“The Gaza killers are our co-workers”: How the genocide deepened the fear and hatred of '48 Palestinians toward Israelis

“I fear that the person I deal with at work or school could be the one who killed little Hind, or Kamal, or Yousef with the curly hair, and the one who turned the bodies of the people of Gaza into torn remains. I fear I might be dealing with someone who didn’t hesitate for a moment to pull the trigger, bomb hospitals, or destroy schools. I fear I might be dealing with someone who participated in the rape of prisoners,” Maysam, from Galilee, tells Raseef22.

“I fear that the person I deal with at work or school could be the one who killed little Hind, or Kamal, or Yousef with the curly hair, and the one who turned the bodies of the people of Gaza into torn remains. I fear I might be dealing with someone who didn’t hesitate for a moment to pull the trigger, bomb hospitals, or destroy schools. I fear I might be dealing with someone who participated in the rape of prisoners.”

'48 Palestinians, or Palestinian citizens of Israel, face daily crises in their direct interactions with Israelis, particularly in schools, on the streets, in supermarkets, and in the workplace. These crises have taken on a more violent and direct nature since the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip began.

A significant increase in feelings of hatred and fear between Palestinian citizens of Israel and Israelis has been revealed by a study conducted in March and April 2024 by the Partnership Index, issued by the academic center aChord.

Armed Israeli civilians roam the streets of occupied Palestine

Armed Israeli civilians roam the streets of occupied Palestine

The study’s results indicate that "51% of Israeli students in Israeli academic institutions expressed intense hatred toward Palestinians," compared to 34% in 2021, when confrontations erupted between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in response to the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the forced displacement of Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem.

The study’s results indicate that "51% of Israeli students in Israeli academic institutions expressed intense hatred toward Palestinians," compared to 34% in 2021, when confrontations erupted between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in response to the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the forced displacement of Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem.

The hatred Palestinians feel toward Israelis has also increased, according to the research, though not as sharply as the hatred Israelis feel toward Palestinians. One-third of Palestinians expressed hatred toward Israelis, compared to 29% in 2021 and 17% in 2020.

The findings also highlighted that fear is a predominant feeling between Palestinian citizens of Israel and Israelis. 33% of Palestinian participants reported being afraid of Israelis, three times the figure in 2021. Meanwhile, 59% of Israeli students expressed fear of Arabs, compared to 41% in 2021.

How do Palestinians face Israelis in their daily lives?

"Although I don’t accept the existence of another people on this land, interacting with Israelis is an unavoidable reality. My job at a supermarket forces me to deal with them politely, but all I feel toward them inside is disgust, anger, fear, and anxiety about the future," says 20-year-old Maysam.

“In my daily life, I am forced to interact with people who support the killing and displacement of my people in Gaza and would also support my own displacement."

She adds, “These feelings didn’t emerge just because of the current war. The policies of displacement, house demolitions, and checkpoints were already enough to make me feel angry about their presence in our land. But this feeling has intensified after the genocidal war on Gaza. In my daily life, I am forced to interact with people who support the killing and displacement of my people in Gaza and would also support my own displacement."

“On my way to work in the streets of Tel Aviv, a man in civilian clothes carrying a weapon stopped me after hearing me send a voice message in Arabic to a friend. He asked for my ID and bombarded me with questions. It was extremely unsettling. If I had argued with him, wouldn’t he have shot me, as if it were the most natural thing in the world?” wonders Yousef (pseudonym).

“Although I don’t accept the existence of other people on this land, interacting with Israelis is an unavoidable reality. My job at a supermarket forces me to deal with them politely, but all I feel toward them inside is disgust, anger, fear, and anxiety about the future.”

Yousef, 27, works in Tel Aviv at an Israeli company in the field of economics and public administration. He says that in the company, he’s known as "the Arab," as he is the only Arab employee there.

Regarding his experience working during the war on Gaza, he says: “I wear headphones while working to avoid getting into political discussions with Israelis. Once, I was humming the song 'Leve Palestina,' and someone asked me what the song was. I quickly caught myself and said it was a sports anthem.”

"I face a huge challenge when there are security events while I'm at work, like assassinations or prisoner exchanges. It’s also tough when I see Israelis celebrating the massacres in Gaza or when I hear someone say, 'Our job isn’t finished yet,' in reference to the war on Gaza," Yousef adds.

"It’s tough when I see Israelis celebrating the massacres in Gaza or when I hear someone say, 'Our job isn’t finished yet,' in reference to the war on Gaza."

He continues: "The hardest part is that some of them were reserve soldiers who fought in Gaza. They sent messages to the staff announcing they would have a 'Happy Hour' to celebrate their return. I told them I was sick and stayed home for three days so they would believe me."

A large percentage of Palestinian workers are employed in Israeli institutions and companies. According to the academic center AChord, before the war, 14% of Palestinian academics inside Israel who worked in majority-Jewish institutions wanted to move to Arab-majority ones. After the war on Gaza began, this figure rose to 27%.

Militarized universities and armed students

Israel's Minister of National Security, Ben Gvir, warned of a potential Palestinian protest or revolt similar to the Karameh (Dignity) Uprising of 2021. On the second day of the assault on Gaza, he launched a campaign to expedite the granting of gun licenses to Israeli citizens. By May 2024, the minister boasted of issuing over 100,000 licenses since October 7, 2023.

"The hardest part is that some of my co-workers were reserve soldiers who fought in Gaza. They sent messages to the staff announcing they would have a 'Happy Hour' to celebrate their return. I told them I was sick and stayed home for three days so they would believe me."

Amal (pseudonym), from the village of Tarshiha in the Upper Galilee, tries as much as possible to support Palestinian Arab businesses to avoid contact with Israelis. "But at the university, I have no choice but to be around them. Before the genocide in Gaza, I expressed my opinions in a limited way. Today, I don’t feel there’s any safe space to do so," the 40-year-old tells Raseef22.

Amal avoids political discussions with Israelis, because she now knows they are futile. "They don’t want to see the truth and continue to live in denial, as if they’re the only victims. Even those who claim they’re against killing civilians in Gaza can’t confront their army or society, which is committing massacres and war crimes."

“I wear headphones while working to avoid getting into political discussions with Israelis. Once, I was humming the song 'Leve Palestina,' and someone asked me what the song was. I quickly caught myself and said it was a sports anthem.”

Regarding how she copes with her feelings and the conflict she experiences, she says, "My feeling of guilt increases with every massacre. Amidst the contradictions I face with Israelis, I remind myself that I'm nearing the end of my academic journey, that I am almost done, and I try to surround myself with those who are like me."

Sirine (pseudonym), a 28-year-old from the Upper Galilee, shares a similar yet perhaps more challenging experience due to her wearing a hijab. "I’m currently studying in the public relations department at an Israeli university. We analyze media content during our studies. Israelis interpret it according to their perspective. I want to share my opinion too, but I hesitate," she tells Raseef22.

She adds, "Israelis feel proud of the war. I can sense their racism in the looks they give me, implying that I’m a frightening person to them. Today, that gaze has become even more pronounced."

Amal avoids political discussions with Israelis, because she now knows they are futile. "They don’t want to see the truth and continue to live in denial, as if they’re the only victims. Even those who claim they’re against killing civilians in Gaza can’t confront their army or society, which is committing massacres and war crimes."

"My classmate came into the classroom with a weapon attached to her waist. One feels that these people have received a blessing to carry arms. The presence of non-soldiers with weapons is troubling and frightening. At any moment, someone could feel anger over something and unleash it on me," Sirine expresses.

She tries as much as possible to use her car instead of walking the streets and to utilize the Arab branches of public institutions in Palestinian towns rather than those in Israeli towns.

Qusay, 22, from the village of Fureidis in the Haifa District, is also studying at an Israeli academic institution. He feels that his reality requires him to interact with Israelis at work, during his studies, or in daily life.

"Israelis feel proud of the war. I can sense their racism in the looks they give me, a hijabi, implying that I’m a frightening person to them. Today, that gaze has become even more pronounced. My classmate came into the university with a weapon attached to her waist. The presence of non-soldiers with weapons is troubling and frightening. At any moment, someone could feel anger over something and unleash it on me."

"I began my academic studies three months after the war started. Everyone around me advised me not to talk about the war to avoid harm or political repercussions," he tells Raseef22, adding, "Our reality here imposes silence on us and prevents us from moving freely or doing anything for fear of our futures or jobs, which could be destroyed by a single Facebook post from the National Security Minister, Ben Gvir."

Qusay says that there are no Israeli civilians. He explains, “Every Israeli did military service and has gone to checkpoints to harass our people in the West Bank, gone to Gaza to kill its people, or gone to Jerusalem to desecrate its sanctity."

Meanwhile, Amir, a 22-year-old from the village of Mashhad near Nazareth (Al-Nasirah), notes that the lecturer who stands in front of the students in his college carries a weapon on his waist, and so do the students. "I have also faced racism from Israelis during my work. In the last four years, things were bad, but now, the situation has become completely unbearable," he tells Raseef22.

The illusion of coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis

The manifestations of "coexistence far removed from politics" between the Palestinian citizens of Israel and Israeli society—an idea many had doubted even before the war on Gaza and viewed as a false coexistence—have also been damaged, or perhaps even more starkly revealed.

"There are no Israeli civilians. Every Israeli did military service and has gone to checkpoints to harass our people in the West Bank, gone to Gaza to kill its people, or gone to Jerusalem to desecrate its sanctity."

On September 1, 2024, before the start of a football match between the Palestinian team, Ittihad Abnaa Sakhnin (Bnei Sakhnin), and the Israeli team, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, over 120 masked Israeli fans stormed the pitch armed with batons and sticks, and brutally attacked the Palestinian fans.

"The lecturer and students in college praised the Be'er Sheva team, stating that the Palestinian Sakhnin fans deserve more than that," Amir confirms.

This is not the only racist incident Amir has faced; he recently overheard someone say, "Every Arab child who grows up tomorrow will become a terrorist, so they should be killed now."

"We live on the margins of the margins. The economic situation will be much worse, and we will witness an exodus of Palestinian youth seeking a different future."

Amir also recounts an incident involving an Israeli young man who told him he bought a new weapon and justified it by saying: "I have Arab neighbors. One day, they might decide to hold a demonstration in the neighborhood or shout 'Allahu Akbar' or 'We sacrifice our soul and blood for you, Al-Aqsa.' I’ll simply shoot them. They will become martyrs and go to heaven; I’m helping Arabs go to heaven.”

Amir adds, "I had a liberal, democratic colleague at work who was very nice to me. He often talked about the importance of partnership between Arabs and Jews. But when the war started, he stopped talking to me. Out of goodwill, I smiled and said, 'God willing, there will be a prisoner exchange deal, and the conflict will end.' He angrily replied, 'No deals with terrorists; we will kill them all along with the prisoners’."

"I recently overheard someone say: 'Every Arab child who grows up tomorrow will become a terrorist, so they should be killed now'."

Despite Amir's previous belief in joint struggle between both sides, he now sees this coexistence as a real illusion, and the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians within Israel has destabilized and deteriorated, with neither side viewing the other as a partner anymore.

Social and educational researcher Khaled Abu Asba tells Raseef22, "Since October 7, 2023, there has been a kind of distancing between Palestinians and Israelis inside. There are some partnerships between the two sides, but not at the same level that existed before."

"An Israeli young man who told me he bought a new weapon and justified it by saying: 'I have Arab neighbors. One day, they might decide to hold a demonstration in the neighborhood or shout 'Allahu Akbar' or 'We sacrifice our soul and blood for you, Al-Aqsa.' I’ll simply shoot them. They will become martyrs and go to heaven; I’m helping Arabs go to heaven'.”

He continues, "Recently, we have noticed that the Israeli side is not interested in partnership. We are also talking about a reality under an extreme right-wing government. The security situation is escalating politically and militarily, and there is no partnership in sight."

According to Abu Asba, there are psychological, social, and economic dimensions reflected in academia and the labor market due to increased feelings of fear and hatred between Palestinians with Israeli citizenship and Israelis. "A new system has been imposed on Palestinians in Israel, as we see in the recent enactment of racist laws, such as attempts to pass legislation requiring the approval of the 'Shabak' (the Israeli internal security agency) to appoint Palestinian teachers,” Abu Asba states.

Despite Amir's previous belief in joint struggle between both sides, he now sees this coexistence as a real illusion. He recounts, "I had a liberal, democratic colleague at work who was very nice to me. He often talked about the importance of partnership between Arabs and Jews. But when the war started, he stopped talking to me. Out of goodwill, I smiled and said, 'God willing, there will be a prisoner exchange deal, and the conflict will end.' He angrily replied, 'No deals with terrorists; we will kill them all along with the prisoners’."

He believes that even if Palestinian citizens of Israel fulfill all their civic duties, they remain, in the eyes of Israelis, a part of the Palestinian people.

He concludes, “We do not have the power or capacity to influence politically or economically. We live on the margins of the margins. The economic situation will be much worse, and we will witness an exodus of Palestinian youth seeking a different future.”