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Source: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-695337
Amnesty Tries to Distort My Arab Identity
(Jerusalem Post) Yoseph Haddad - As an Israeli Arab who grew up in Nazareth, Amnesty International's recent report tries to distort my identity. Israeli Arabs like me live under the democratically elected government of Israel with equal rights like any Jewish citizen. No matter how many times Amnesty International tries to erase my identity to advance their political agenda, that doesn't make it the truth. I was a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces protecting the north of Israel - where most of the Israeli-Arab community lives - from terrorist rocket attacks by Hizbullah. I was also a commander of dozens of Jewish soldiers. What kind of "apartheid" would let Arabs give orders to Jews? A recent report by the Israel Democracy Institute showed that the majority of Israeli Arabs identify as Arab or Israeli Arab. Only 7% identify as Palestinian. In our Arab-Israeli community, the majority want to live in peace with Jews. Many already are an integral part of Israeli society. If Israel has a racial issue with Arabs, why did we then make peace with Morocco, UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain? The writer is CEO of the NGO Together - Vouch for Each Other, which aims to create better understanding and cooperation between Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews.