Changing trend? Arab Israeli youth condemn Jerusalem terror attack

Dozens of Arab Israeli social media users took to Facebook to speak out against the ramming attack.

By EINAT OLIVIER
Updated: JANUARY 11, 2017 14:45
'Right wing Arabs posting' Facebook page (photo credit: FACEBOOK)
'Right wing Arabs posting' Facebook page
(photo credit: FACEBOOK)
"I am an Arab Israeli sending condolences to the bereaved families," "God willing let them get healthy," and "I feel pangs of conscience," are just some of the solidarity posts put up by Arab Israelis on the Facebook page ,"Right-wing Arabs Tweet," following Sunday's terror attack in Jerusalem in which four IDF soldiers were killed.
The solidarity posts came after November's string of fires in Israel saw Arab social media networks flooded with happy posts from Arab Israelis, Palestinians and Arabs from other countries, some of whom saw the fires as divine punishment for Israel because of its treatment of the Palestinians.
It began Sunday night during the height of the media coverage of the terror attack in Jerusalem's Armon Hanatziv neighborhood which
was carried out by an Arab from the adjacent neighborhood of Jebl Mukaber.
An Arab youth named Amir Abu posted a solidarity message in Hebrew for the wounded soldiers and the bereaved Jewish families. "I am an Israeli Arab who condemns all of the terror attacks in Israel and shares the pain of the bereaved families."
He added that "it hurts to see young people run over and killed because of baseless hatred - Enough already!"
His comments sparked a social media storm with thousands of Arabs and Jews responding to his post and supporting his sentiment. Nareman Mruwat, a young Arab woman donning a hijab in her profile picture wrote: "I am also a religious Muslim Arab who staunchly condemns the loathsome terror attack and wishes a speedy recovery to the wounded, enough already, we're sick of it!!"
She added that only the extremists who are given all the coverage in the media are heard and not the voice of sanity.
Hamid al-Hatib joined the condemnations wholeheartedly and did not hide his religious devoutness - "When you go to mosque and pray to the omnipotent Allah and afterward go out to spill blood and interfere with him deciding who will live and who will die. Al-Mut al--hayah fid Allah: meaning that death comes at the hand of God."
Jerusalem Terror Attack: Footage of truck ramming into group of people in Armon Hanatziv, Jan. 8, 2017
Jewish Israelis who were exposed to these voices expressed excitement alongside some who were cynical. Ziv Rappaport responded to a post: "There are some very brave voices here from the Arab sector. I wish you would all come together as a political group and provide opposition to the terrorists on the Joint List (political party) who cause damage to the Arab public. Respect for the courage to voice your opinion."


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