The savage beating of 21-year-old Israeli Druze, Tommy Hassoun, two weeks ago by a group of eight young religious Jews brings a shameful issue to the forefront of public discussion: Israel's treatment of its loyal Druze minority. Adherents of a secret religion that is an offshoot of Islam and incorporates elements of a number of other religions, the Druze number less than two million people worldwide. An estimated 130,000 Israeli Druze live mostly in close knit villages in the North. All Druze men serve in the IDF and many serve at the top echelons of the military. A disproportionate number of Druze died protecting the Jewish homeland, yet many like Tommy Hassoun suffer discrimination and racism in return.
Two weeks ago while walking at night on Rehov Yafo close to Jerusalem's Central Bus Station, Hassoun was attacked by a group of religious Jews after they heard him talking on his cell phone in Arabic. What the attackers didn't know was that the aspiring pianist recently completed his military service, serving with distinction in a unit that protected President Rivlin.
Hassoun suffered a blow to the back of his head from being hit with glass bottles that required hospitalization as well as two black eyes and other blows to his face. He was taunted and spit at. The attack lasted three minutes, explains Hassoun. “I was totally in shock,” he said. “There were a few hundred people on the street and security guards in front of the bus station and nobody helped. I was covered in blood.”
When I heard about the attack on news I became outraged. I contacted Hassoun and he invited me to visit him at his family home in the Druze village of Daliyat al Karmel, in the Carmel mountains outside of Haifa. I headed to the North with many questions and thoughts running through my head.
What kind of people have “Am Yisrael” become that a kid speaking Arabic gets attacked and beaten by a gang of religious youth? What values are we teaching our kids today? Where are our values when 200 people in the world's holiest city watch the attack and do nothing? Were the attackers, who assumed Tommy was Arab, justified in beating an Arab kid for no reason? Why are the good people afraid to speak up against the extremists in our society? How are the 1.8 million Arab citizens of Israel suppose to feel at home in our country and to feel like they belong here, when we beat up our most loyal citizens – the Druze.
Ramzi Hassoun, the father of Tommy, explains: “Druze people are part of Israeli society. I am a citizen of the Jewish State of Israel, and I have no other country, but something is wrong in Israeli society. It's crazy. What future do we have here? How are we going to live together?”
“For the Jewish people, we are Arabs and for the Arabs we are Jews”, declares Hassoun, the proud father of four boys, three of whom already completed military service with the fourth one entering the military next year. “When my boys are in public, I want them only to speak Hebrew and not say an Arabic word by mistake because this is what happens.”
I asked him if he believes that there is discrimination against the Druze in Israel. “In Daliyat al Karmel, in our village of nearly 18,000 people, almost 1000 homes here have no electricity because we can't get permits. All of us serve in the Israeli Army. We are loyal citizens.”
Tommy's older brother, Julyan Hassoun, tells me of his experiences in the army. “When the soldiers had time off, the Druze soldiers didn't go and hang out with their army friends for fear of being denied admission to clubs and bars in the city. We just avoid the embarrassment.”
Tommy Hassoun began studying at the Jerusalem Music and Dance Academy in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in October, upon his release from the army. A shy, thin young man, he suddenly found himself in the spotlight in the Israeli media. After the attack, Tommy took to Facebook, as did his entire family to preach a message of tolerance.
Now on the bright side, Israelis across the spectrum of Israeli society, have been shocked and appalled by the attack. According to the family, over 2,000 people have come to his house to show support for him and his family. “I don't want this to happen to anyone else,” states Tommy, adding that “all the people coming here make me forget the pain.”
This is what gives the family hope that maybe something good will come out of this senseless beating. While I was visiting the family, among the long stream of endless visitors was a nine year old girl who came to visit after convincing her parents to make the long drive from Ashdod – just to give Tommy a hug. And that is Israel's hope for the future!
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