Israeli Arabs in Germany Spoke About Hamas as a Terrorist Organization

A delegation of Israeli Arabs from the NGO Atidna spent eleven days in December in Germany raising awareness about Hamas as a terrorist movement and the values of a multi-religious democratic Jewish state.

Atidna—a word that combines Arabic and Hebrew to mean “our future”—is an innovative grassroots organization that seeks to build a “partnership with Arabs and Jews” who view themselves as citizens of a “democratic and Jewish state,” Amit Deri, the CEO Partner of Atidna, told Israeli media.

The twenty-person delegation organized their annual trip to Germany before the October 7 war and decided not to cancel it due to the pressing need to explain the nature of the Hamas terrorist movement.

Etaf Shtewe, the Israeli-Arab project and community manager for Atidna, said Atidna members were “wearing shirts of the organization with Hebrew and the Israeli flag” in public. She said, “People were really interested and asking questions.” One question was: “What is your position on the war?”

Shtewe said the group told Germans “about Hamas as a terrorist” organization. The delegation, Shtewe stressed, told the Germans they met that “they are Arabs and proud of who they are and to be part of Israel.” However, Shetwe added that there was resistance from German Arabs in Berlin. Many German Arabs rejected Atidna’s mission and are “against the existence of the State of Israel.” (JPost / VFI News)

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” - Psalm 133:1