Next Stop: Tensiontown, Israel

As the death toll of Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip moves past 1,000, tensions between Arab Israelis and Jewish Israelis are growing. Some of the country’s Arab population is becoming vocal in denouncing the bombings, while some Israeli politicians are trying to ban the re-election of Arabs to parliament on the grounds of alleged national disloyalty.

The BBC:

“We are in a very difficult position,” the woman told me. And then she burst into tears.

We are at a political rally held in this northern city to oppose the war in Gaza. Around us protesters held banners and chanted slogans.

Nearly all of them were Israeli Arabs, including my sobbing interviewee.

“We are citizens of Israel,” she said, “but we are Palestinian. Emotionally, we are part of the people in Gaza.”

“At the street, or at the supermarket, people are supporting the killing of children. And we are living among these people.”

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Maan Images / Wissam Nassar

The destruction in the Gaza Strip has led to increased racial solidarity between Israeli Arabs and Palestinian Arabs.