Understandably, the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas has dominated international headlines. However, amid the ongoing violence, an alarming rise in discrimination and attacks against Palestinian citizens of Israel has been overlooked. Since Hamas launched its surprise assault, Palestinian citizens have faced assaults, harassment, and workplace discrimination, contributing to a climate of fear and insecurity.
Jafar Farah, the director of the Mossawa Center, a nonprofit organization that advocates for Palestinians in Israel, revealed that the center has been inundated with reports of physical attacks, hate speech, and bias against Palestinians on a daily basis. Farah highlighted several distressing incidents, including the unwarranted attack on a young Palestinian man with special needs by Israeli police in Haifa. Additionally, a Palestinian physician at an Israeli hospital reported being unjustly accused of supporting terrorism by a colleague.
The Mossawa Center has also received numerous accounts of Palestinian students facing harassment at universities and Palestinian workers being unjustly fired from their jobs due to baseless allegations of supporting Hamas. These discriminatory actions further perpetuate the marginalization and exclusion of Palestinian citizens in Israel.
Furthermore, Palestinian communities have been forced to coordinate emergency aid efforts among themselves out of fear that Israel’s national emergency medical response service may neglect Arab towns, as has occurred in previous military escalations. Palestinians in Israel feel a sense of terror and oppression, with Farah noting that they perceive themselves to be living under a military regime.
While discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel is not a new phenomenon, the intensity has significantly risen amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Farah stressed that the regional conflict overlooks the fact that Palestinian citizens are also victims and subsequently become targets. Hanin Majadli, a Palestinian journalist, emphasized in a column for Haaretz that being a Palestinian Israeli has become even more challenging during these times, with many feeling unjustly labeled as guilty.
It is crucial to note that the violent attacks by Hamas militants have resulted in over 1,300 deaths in Israel, alongside almost 100 individuals taken hostage. Tragically, around 15 Arab citizens in Israel have also lost their lives. However, the heightened discrimination against Palestinian citizens must not be overshadowed by the broader conflict.
The Mossawa Center advocates for an immediate cease-fire and peaceful reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis, urging the exclusion of civilians from violence in any military escalation. At its core, the center emphasizes the need to end the bloodshed and create a more inclusive and harmonious society.
As the world closely follows the developments in the Israel-Hamas conflict, it is imperative that the discrimination and attacks against Palestinian citizens of Israel do not go unnoticed. Balancing different perspectives and providing an unbiased account of the situation is essential for fostering understanding and promoting peace in the region.
