Yosef Haddad is an Israeli Arab who grew up in Haifa surrounded by Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Druze. He said that the differences went away on the soccer field. The ball dropped, the game started, and difference melted away.
Haddad moved to Nazareth, Israel’s largest Arab city, and when he turned 18, he went to the IDF recruiter and asked to enlist, with one condition. The recruiter asked, “What is that condition? You do know that IDF service is not required of Israeli Arabs?” Haddad responded, “The condition is that I join the elite unit, the Golani Brigade.” He said only in Israel could an Israeli Arab be an officer over Jewish soldiers.
Haddad tld the hundreds gathered at Sinai Temple last night to hear his story, it is not called the JDF–Jewish Defense Forces, but it is called the IDF–the Israel Defense Forces. Haddad told the story of three Arab police officers–one Muslim, one Druze, and one Christian, all who were killed by terrorists in recent years. The terrorists did not distinguish between religion; the terrorist only cared about who lived between the river and the sea.
In this week’s parshah, Moses convenes the entire congregation of Israel. What does he tell them? The obligation of Shabbat. The obligation to rest. The obligation to be in community.
Yosef Haddad explained how his upbringing was one where bridges were built, not burned; where Jews were at the tables of their Muslim friends for their festivals, where Muslims were at the Shabbat table, and where Muslims and Jews were at their Christian Arab friends’ homes for their holy days.
This did not weaken their identities. Rather, it only strengthened who they were.
Yosef Haddad is not often in the front page of the media. His story is too good to be true. Yet, Yosef Haddad’s story is true, and it is not a single story. It is the story of the State of Israel. It is the story of the People Israel.
