Questions Being Asked: Arab Citizens of Israel

Communal and National Identities​

Return to Pulse of Israel Home

FAQ: Arab Citizens of Israel

INTRODUCTION: WHO ARE THE ARAB CITIZENS OF ISRAEL?

Note to educator: These activities introduce learners to Arab citizens of Israel—first on a general level, then the personal—and some of the issues they face. For more information, see the FAQ: Arab Citizens of Israel.

Begin by asking learners what they know about the Arab citizens of Israel.

      • What people(s) do you associate with this designation?
      • How many Arab citizens of Israel are there? Where do they live?

Note to educator: If you are unsure your learners will be able to engage with these questions, feel free to move straight into the fact sheet below.

Have your learners acquaint themselves with a broad picture of Arab citizens of Israel using this fact sheet from the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF). The fact sheet has six sections: key terms, geography, Jewish-Arab relations, socio-economic status, education, and political parties, with several reflection questions throughout. After learners explore the fact sheet, ask:

      • What are your initial reactions? What stood out to you? What was new or surprising to you?

Play this video from the IATF to provide a brief introduction to the personal stories of some Arab citizens of Israel. After watching, ask learners:

      • What are your initial reactions? What stood out to you? What was new or surprising to you?
      • Then, use this facilitation guide with accompanying questions to unpack the video more deeply.

Note to educator: If you do not have the time to show the complete video, we suggest watching the first 5 minutes. For a complementary set of open-ended and reflective questions, see here.

Sections in this Resource

IDF: Exempted or Excluded?

IDF Service

Stories of October 7

Beyond October 7

Arabic and Hebrew

FAQ

DO ARAB CITIZENS OF ISRAEL SERVE IN THE IDF?

Note to educator: This activity delves into why most Arab citizens of Israel do not serve in the IDF for a variety of practical, political, and social reasons, and raises questions concerning the implications of this norm.

OPENING DISCUSSION

Begin by sharing this quote from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

“Arab Israelis are citizens of Israel with equal rights” and the “only legal distinction between Arab and Jewish citizens is not one of rights, but rather of civic duty.”

Ask learners:
      • What do you think is meant by “civic duty”? What are some examples of civic duty?
      • What do you think is the difference between equality based on rights and equality based on civic duty?
HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The quote from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is intended as an explanation of why Arab citizens of Israel are not required to serve in the IDF, a civic duty for Jewish men and women of age in Israel.

Note to educator: There is an important caveat: for Druze and Circassian men, enlistment is mandatory. The focus of the activity will remain on non-serving Arabs. There has also been a shift—traditionally, Arabs were the majority of people who did not serve, but today there are plenty of Jews who do not serve either, raising the question of whether or not the IDF is truly a “people’s army.”

Over the years, there have been many calls for Haredi men to serve in the IDF, but historically, there have not been widespread calls for Arabs to serve in the IDF, even when reservists have been stretched thin during times of need. There are a number of practical, political, and social reasons for this difference:

In 1948, when Israel declared its independence, it immediately was faced with a war against local Palestinian Arab militias and five invading Arab armies. So, to enlist Arab citizens could have put them in direct military conflict with friends and family. Since then, Arab allegiance with the Palestinian national cause has been another wedge between the IDF and Arab citizens of Israel, a majority of whom believe that the recognition of a Palestinian state is key to resolving ongoing unrest. 1 Arab citizens can volunteer to serve (and some do), but they may be stigmatized in their communities as a result.

CLOSING DISCUSSION
Ask learners:
      • What do you think might be the economic and professional implications of not serving?
      • What are the social implications of not serving?

Note to educator: Many IDF veterans receive financial benefits, such as education assistance and discounted permits for building homes and owning land. If they do not choose to volunteer for IDF service, Arab citizens of Israel are able to enroll in university earlier. 

People who don’t serve face ostracization as those who serve make important and lasting personal connections with their fellow citizens. Given that Arabs are already perceived as having connections with the enemy and needing to prove otherwise, not serving only strengthens this perception among many Israeli Jews.

ARAB CITIZENS OF ISRAEL IN THE IDF

Note to educator: Despite the societal norm, some Arab citizens of Israel do choose to serve in the IDF. This activity uses a satirical sketch to confront learners with the (humorously exaggerated) challenges that accompany this decision, as well as questions about the social significance of Arab service.

OPENING DISCUSSION

Watch this sketch from the Israeli satirical TV program HaYehudim Ba’im (“The Jews are Coming”) to frame the following activity. Caution: this sketch mocks racist views of Arabs.

Ask learners:

      • In the sketch, the officer talks about a “shared destiny.” To what do you think he is referring? And who do you think shares that destiny?
      • The officer also asks the Druze soldier: “Do you feel Israeli?” What do you think makes someone “Israeli”? Is it their place of birth? Their religion? Service in the IDF?
      • The officer’s parents were from Morocco and Egypt; why do you think he doesn’t consider himself an Arab?
HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Some Arab citizens of Israel have decided—especially in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks and the ensuing war—that army service is incumbent upon them as much as any other Israeli. Historically, Gadsar Nahal, an all-Arab unit of the IDF, has represented this segment of Arab society. More recently, in 2008, Hisham Abu Raya became the first Muslim non-Bedouin officer in the IDF. Today, he runs a program promoting military service among young Muslims as a key to advancing in Israeli society. Read more of Abu Raya’s story here.

CLOSING DISCUSSION
Ask learners:
      • In a conversation with The Times of Israel, Abu Raya shared, “If you want to advance in Israeli society and feel equal, army service is your entry ticket.” Why do you think he claims that army service is necessary to achieve a sense of belonging in Israel?
      • Opposition to IDF service remains entrenched in Arab society, especially among Muslims. Abu Raya himself faced the wrath of his family when he decided to enlist. What do you think the IDF can do to lessen this stigma?

HOW ARAB CITIZENS OF ISRAEL EXPERIENCED OCTOBER 7

Note to educator: Many Arab citizens of Israel acted courageously on October 7 and in the days following. This activity exposes learners to several stories of Arab citizens of Israel who were victims and/or heroes, like many of their Jewish Israeli counterparts, on October 7.

RESEARCH ACTIVITY

Help your learners discover the experiences of some Arab citizens of Israel on October 7, 2023. You can structure it in several ways:

      • Divide learners into small groups to learn about the story of one of the individuals below. Then, each group can present their findings to everyone.
      • Learners can be assigned or can choose 1-2 stories to research at home in advance of class (when the other activities in this resource will occur).
      • Divide learners into small groups. Each participant in the group can learn the story of one Arab citizen of Israel below and share that story with the group.
STORIES TO CHOOSE FROM

Farhan Al-Qadi, a father of 11, was taken hostage on October 7 when he refused to direct Hamas terrorists to Jews. He was the eighth hostage to be rescued alive after 10 months of captivity. Two weeks before his rescue, his captors fled after hearing IDF drills, leaving him in an underground tunnel with minimal food and rigged explosives to prevent his escape. Watch Farhan tell more of his story here.

Awad Darawsheh, a 23-year-old ambulance driver and paramedic for Magen David Adom, tended to the wounded at the Nova music festival until he was murdered by Hamas terrorists. He refused to leave the site even when the company instructed its attendants to flee. Watch more of Awad’s story and hear from his family here.

Yusuf Al-Ziadna is a minibus driver who saved 30 people from the massacre at the Nova music festival on October 7 where his own cousin was murdered. After driving a regular customer of his and their friends to the rave, he received a call for help and rushed back to the scene. In the months since, Yusuf’s story has received nationwide acclaim and, as a result, he has received threats from people claiming to be affiliated with Hamas.

Amar Abu Sabila rushed to help a mother and her two young daughters reach a nearby police station after their father was killed. Unbeknownst to them, the police station had already been taken over by Hamas terrorists. When they arrived at the entrance, terrorists killed both Amar and the mother. The two girls hid until the IDF arrived and rescued them. Hear more about Amar here.

More stories of the Israeli heroes of October 7 (Arab, Jewish, and otherwise) are available here, courtesy of the Israel Defense and Security Forum.

SINCE OCTOBER 7, HOW HAVE ARAB CITIZENS OF ISRAEL RESPONDED?

Note to educator: In the wake of October 7, polling has underscored growing distrust between Jewish Israelis and their Arab neighbors. 2 Suspicion of Arabs and Islam as a whole has led to serious social and economic issues for Arab citizens of Israel. In addition, Arab citizens of Israel have been charged by Hamas and other radical groups in the Islamic world with being “collaborators” of Israel. Long-standing government neglect and widespread discrimination mean that Arab society has been grappling with the challenges of October 7 on at least three separate fronts: the external threat of terrorist attacks; increasingly harsh policies enacted against them; and the growing rate of violence within Arab communities in Israel. 3

RESEARCH ACTIVITY

Provide your learners with these two perspectives from well-known Arab citizens of Israel post-October 7, one dealing with collective concerns and the other with personal issues of identity.

PERSPECTIVE #1: MANSOUR ABBAS

Mansour Abbas, the chairman of the political party Ra’am, the United Arab List, publicly denounced the October 7 attack as a violation of Islamic principles, which he said encourage peace and dialogue over violence and terror. Watch this interview with Mansour Abbas.

Note to educator: Abbas has emphasized the fostering of reconciliation between Jews and Arabs in Israel as not only a moral imperative, but also a prerequisite for maintaining peace and stability. In 2021, he led his party to join the governing coalition—the first time an Arab-majority party joined an Israeli governing coalition. And in December 2023, he became the first Arab party leader in Israel’s history to publicly call on the armed Palestinian factions to demilitarize and work with the Palestinian Authority to establish a Palestinian state through non-violent means.

Ask learners:
      • Why do you think it is important for Abbas to distinguish the Arab-Islamic community in Israel from Hamas and radical Islamism?

Note to educator: The underlying question is: isn’t the difference obvious? Arab citizens of Israel are understandably frustrated that their allegiance needs to be continually restated, especially when they were victims just like their Jewish neighbors. Indeed, since October 7, polling of Arab citizens of Israel has emphasized that the attacks do not reflect Islamic, Palestinian, or Arab values. On the contrary, half of the Arab public (51.6%) feels that the war has created a sense of shared destiny between Arabs and Jews. 4

      • What do you think the secondary impacts of October 7 have been on Arab communities in Israel?

Note to educator: Issues of employment and socioeconomics in Arab communities (here), for example, were further exacerbated by October 7. Social divisions are another key area, as distrust within Israel between Jewish and Arab communities has become even more apparent than it had been in the past.

PERSPECTIVE #2: NUSEIR YASSIN

Nuseir Yassin, also known as Nas, is the founder of the online community “Nas Daily.” Nas is an Israeli Palestinian with family in Gaza who has written about his internal struggle with his Palestinian-Israeli identity and his feelings of uncertainty concerning how the IDF should proceed. Speaking with Haaretz just three days after the October 7 attacks, Nas said, “I identified as Palestinian-Israeli, now I’m Israeli first.” And while he hopes to see an independent Palestine thrive, Nas said, “I only have one home, even if I’m not Jewish: Israel.”

For more about Nas, his personal background, experiences, and ideas for the future (published one year before October 7, 2023) watch here.

Ask learners:
      • What are some of the challenges of identity Nas underwent? Have you ever had to choose between different facets of your identity?
      • Why do you think Nas feels politically or personally conflicted?

Note to educator: The tension that this question is trying to evoke—one between Palestinian Arab national identity and Arabs’ identity as citizens of Israel—can be summed up by the popular phrase, “My state is at war with my nation.”

      • What do you think Israel means to Nas?

LANGUAGE: ARABIC AND HEBREW

Note to educator: This activity explores the place of language, particularly Arabic, in Israel and how it is symbolic of Jewish-Arab relations with the 2018 Nation-State Law as a basis of inquiry.

OPENING DISCUSSION
Ask learners:
      • What languages do you know/study?
      • What are the benefits? In your experience, is it hard to study or speak multiple languages?
      • Where do you see language in your everyday life?

Note to educator: Answers might include the classroom, street signs, music, restaurant menus, advertising, and any number of other places.

      • Today, most Arab citizens of Israel learn and speak Hebrew, but most Jewish Israelis do not achieve proficiency in Arabic (both groups typically learn to speak English). Is this information surprising to you?

Note to educator: Where do you expect most Israelis learn Arabic? Arabic is offered in high schools and universities, but most Israelis’ minimal engagement with Arabic occurs in the IDF. Those who graduate from school with a high level of Arabic proficiency are often placed in positions where they can utilize their skills.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Have learners read this excerpt from the 2018 Nation-State Law:

The Language of the State of Israel:

      • Hebrew is the language of the state.
      • The Arabic language has a special status in the state; the regulation of the Arab language in state institutions or when facing them will be regulated by law.

Note to educator: For more information on Israel’s Basic Laws, see here.

CLOSING DISCUSSION
Ask learners:

Watch the clip from this video (1:27-2:54) that focuses on the aspect of language.

      • How do you think Arab citizens responded to the Nation-State Law?
      • What does language have to do with Israel’s character as a Jewish state?

Watch this video that focuses on the Druze reaction to the law.

      • Prime Minister Netanyahu is firm in his stance that the law protects every Israeli’s individual rights and he pledges to strengthen Israel’s bond with the Druze community. Do you think the changes made to the status of languages in Israel achieve these ends?

1 Arabs in Israel, “Iron Swords” War (October 2023). Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

2 The Israel Democracy Institute. “Public Opinion Survey of Arab Society in Israel on the War in Gaza.” November-December 2023.

3 An extensive discussion of the impact of Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israeli Arabs is available here.

4  Arabs in Israel, “Iron Swords” War (October 2023). Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

אולי יעניין אתכם גם

You Might Also Like

Art
Educating in a New Era
Hebrew
Reflections on this Moment
Media
Crafting a Learner-Centered Memorial
Art
Marking the Moment

TAGS