Hidden Treasure: Pro-Israel Arabs in Silent Support

Muhammed Zoabi. (Photo: Facebook)

In an exclusive interview, an Arab supporter begged us to get the message out that “there are thousands of Arabs living in Arabic lands who support Israel.” 

Earlier this year, supporters of Israel were astounded by a video produced by a Muslim-Israeli teenager who condemned Palestinian violence in Israel and urged Arabs to support Israel. His name is Mohammed Zoabi and his message was in Hebrew, English and Arabic.

His gutsy public appearance shocked people even more when they learned that he was a cousin to Member of Knesset Hanin Zoabi, the first female Arab to represent an Arab party (Balad) in the Knesset (Israeli parliament). She is most known for her constant Israel-bashing, her participation in the anti-Israel Mavi Marmara flotilla in 2010 and, most recently, saying that the Israel Defense Forces was worse than the Islamic State (ISIS) and calling IDF soldiers terrorists during a Knesset session.

Mohammed was so vocal, in fact, that he had to be secreted out of the country to save his life. His current location remains undisclosed.

This past fall, an Arab-Muslim Zionist by the name of Anett Haskia decided to make a bid for the Knesset by running with the nationalist Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party. Why Bayit Yehudi? Haskia says that the party most closely resembles her own beliefs in a strong Jewish Israel.

Anett Haskia. (Photo: Facebook)

Yet Zoabi and Haskia are not nearly as exceptional as it seems. There is a whole enclave on the internet of Shia Muslims, for example, who understand persecution and terrorism and who have personally been targeted by extremists, and they see a natural ally in Israel. Some are more “Zionist” than others, but the support exists nonetheless.

Speaking under condition of anonymity, Ahmed,* a Jordanian Arab, is pro-Israel. He begged us to get the message out that “there are thousands of Arabs living in Arabic lands who support Israel.”

When asked why these secret supporters don’t speak up, he explained: “They are suffering.  I am also one of those who face a lot of problems where we live because of our opinions about Israel. We are considered traitors.”

Ahmed shared that many secular Arabs are interested in converting to Judaism and moving to Israel, but conversion is out of the question because it carries the death penalty in Islam.

When asked why they would want to live in the Jewish state, Ahmed responded: “If you had the chance to live in the land that is blessed by God, to live among the chosen people, would you refuse that?”

*Name changed to protect his identity

arab-israeli conflictHanin ZoabiHaskiaMuhammed ZoabiMuslim Zionist