Stop the incitement against Arab society, before it's too late

Muhammad Osman describes a personal encounter on a train with a man who said "those terrorists in Pardis" after a pleasant conversation, and warns of the danger of incitement against Arab society that seeps into everyday discourse and blurs the line between criticism and delegitimization of an entire public.

Muhammad Osman, a political-social activist and independent journalist, describes in an opinion piece a personal encounter on a train with a Jewish couple in their sixties. After a pleasant conversation and shared laughter, the man said: "Those terrorists in Pardis, almost a minute from Zikhron Yaakov." Osman, who was not identified as Arab until that moment, felt the gap between the human encounter and the preconceived image. He argues that incitement against Arab society is not limited to television studios or political speeches, but seeps into everyday conversations and blurs the line between criticism and delegitimization of an entire public. Osman emphasizes that citizenship is not a loyalty test, and calls for stopping the incitement before it is too late, for the sake of the next generation of Jewish and Arab children. He notes that genuine Jewish-Arab partnership requires mutual recognition, shared responsibility, and a fight against racism, along with a willingness to deal with disagreements. The article concludes with a call to stop incitement and fight racism as part of daily routine.