Sarah Zoabi | »I am a Muslim Arab woman and I love Israel
von: By Antje Schippmann & Fredrik von Erichsen veröffentlicht am 15.05.2018 - 14:11 Uhr
Approximately 1.7 million Arabs live in Israel – which is more than 20 percent of the population. The vast majority of them are Muslims.
Polls show that 55 percent of them call themselves “proud citizens” of the country. More than 60 percent describe their lives in Israel as “good” or “very good”. However, an open commitment to Israel often remains taboo.
Sarah Zoabi (46) is the first female Arab Muslim to have broken this taboo. A participant of the popular cooking show “MasterChef”, she openly talked to the show’s jury about her love for Israel. By doing so, she triggered a wave of support, but also hatred.
In this interview, the devout Muslim explains what drives her.
BILD: Why did you want to be photographed with an Israeli flag?
Sarah Zoabi: “I live an emancipated and free life here; I feel like I’ve arrived. For me, Zionism is the right of the Jewish people to have a country of their own. The Israeli flag is my flag. I don’t have another country or another flag.”
That’s an unusual attitude, isn’t it?
Zoabi: “Yes, but I do not see any contradiction with my identity as a Muslim Arab woman. In Arab countries, the populations are suffering, and the women do not have equal rights. Only in Israel do Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Jews have full rights and enjoy a good life. Israel is the only democratic, free country in the Middle East. My son and I were the first to officially voice our commitment to Israel. And we have paid a high price for it.”
What happened?
Zoabi: “There were concrete plans to murder my son. He had to leave the country. I was attacked several times. There were verbal and physical attacks. I received many death threats because I was the first Arab Muslim woman to publicly say: ‘Am Israel Chai! The people of Israel live!’
My family then disowned me. Because I professed my love for my country, for them I count as a traitor who has renounced her faith. If the Israeli authorities hadn’t protected me, I wouldn’t be here today. For a while, I couldn’t stay in one place for long because of the threats. Now I have a gun license.”
Where does the hatred for Israel come from?
Zoabi: “In most cases, it starts with the parents. Fortunately, I grew up in a house where Jews were not hated. I passed this on to my children. Love and peace begin with the parents.”
What role does religion play?
Zoabi: “Some Imams spread hate speech and hatred for Jews in their mosques. I know many young Arabs who for this reason no longer like going to the mosque. But one does not have to interpret the Quran as being anti-Jewish – on the contrary. One can also interpret the Quran in a way that makes us appreciate all faiths and makes us live together in peace. Faith is a very sensitive thing. I find it terrible when it is abused for hate speech.”
Does your position represent the silent majority of Arabs in Israel?
Zoabi: “I firmly believe that many Israeli Arabs see the situation as I do. But they lack the courage to speak out. I receive many messages from Arabs who are grateful and who agree with me – but they are too frightened. The general development is that an increasing number of Arab citizens serve in the army or do civil service and enjoy living in Israel. However, it is a slow development.”
Some Arab politicians in Israel talk very negatively about the government. They compare Israel with the former Apartheid regime in South Africa and some even defend Hamas’ terror. Why?
Zoabi: “The accusation that Israel is an Apartheid state is completely absurd. You just have to go to the hospitals where Jewish and Arab doctors work together, or to the universities, where we study together, or to parliament where Arabs serve as MPs, as elected representatives. I do not feel represented by those MPs. They use parliament to spread hatred against Israel. THEY are the real traitors. How can you be an MP in Israel’s parliament, receive a big salary, and talk about Israel’s being an Apartheid state? They obviously do not understand the value of our country, and they abuse the freedom of speech. There are 22 Arab states – they should go and live in one of those.”
Can the Arab states learn something from Israel?
Zoabi: “A lot. The meaning of human rights. The meaning of the rule of law. The meaning of equal rights and freedom. Israel’s army defends all citizens – regardless of their faith. It is a moral army. Everybody who wants a good relationship with Israel can have it. Israel is extending its hand, but at the same time, it’s ready to defend its borders and citizens.”
What do you wish for Israel for the next 70 years?
Zoabi: “I hope that people in the region will finally acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state. The Jews have suffered for millennia. They have a right to their own state. And they want peace with their neighbors. I hope that this wish will become reality.”