Since the tragedy of October 7, the level of xenophobia among Russian-speaking Israelis has skyrocketed. I increasingly hear things like: “I’m afraid to be treated by an Arab doctor,” or “All Palestinians hate us.” Meanwhile, horrifying stories spread online, such as one claiming an Arab family was allegedly planning to “slice Jews like watermelon.”
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That’s why it was especially important — and heartening — to take part in the press tour organized by the Mossawa Center for the Rights of Arab Citizens and its project Sowtna (Our Voice)
https://www.mossawa.org/eng/ —
to better understand the Arab sector of Israeli-Palestinian society.
We met with mayors, farmers, and cheese producers. We were welcomed by the president of Al-Qasemi College. Everywhere we went, we were received with warmth, offered hospitality, and heard stories about the realities of Palestinian life — both within Israel and in Area C.
We also spoke about difficult topics, often considered taboo in Israeli society:
– the chronic underfunding of the Arab sector,
– the absence of social services in Area C, which is under full Israeli military and administrative control,
– the difficulties Palestinians face in obtaining work permits,
– and the separation wall, which has divided families, forcing people to cross checkpoints just to visit their relatives.
And the most important message we kept hearing from everyone we met was the desire to live in peace. Without fear. Without hatred. With hope for a future of peaceful coexistence.
By Mikhail Safonov, author of Null and Void
photo kredit : Mikhail Safonov
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