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Arab pro-Israel activist: I was kicked off debate by Amnesty for rejecting apartheid smear
Yosef Haddad says a representative of the NGO would not debate 'an Arab'
February 28, 2022 11:49
Yosef Haddad says a representative of the NGO would not debate 'an Arab'
February 28, 2022 11:49An Arab-Israeli activist who rejects the “apartheid” smear claims that Amnesty objected to his presence on a TV discussion panel and demanded he be replaced with “a Jew”.
Yoseph Haddad told the JC he had been set to face a representative of the NGO to discuss their report for a British broadcaster.
But he says that only a few minutes after he had agreed to take part, an employee of the broadcaster called him back to say that he was no longer needed.
Mr Haddad said: “I asked him why it only took a few minutes to change.
“The booker said between you and me, the only reason is that the woman was only willing to debate a Jew not an Arab.”
Mr Haddad said he was “shocked but not surprised” at the development. He told the JC: “They don’t want to address an Arab who is against this report.”
Mr Haddad is an Israeli-Arab who volunteered to fight in the IDF during the Second Lebanon War.
After suffering serious injuries he retired from military service and dedicated his life to defending Israel and working to improve relations between Arabs and Jews.
While visiting London this month, Mr Haddad went to Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park and spoke against claims that Israel is an “apartheid state”.
He said: “I’ve seen the twisting of facts and the lies about my country, Israel, especially about Arab society in Israel.
“It’s very important to me to say that Israel is not perfect, but let’s discuss and find solutions.”
Mr Haddad said that while some listeners just wanted to shout at him, others came to learn.
He said: “There were people from all ethnicities, people talking to me in Arabic. They asked me serious questions about Arab-Israeli society, about the West Bank, Gaza.
“The bottom line is that they shook my hand, asked me questions, and I gave them information.”
An Amnesty spokesman said that they were unable to comment on the allegation regarding the debate.