for long-term solutions rather than short-term solutions in the form of suppressing spontaneous riots.

I spent my entire childhood – as my own family dealt with severe economic hardships early on – with Jewish and Arab families in Jaffa. We were always good neighbors to one another. Recently, one of my dear childhood neighbors, Orly, with whom we shared a courtyard, gave me a call. She spoke fondly of those days, the food and games we shared together. Jaffa has always been a city of daily co-existence, with all its mosques, churches, and synagogues. Let us live together, Arabs and Jews.

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