A prominent Arab politician in Israel has displayed framed photos in his office, including ones with Yasser Arafat, Bill Clinton, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In front of Ahmad Tibi’s desk hangs a sign with the Arabic phrase, “The most beautiful days are those we have yet to live.” He explains this message is important as his community faces increased scrutiny following an attack by Hamas on October 7.
According to official Israeli figures reported by AFP, 1,195 people died in Israel as a result of the attack, predominantly civilians. Data from Gaza’s health ministry, controlled by Hamas, reports at least 37,765 deaths due to Israeli military retaliation, mostly civilians.
Israel’s Arab minority, comprising about 20% of the population, claims they face unfair treatment by police and rising hate crimes. Ahmad Tibi, a 65-year-old leader of an Arab-majority party, stated that after October 7, many Arab citizens were pursued by Israeli police for social media posts sympathizing with Gaza’s children or opposing the war.
Adalah, a group advocating for Arab minority rights, criticized the penalization of those in the community who showed empathy for Gazans. Between October 7 and March 27, Israeli police reportedly detained 401 individuals for speech-related offenses, most of them Arabs, under charges of incitement to terrorism. Only 13 of the 667 suspects during this period were Jewish Israelis.
Tibi emphasized that he and other Arab Israelis condemned the civilian casualties caused by the October 7 attack. He expressed concern over anti-Arab rhetoric and noted personal losses due to Israeli bombings in Gaza.
While Israel highlights Arab representation in parliament, judiciary, and healthcare as signs of social inclusion, Tibi criticizes the 2018 nation-state law defining Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, worsening inequity in his view.
Following October 7, Tibi faced threats from Jewish Israelis but remains steadfast in his commitment to resistance against racism and fascism.
He called for democracy as the solution to end the Gaza conflict and achieve full Palestinian rights, asserting Palestinians’ natural right to statehood.
In Arabic, Tibi vowed resistance against intimidation, declaring, “We were here, and we will remain here.”
