Where I live – in the Arab city of Nazareth – shops don't close on the eve of Memorial Day; there are no ceremonies and cars don't pull over when the sirens blast. But still, Memorial Day is the most difficult day of the year for me. I think about the many friends I lost, brothers in arms, who died on Lebanese soil. I was severely wounded during the 2006 Second Lebanon War in the Battle of Bint Jbeil.
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I think about my friends on the battlefield who told the medics to go help others before treating them; I think about my commander, the hero Roi Klein, who just before he died a heroic death taught me the Talmudic proverb, "All of Israel are responsible for one another."
They say that the IDF is the greatest melting pot, and that is true. My service in the Golani Brigade shaped my identity as an Israeli and as an Arab. I got a lesson in what Israeli society is all about. My comrades and I sang together, regardless of our ethnicity; we learned about each other and introduced our cultures to one another. And no less important, we defended all Israelis – Arab and Jewish alike.
After all, we are all under the threat of terrorism, which does not discriminate. When I fought in Lebanon, Hezbollah fired missiles on my city, Nazareth, and killed innocent civilians, including a baby girl; Hamas' missiles during Operation Guardian of the Walls killed an Arab man and his daughter; in the most recent spate of attacks in Israel, an Arab Druze was killed as well as an Arab Christian police officer who ran toward the attacker.
Although non-Druze Arab Israelis are exempt from the draft, thousands choose to serve anyways. I met new Bedouin conscripts recently and saw them undergo their intense training. I could hear how they felt a deep bond to the country and feel proud in wearing uniform. Of course, there are radicals among us who oppose serving, including prominent Arab leaders, but there is a growing realization among Arab communities that in order to achieve a better life, we must follow the lead of those who choose to integrate. Even after Joint Arab List Chairman Ayman Odeh called on Arab service members to lay down their weapons and strip themselves of uniform, not a single person heeded his call. In fact, the exact opposite happened: Dozens of Arab officers and troops – including those who were no longer in active duty – inundated social media with pictures showing them proudly donning their IDF fatigues or holding their Israel Police badges.
As an Arab Israeli citizen and a wounded veteran of the IDF, I decided to hold a commemoration service this Memorial Day together with my colleagues in the NGO "Responsible for Eachother," which promotes coexistence and integration. The ceremony, at the memorial for fallen IDF soldiers, is part of a tradition we started two years ago and hope to continue with an expanded participation year upon year.
We, the Israeli Arabs, are an inseparable part of Israeli society and Memorial Day is no exception – it should be part of who we are. Everyone should remember the fallen from all faiths, who died for the defense of their country and for our collective sake. May their memory be a blessing. May God rest their souls.
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