Khaled Abu Toameh tells the story of some Israeli Arabs who were also victims of Hamas on October 7: those who stayed behind to minister to wounded Israelis at the music festival and, as a consequence, were murdered by Hamas; those who, repelled by Hamas’ atrocities on October 7, are now convinced that they are “Israelis first, and Palestinians second;” those who now defend the state by volunteering for the IDF; those who — despite being Arabs — were murdered by Hamas anyway, just for fun. More on these Israeli Arabs who were also the victims of Hamas can be found here: “Hamas Also Slaughters Muslims,” by Khaled Abu Toameh, Gatestone Institute, November 30, 2023:
The Hamas terrorists who attacked Israel on October 7 did not slaughter Jews alone. The terrorists also murdered and kidnapped scores of Muslim citizens of Israel, including members of the Bedouin community. The terrorists’ murder spree made zero distinction between young and old, Muslim and Jew.
More than 1,200 Israelis were murdered in the massacre, while another 240 were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip as hostages. Of these, scores of Arab Israelis were murdered, wounded or taken hostage. Among the kidnapped is Aisha al-Ziadna, a 16-year-old Muslim citizen of Israel….
The first wave of Hamas’s attack hit a music festival at Kibbutz Re’im which had an estimated 3,500 young people in attendance.
The magnitude of the onslaught became apparent as bloodied and panicked people staggered into the medical tent screaming for help.
Finally, the medical staff was ordered to flee along with everyone else.
Awad Darawshe, 23, an Arab-Israeli paramedic, remained behind, refusing to abandon the wounded. “I speak Arabic. I think I can manage,” Darawshe said, supposing that he could reason with the terrorists. Perhaps he thought they would not harm a fellow Muslim Arab. He was wrong.
Hamas mercilessly beat, humiliated, abducted, and murdered their fellow Muslims, including Darawshe as he was bandaging the wounded. After Darwashe was murdered by the Hamas terrorists, his ambulance was stolen and driven into the Gaza Strip.
Abed al-Rahman Alnasasrah, 50, was murdered by Hamas terrorists when he attempted to rescue people from the music festival. He was married and a father of six children.
Fatima Altallaqat, 35, from the Bedouin village of Ar’ara, was also murdered while working with her husband near the city of Ofakim in southern Israel. She was a mother of nine children, the eldest nine years old and the youngest six months. Her brother said that Hamas terrorists shot 40 bullets into Altallaqat.
Her husband, Hamid, recounted:
“We’re a religious Muslim family and she wore the traditional headdress of a devout woman. It is inconceivable they [Hamas terrorists] could not see who was inside [the car]. They were five meters away from her as they passed. She said she could not feel her legs. Her head was opened and I could see her brain. I knew she was close to death.”
Suleiman Zayadneh, brother and uncle, respectively, to four of the Arab-Israeli hostages, describes himself as proud to be a Palestinian and Muslim. He vehemently rejects what he views as Hamas’s negation of both identities:
“What national pride? What religion? The people who came to shoot and kill — they know nothing of religion. These [Hamas] people came and killed left and right.”…
Undoubtedly, one of the objectives of the Hamas massacre, in addition to slaughtering as many Israelis as possible, was to thwart normalization between Israel and Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia. Hamas may also have aimed to damage relations between Jews and Arabs inside Israel.
The terror group was, without doubt, hoping that we would witness another cycle of violence between Jews and Arabs inside Israel, similar to that which erupted in May 2021. Then, Hamas succeeded in inciting a large number of Arab citizens of Israel to take to the streets and attack their Jewish neighbors and Israeli police officers.
This year, however, the Arab-Israelis have not heeded the calls by Hamas. One reason is that Arab-Israelis saw, with their own eyes, how Hamas terrorists make no distinction between Jews and Muslims….
Among the Israeli Arabs, there were those who gave their lives trying to minister to wounded Jews at the music festival. There are others who are in the IDF, as volunteers, fighting and dying for their state, the state of Israel. There are the Arab and, especially, Bedouin, victims of Hamas, wantonly killed because Hamas operatives “felt like it.” When, Khaled Abu Toameh wonders, will the people of Gaza, so oppressed by Hamas, become fully aware of how well Arab Israelis live, in a polity where they enjoy equal rights, democracy, freedom of speech, and a free media, and can compare the lives of Israeli Arabs to their own wretched and impoverished existences under the ruthless killers of Hamas, who steal billions of dollars in donors’ funds, and do not hesitate to imprison or murder any Palestinians in Gaza who dare to complain about this state of affairs? He’s hoping that after Hamas has been crushed militarily by Israel, the people of Gaza, having seen what Hamas did to destroy the territory, will — after initially hailing Hamas as having “withstood the Zionist onslaught” — then bethink themselves, look at the rubble of Gaza, and finally, turn on the Hamas operatives who caused this disaster, and end Hamas’ role as a “political” entity as well.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Any Israeli Jews here – do you think that Israeli Arab muslims would have a long term loyalty to Israel, over the ummah? Forget about entities like Hamas, Fatah, PLO, Arab League, OIC, et al… do you think that they and their descendants, w/o being de-islamized, will remain long term loyal citizens of Israel?
PMK says
I don’t like to say it, but I don’t see Muslims anywhere in the world being willing to remain loyal citizens of any country not ruled by sharia. Remember the comments of the man whose wife was shot and killed:
“We’re a religious Muslim family and she wore the traditional headdress of a devout woman. It is inconceivable they [Hamas terrorists] could not see who was inside [the car].
It suggests to me not that this shouldn’t have happened to anyone but that it shouldn’t have happened to HER.
As long as Muslims are taught that non-Muslims don’t deserve to live and practice their faith freely, no one will be safe. As more and more Muslims migrate to the West, non-Muslims are under increasing threat. As Muslim numbers grow, our leaders tell us to be wary of offending Muslims. We must give up our heritage and culture so that they won’t feel offended.
abu taleb says
I don’t trust any muslim, how can I trust somebody who believes in Quran which says something like never be friend with Jews or Christians (or any non muslim), or tells muslims to fight non muslim any where the muslims can find the non muslims.
So, no, Israeli Arab muslims will never have a long term loyalty to Israel unless they become apostates.
Tony Rice says
I think you will find that not only in previous wars with Arab countries, Israeli Arabs fought WITH I D F and against the Arab countries, plus today there are not only Arabs serving in the I D F but suggest other Arab Israelis do likewise. Israeli Arabs know full well where they are better off and treated as equal human beings and certainly don’t want to be ruled/governed by Hamas, Hezbollah et ell. There are 2 million Arabs living voluntarily in Israel, THAT must tell us something.
H North says
Thus the punishment of the hypocrites shall be more severe than that of the infidels. Hypocrisy is actually the worst kind of disbelief. (Surah Fath 48:11)
Surely, Hamas and other practicing muzzies categorize any other muzzies loyal or living in Israel as hypocrites that deserve only death.