2008 Woodie Awards
'Arabs for Israel' Founder Speaks to Students
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Israel
Nonie Darwish, founder of the organization "Arabs for Israel," addressed over 400 students at Yeshiva University's Beren Campus Israel Club Shabbaton, which took place the first weekend in September. Darwish shared her personal journey of being the daughter of an Arab-Moslem martyr to becoming an independent Arab for Israel. When she was a child, chances were slim that the Cairo-born journalist and lecturer would one day be one of the strongest Arab voices for peace with Israel.
Darwish explained that her father, Mustafa Hafez, served as the head of Egyptian Army Intelligence in Gaza and organized the fedayeen [freedom fighters in Arabic], who infiltrated Israel's border and carried out attacks killing roughly 400 Israelis from 1951 to 1956. In July 1956, Hafez was assassinated by Israel, and 8-year-old Darwish and her siblings returned with their mother to Egypt, where they were educated to hate the State of Israel and the Jewish people for murdering their father, Hafez. In 1978, Darwish immigrated to the United States, where she was surprised to find herself drawn toward interactions with friendly Jewish women in the workplace. She began to think critically about her ingrained animosity toward her new friends, and doubt its legitimacy. "Why do we hate each other?" Darwish wondered at the time. "We are so similar."
The turning point in Darwish's attitude toward Israel occurred in1994, when her brother suffered stroke in Gaza. The Gaza locals deliberated where to send him for treatment-Cairo or Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital. Everyone agreed on Hadassah, and Darwish had an epiphany: "In times of crisis," she realized, "Arabs trust Jews. They trust their expertise. They trust them with their lives." She said she also felt tremendous gratitude to Israel for saving her brother's life despite his father having been a shahid (martyr in Arabic).
Soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Darwish wrote an article entitled "Why I Support the State of Israel" for Hadassah. When other organizations and websites asked to republish the article, she realized that she was the only Arab woman speaking out against radical Islam. In February 2004, Arabs for Israel was born. "The reason I started it was coincidental," said Darwish in a later interview, "[It began] because I started getting emails from Arabs who supported me. And if you read on the website where these emails come from you would be surprised. They [supporters] need a forum where they can express their views and also influence others and others will be encouraged to express their feelings." Darwish has received emails from all over the Middle East, from countries like Egypt, Yemen, Morocco and Syria as well as from Western nations.
Darwish explained that her father, Mustafa Hafez, served as the head of Egyptian Army Intelligence in Gaza and organized the fedayeen [freedom fighters in Arabic], who infiltrated Israel's border and carried out attacks killing roughly 400 Israelis from 1951 to 1956. In July 1956, Hafez was assassinated by Israel, and 8-year-old Darwish and her siblings returned with their mother to Egypt, where they were educated to hate the State of Israel and the Jewish people for murdering their father, Hafez. In 1978, Darwish immigrated to the United States, where she was surprised to find herself drawn toward interactions with friendly Jewish women in the workplace. She began to think critically about her ingrained animosity toward her new friends, and doubt its legitimacy. "Why do we hate each other?" Darwish wondered at the time. "We are so similar."
The turning point in Darwish's attitude toward Israel occurred in1994, when her brother suffered stroke in Gaza. The Gaza locals deliberated where to send him for treatment-Cairo or Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital. Everyone agreed on Hadassah, and Darwish had an epiphany: "In times of crisis," she realized, "Arabs trust Jews. They trust their expertise. They trust them with their lives." She said she also felt tremendous gratitude to Israel for saving her brother's life despite his father having been a shahid (martyr in Arabic).
Soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Darwish wrote an article entitled "Why I Support the State of Israel" for Hadassah. When other organizations and websites asked to republish the article, she realized that she was the only Arab woman speaking out against radical Islam. In February 2004, Arabs for Israel was born. "The reason I started it was coincidental," said Darwish in a later interview, "[It began] because I started getting emails from Arabs who supported me. And if you read on the website where these emails come from you would be surprised. They [supporters] need a forum where they can express their views and also influence others and others will be encouraged to express their feelings." Darwish has received emails from all over the Middle East, from countries like Egypt, Yemen, Morocco and Syria as well as from Western nations.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 5
Shlomit
Shlomit
posted 10/05/08 @ 2:39 AM EST
It is completely inappropriate that Darwish commented on the current presidential elections - she was not asked to come to Stern as a political analyst she was asked to come to Stern to share her unique upbringing in Gaza. (Continued…)
asking opinions of guest speakers is okay
posted 10/06/08 @ 8:45 AM EST
Shlomit, Darwish has had the impact she has had for specifically NOT leaving her political opinions at any door. Many (I'm sure in the Arab world) would argue that she should keep quiet about her feelings about Israel, too. (Continued…)
Post a Comment