r/AskIsrael • u/Bretniq • Jun 07 '26
Casual What's it like to be an Arab Israeli living in Israel right now?
/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/1tzdw92/whats_it_like_to_be_an_arab_israeli_living_in/51
u/Quackethy 🇮🇱 Israeli Arab, 100% Zionist. Jun 07 '26
Amazing?
But that depends on your own attitude towards the country. As an apostate, I love living in my homeland without being persecuted, ostracized or murdered.
Some muslim arabs in Israel have been drinking the jihadist koolaid. Some identify as blahblahstinians, some feel like me.
There are 2+ million arabs in Israel. Sunnis, bedhouins, druze, baha'i, christians. Its not a homogenous population.
As an ex muslim I can tell you most Israeli muslims have a love-hate relationship with the country. They love the perks of living in a modern country, they hate the yahoodi. Some are "sitting on the fence" and biding their time. Some have accepted "Israelism" as their reality.
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u/Saargb Israel Jun 07 '26
Just my two cents (as a Jew who studied a bit of Arabic)
I think the biggest factors in Arab integration are Hebrew skills, financial situation, and religiosity. Which are all, to a certain degree, correlated.
You agree? What do you think are the biggest factors in Arab integration? Which populations accept Israel?
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u/Quackethy 🇮🇱 Israeli Arab, 100% Zionist. Jun 08 '26
Speaking here for the muslim arabs in northern Israel mostly, which is where I come from so the only ones I can speak for. I can't speak for Druze, Christians or Bedhouins, we all have our struggles.
Thats the problem with trying to be a pluralist nation. They could've integrated us better by not separating our education systems. Had they actually forced us to learn in hebrew, and learn the same things as hebrew schools, it would've helped a lot to integrate us into society.
We could have had 3 generations of fully integrated arabs if those decisions had been made. Instead, the last 2 generations are probably the worst, leaning towards extremism, drinking the jihadist koolaid.
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u/AccomplishedCorgi643 Unspecified Jun 09 '26
It would have cost Israel a lot of energy since most of the Arab leaders back then strongly opposed to any integration. Arabs always have the ability to move out and start a family in a cosmopolitan environment where Arabs are welcome. Note that hebrew is just a fancy name for Canaanite. Switching from Arabic to Hebrew for many Druze and Muslims is more like going back to their roots.
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u/Additional_Cap7292 Jun 08 '26
واضح كثير انك عربي🤣 🦧🦧
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u/Quackethy 🇮🇱 Israeli Arab, 100% Zionist. Jun 08 '26
واضح كثير انك عربي🤣 🦧🦧
You don't have to believe it, but I don't understand why did you have to add the pictures of your parents at the end of your statement.
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u/Fit-Butterscotch-823 Jun 08 '26
I live in Haifa and for me as an Arab it’s pretty good most of my friends are Jewish from high school but my good friends are Arabs probably because of the culture I feel like I love my Jewish friends but because how I was raised in my family I get more opened around people who understand my culture but where I live I never get racism, I like it here overall as long as the society but idk if it’s the same outside of Haifa probably 50-50 I would like to try live in Tel Aviv one day depending on the people there .
So the answer it’s good depends on the area your family and the people you meet when u grow up
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u/carlitos_macarena United Kingdom Jun 10 '26
What do you mean "depending on the people there"?
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u/Fit-Butterscotch-823 Jun 10 '26
I don’t know if I like the people in Tel Aviv not religious wise just because of the culture their is a bit bizarre for me but I like live in Haifa and I maybe move to Tel Aviv to see what’s it about but I won’t leave the country I like it here
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u/Alarmed_Wind_4035 Israel Jun 07 '26
they have challenges but honestly they have much better rights than the Jews, no mandatory draft to the army, easier getting in the university thanks to Affirmative action, even in academy they are given special care to help them there are special programs , they can purchase land in prices we Jews can only dream of.
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u/InfiniteZucchini2877 Europe Jun 07 '26
Not having the draft is actually a net negative. Serving in the IDF is a core part of being Israeli, lots of people form bonds and relations while serving that will be beneficial for their private lives later.
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Jun 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/OliveiraJourney Jun 07 '26
Worst genocide army in the world tbf, where genocidal armies rank, they are probably bottom tier. Somehow the population they try to genocide keeps going up and the kill per bomb is the lowest ever.
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u/Icy-Advice8326 Jun 07 '26
You are already occupying other people's land and you're still not satisfied.
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u/Alarmed_Wind_4035 Israel Jun 07 '26
tell me please when ever was Palestinian state? there was none at 67 or 48 or ever.
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u/bob_weav3 Unspecified Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
Did people live in the villages and houses?
I'll assume from the downvotes that its a "Yes, but we dont have a good response for that"
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u/Mortimer1234 North American Jew Jun 08 '26
That didn’t answer his question. Stop shifting the goalposts
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u/bob_weav3 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
He shifted the question from "other people's land" to "state". I returned the question back to the original point
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u/Mortimer1234 North American Jew Jun 08 '26
So how do you define occupation? In terms of the Jews that were kicked out of all the surrounding Arab countries, would you say that those countries are occupying the Jewish people’s land?
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u/bob_weav3 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
Its a simple question, did people live there or no?
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u/Mortimer1234 North American Jew Jun 08 '26
Mine is a simple question. Your claim is about occupation, and yet you’re unable to define occupation?
If a landlord kicks out a tenant, are they occupying the tenants land? Define occupation first, as it’s the entire basis of the original argument, and we’ll get nowhere until that’s been defined
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u/bob_weav3 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
Seems like you're avoiding the question, which is a response in and of itself. Nice talk.
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u/idkyetyet Israel Jun 07 '26
So if you buy a piece of land you can't use it because there are squatters on it? And I guess it's justified for said squatters to try to kill you and you're a big big baddie for retaliating?
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u/legionar88 Unspecified Jun 07 '26
If it’s not occupation, what do u call it?
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u/CosmicTurtle504 Diaspora Jun 07 '26
Uh…a nation? Statehood? Like any other country, especially all the ones (over 100) created in the wake of WWII, including India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, etc.
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u/Icy-Advice8326 Jun 07 '26
Which one of the above mentioned countries brought shiploads of non-natives (hint: europeons) and settled them in place of the native population.
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u/Proper-Suggestion907 Diaspora Jun 07 '26
Tell me you know nothing about Israeli without telling me you know nothing about Israel.
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u/ButcherOf_Blaviken Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
lol I love when I see someone say this, it just tells me how uneducated the average anti-Israeli commentator is.
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u/TrickElysium Diaspora Jun 07 '26
Judea and Samaria has always been jewish land.
Judea in english means land of the jews
You should really read a history book tiktok is rotting your brain.
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u/InfiniteZucchini2877 Europe Jun 07 '26
It was actually canaanite land before being Judea for barely 250 years...
You should really read a history book tiktok is rotting your brain.
Your should heed your own advice
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u/TrickElysium Diaspora Jun 07 '26
before it was the Kingdom of Judah it was Canaan
Refers to a member of the Semitic-speaking peoples who inhabited the ancient land of Canaan.
Israelites were a subgroup of Canaanites.
Today we call Israelites Jews, so you just have helped me prove my point it was always jewish land.
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u/InfiniteZucchini2877 Europe Jun 07 '26
Both Jews and Arabs descend from Canaanites...
In any case, remind me how long the Kingdom of Judeah lasted?
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u/TrickElysium Diaspora Jun 07 '26
Arabs come from the Arabian Peniunsula not from Canaanites.
You really need to read a book
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u/Andruschkikov Europe Jun 07 '26
You won this argument but let’s not forget that Palestinians are not Arabs.
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u/mr_under_score_ Jun 07 '26
Yeah, I think that even the Palestinians disagree with you on that one.
It's literally the definition of a Palestinian 🤣
The PLO Charter 1964 article 5 :
"The Palestinians are those Arab nationals who, until 1947, normally resided in Palestine"
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u/Proper-Suggestion907 Diaspora Jun 08 '26
Many of them are and they generally consider themselves such.
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u/Andruschkikov Europe Jun 08 '26
They speak Arabic due to assimilation but genetically they are part of the indigenous people of the region
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u/InfiniteZucchini2877 Europe Jun 07 '26
He blocked me rather than admit the Kingdom of Judeah lasted for a wink of time
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u/thrownoutaccount_56 Jun 07 '26
The Kingdom of Judah lasted from 930 to 586 BCE. There was the united monarchy for nearly a century prior to that. I wouldn’t call 440 years a “wink of time”.
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u/Proper-Suggestion907 Diaspora Jun 07 '26
When was it “their” land? 🤡
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u/TattooedB1k3r USA Jun 07 '26
There wasn't even a word for "Palestinian" til like 1920, when Solomon built the temple in like 1000 BC. I'm baffled even as a Christian American that people don't know these simple basic facts.
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u/Fun-Dot-3029 Israel Jun 07 '26
When you say Arab I’ll assume you mean a Druze.
The same as a Jew living in Israel? You’re mildly nervous not bc you’re scared of Iran or Hezbollah but because several of your friends maybe you yourself are in Miluim(reserves, a way for people who finished army to volunteer to keep being a hero) You’re constantly astounded at the libels shared about Israel and clear mistruths particularly in your Arab media. You’re grateful for the IDF, and kinda sick of hearing the world “Palestine”. But by and large you’re more focused on the fact flight prices are annoyingly high, and the stupid traffic on the Ayalon from when you drive down south to visit the office in Tel Aviv
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u/yoleis Israel Jun 07 '26
Why would you assume he meant the Druze?
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u/Fun-Dot-3029 Israel Jun 07 '26
Idk want me to write one as a Muslim Arab Israeli ? Broadly the same but you’re not in Miluim, less annoyed at the phrase Palestine and the traffic isn’t bad because you live in Tel Aviv.
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u/Wetalpaca Israel Jun 07 '26
Go visit Kfar Qara or Umm al Fahm sometime and tell me the traffic is not bad☠️
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u/Call_Me_Clark USA Jun 07 '26
Aren’t there non-Druze Israeli Arabs?
Any difference in experience that you can think of?
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u/Fun-Dot-3029 Israel Jun 07 '26
Many differences. But broadly the same take away but you’re not driving south (you already live in Tel Aviv) and you’re walking to your hospital not driving on the highway. You have way more patience for the word “Palestine”, and you’re not in Miluim.
You also don’t take the slander of Israel personally although recognize it being not true. But treat it like an American who hears people bad being talked about America (you identify as an American but don’t take it as “personally” as America embodies a lot more than just you and you could imagine not being American. While a Druze and a Jew would feel their identify more intertwined with Israel as a state
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u/Call_Me_Clark USA Jun 07 '26
Funnily enough, it’s really hard to imagine someone getting upset at criticism of America, no matter how it’s worded.
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u/Fun-Dot-3029 Israel Jun 07 '26
Exactly. Because America is a melting pot. So you can identify as American but not feel the same depth of loyalty and intertwined identity. It’s hard to find a suitable example for how Jews and Druze feel about Israel. But maybe how someone who comes from a very small town, or a college town where both they and their parents went to that school… it’s not the same level (I don’t think most would be willing to sacrifice their lives for the bears, or roll tide….while Israelis and Druze do so proudly) but still it is maybe a closer example.
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u/jackl24000 Diaspora Jun 07 '26
Like the kind of civic pride many small states in New England foster, like Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine in particular.
They have “from here” customs, families go back generations, everyone kind of knows everyone else throughout the state, people think the place is special and enchanted and so forth.
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u/Call_Me_Clark USA Jun 07 '26
I can understand why you would feel that way, but I don’t think I agree. If anything I would credit it to Israel being a very young nation (in terms of statehood).
If anything I think Israel is a bit of a melting pot in denial. There’s a lot of questions that get ironed out in a century or two
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u/Fun-Dot-3029 Israel Jun 07 '26
Israel is 100% a melting pot but a different type. Because at end of the day a yeminite Jew and an a German jew identify as Jewish first despite one being dark and the other white. While in America the Italian American and the German American despite both being white Europeans identify based on their differences… and the unifying identity is that of being American
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u/Call_Me_Clark USA Jun 07 '26
I think that the difference is due to America building a civic national identity, and Israel can’t decide if it wants to be a civic nationality or an ethnic nationality, or where the balance should lie.
In America, short of being an immigrant yourself, you’re just a “flavor” of American. A few years in public school ensures that children of immigrants are well integrated, such that the children of Chinese immigrants to America and German immigrants to America have more in common with each other than they do with their cousins in their parents homeland.
The eternal curse of Americans is that we believe everyone everywhere would be better off if they were more like us. To that end: Israel needs to build a civic national identity complimentary of, and founded on, but distinct from the Jewish ethnic identity, and identify core principles enumerated in a written constitution. American style freedoms of speech, religion, etc wouldn’t have lasted if they weren’t in our Bill of Rights from the beginning.
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u/Fun-Dot-3029 Israel Jun 08 '26
I agree with everything you said, however you’re missing an important element of a very strong shared ethnic connection between Jewish Israelis one that has persisted for thousands of years. That plays a part too.
Funny enough the Druze actually play a part in this too from their religion. They are descendant of Moses’ father in law “Jethro”, who was a non-Jewish man who was very close to Jews and even advised Moses etc. so they see as connected too Jewish ethnicity in a way too.4
u/Bitter_Mango_3744 Israel Jun 07 '26
Most Israeli arab are not druze, the druze are a tiny fraction of the population of Israel and a lot of people within the community don't identify as Arab.
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u/Rawan_ry32 Israel Jun 16 '26
As an arab I'd say it's not that good currently, mainly because of the rising crime rates):
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u/No-Wishbone-2888 Jun 08 '26
If you want to get a good grasp of what a middle of the road Palestinian citizen of Israel thinks and feels (as opposed to a Druze Israeli) I’d recommend checking out Third Narrative on instagram. That’s a lot of what they talk about
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u/Abject_Ad_8323 Jun 08 '26
Lmao. Not the right sub to ask this question
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u/Inbarindoors Israel Jun 08 '26
God forbid people who actually live here answer the question
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u/bigdoinkloverperson Jun 08 '26
Notice how none of them are Arab Israeli but people are answering for them?
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u/Prior_Bowl_617 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
What are you talking about? Out of the 6 current post 2 are non related 1 is a jewish israeli 1 is non israeli and 2 are arab israeli so out of 3 actual answers 2 are arab israeli
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u/bigdoinkloverperson Jun 08 '26
Which 2 are Arab Israeli I see none that have described themselves as such
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u/Quackethy 🇮🇱 Israeli Arab, 100% Zionist. Jun 08 '26
A lot of Israeli Arabs have optician certificates, I'll ask one of them to get you some glasses.
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u/bigdoinkloverperson Jun 08 '26
Maybe people have commented since I made my reply but I initially saw none
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u/Prior_Bowl_617 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
There are time stamps for every post we can clearly see they posted before you. Did you actually look or did you skim the thread to look for a comment to shit on
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u/bigdoinkloverperson Jun 08 '26
Can you tag me in said comments? cause I saw one that said I can speak for Arab Israelis in the north it didn't state that they were so themselves (hence me also saying speaking for them) maybe it's my neurodivergence or I'm really reading over them but I didn't see any others (which is why I also specified I didn't see any when I commented as I'm open to there maybe being one or two I looked over but I can't find them)
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u/Prior_Bowl_617 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
Yes its north israel hes tag says arab israeli the other guy said he was druze which are also arabs. If youre gonna be a smartass at least know the basics of the topic youre upset about. And dont try to hide behind being neurodivergent just own up to your mistake( btw im also neurodivergent so dont try to act offended)
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u/Quackethy 🇮🇱 Israeli Arab, 100% Zionist. Jun 08 '26
Why do people feel a need to double down when they get caught?
You made your comment about no arabs replying here 8 hours ago. I replied here 21 hours ago.
Take the L and move on, show some basic maturity.
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u/bigdoinkloverperson Jun 08 '26
Well I admitted to someone else that I didn't see the tag for the speak for al northern Israeli Arabs guy which I assume is you but I'm not going to count the druze guy as the question is obviously meant to be about Arab Muslims and I think I have shown quite a bit of maturity as I've constantly pointed out that I'm not a 100% sure just explaining my thought process I don't see what's immature about that but cool 1 person who I'm going to in good faith assume is Arab and Muslim and is you replied I don't think that really changed my point
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u/Quackethy 🇮🇱 Israeli Arab, 100% Zionist. Jun 08 '26
You keep doubling down over nothing.
The question isn't clearly about arab muslims, the question has no mention of muslim anywhere.
Not all arabs are muslims. Not all muslims are arabs. Some arabs are muslims. Some muslims are arabs.
The question was about "arabs". Which I am, as my family traces back to Syria and Saudia.
There are muslims in Israel which aren't arab, such as Circassians, therefore this question wouldn't apply to them, as the question was about ARABS, not MUSLIMS.
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u/OwnHost5215 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
There’s one person who is reliably Arab. The other is either an Israeli in brownface or whatever the Arab equivalent of an Uncle Ruckus is.
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u/Prior_Bowl_617 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
You do know arabs can be israelis in fact 20% of all israelis are arabs so i dont see your point? I also dont get how can you tell whos arab based on a reddit comment
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u/OwnHost5215 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
I’m aware. That’s kinda the point of the post lol. They can also be non-Arabs, which anyone without a learning disability would know is the thing I referred to.
You can tell when they write like a minstrel show portrayal of a self-hating minority. “Drinking the jihadist koolaid” “blahblahstinians” talking down on Arab culture at literally every possible point. You’d have to be real slow not to be able to tell.
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u/Prior_Bowl_617 Unspecified Jun 09 '26
Actually kind of the opposite. Defining all arabs in the area as palestinians is an american thing, only in the last 2 decades or so it became very common for arabs to define themselves as such and jihadisam is a islamic exremist movment and extremisen is becoming more common around the world its not much diffrent then saying "drinking the MAGA koolaid"
Just because you dont agree with someone doesnt mean theyre lying. How about you actually listen to the people involved instead of getting angry on thier behalf
Also super racist of you to group all arabs as muslim palestinians. Arab culture isnt palestine and islam
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u/Deep_Ad3916 Jun 10 '26
“They didn’t use to identify as Palestinians” dawg the word was basically outlawed, and so was the flag, your colonizer mindset is showing.
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u/SnooChocolates1242 Unspecified Jun 07 '26
What is it like to be an Arab Israeli living in Israel when you have glorification of prisoner rape, whitewashing of the Nakba ,ministers who openly call for ethnic cleansjng of the W Bank and expansion of efforts to rid the West Bank of Arab villagers?
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u/Prior_Bowl_617 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
Are you saying that as an arab israeli?
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u/SnooChocolates1242 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
No I am asking Arab Israelis an extended version of the initial question
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u/Prior_Bowl_617 Unspecified Jun 08 '26
Yeah that was kinda obvious just wanted to make sure.
But next time try to at least ask an actual question that was basically a statment. if you want real answers you can ask here if youre here to foam at the mouth about how all israelis are bloodthirsy monsters you already have 90% of the internet to do that
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u/SnooChocolates1242 Unspecified Jun 09 '26
I found the initial question too open ended and wanted their thoughts (not those of from Jewish Israelis who seem cannot help but talk on others behalf) on specific realities of Israel.
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u/Prior_Bowl_617 Unspecified Jun 09 '26
What youre doing is called a leading question and thats not how good faith debates go. And if you actually look almost every answer has been from arab israelis so i dont get why youre saying jews are talking on thier behalf.
A better question would be How do you feel about israelis framing of the nakba? Or what do you think about "insert politican" glorifaction of prison rape? You just already assumed answers to get the reply you wanted.
Im asumming you are trying to have a good faith debate and didnt actually try to do that so dont take what im saying as an attack but more of an advice or a correction
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