Muslim Israeli Arab Student Declares Pride in Being Zionist
by David Daoud
An Israeli-Arab Muslim declared his pride in being a politically right-wing Zionist and voiced criticism of both the leadership of his community and the Israeli Left, Israeli news website nrg reported on Friday.
Abdol Abugosh, 25, a communications student at Jerusalem’s Open University, made the declarations at a Tel Aviv University demonstration against violence. Waving the Israeli flag, he leveled his wrath at the Palestinians, Israeli-Arab members of Knesset and the Left.
“We demand that the Arab MKs stop incitement, stop directing the new generation towards destructive hatred, sectarianism, treason and war,” Abugosh announced to a group of like-minded Israeli-Arab students. “We all work, study and live together, and we came here to demonstrate our support for coexistence.”
Abugosh also said that only right-wing governments have addressed the needs of the Arab community. In contrast, he said, “The Left is condescending and busy with empty talk.”
He said he prefers “[Jewish Home Party head] Naftali Bennett, who promotes Arabs working in the hi-tech industry,” to left-wing politicians, and defended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against accusations of racism against Arabs.
Abugosh said he is conflicted about a key issue of contention.
“I would be happy if two states were established here, with an Arab state existing alongside the Jewish state, as long as I get to live here in the Jewish state,” he said. However, he added, the conflict will not end without Palestinian and Arab recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.
Abugosh, who runs a Facebook page with 9,015 followers — a project he said he hopes will help tear down the barriers between Israel’s Arabs and right-wing Israeli Jews — is a long-time Zionist, and did his IDF service with the Border Police.
Labeling himself a “Muslim Zionist Arab” has earned him threats and insults from Arab visitors to his page, but also many encouraging messages from Israeli and other Arabs, according to nrg.