It is Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) at Ottawa’s universities right now and at many others around the globe. IAW is organized by those who argue that Israel is an apartheid state — a country with officially separate legal status for inhabitants based on race, religion, or ethnicity. The term itself originated in South Africa, and those in support of IAW frequently make that comparison. It is an event endorsed by many groups in Canada, including the Canadian Arab Federation. In my experience, many Arabs support the event or at least the sentiment behind it, and the keffiyeh, the Arab headscarf, is omnipresent on university campuses as a show of solidarity with their Palestinian brothers. In all fairness, Arabs and non-Arabs alike wear it now, but it has taken on this meaning within the Arab community.

Having Arab heritage (even an Arab name), it wouldn’t be out of place for me to support IAW. Israel and Egypt (my father’s place of birth) were enemies from Israel’s inception through to the 1970s, and hatred of Israel is commonplace in Egypt (much like the rest of the Middle East). However, I must differ with my Arab brethren. I support the state of Israel.

My opinion has raised a few eyebrows at the very least, and definitely a few tempers. On campus I’ve been called a “race traitor,” and various other disgusting racial epithets. Regardless, I see no conflict between my heritage and supporting Israel or a two-state solution.