Holocaust Remembrance Counters the Axis of Resistance to Change in the Middle East

When I first moved to the Jewish quarter in Strasbourg, I had no idea Jews lived there. It may seem naive, but I assumed that part of the city simply received its name from history and Jews — like most Jewish neighborhoods in the Middle East — and no longer had an active presence in those areas.

Imagine my surprise — and sadly, horror — when I realized that I was living in the epicenter of Jewish life in the city. 

My first encounter with a Jewish individual occurred as I entered a grocery store. When I saw a Jewish man enter, I immediately had a panic attack, dropped my groceries and fled. 

In hindsight, I understand that reaction was not only misguided but bigoted. However, as a young woman whose parents were Lebanese and Syrian and who had family members belonging to Hezbollah, this is how I was conditioned to react to a Jew. I was told they were scary, dangerous and not to be trusted. And after going through three wars in Lebanon where the state told me Israel was the aggressor, my feelings not only felt justified; they were encouraged.

But when I gathered up the courage to go inside, and I locked eyes with the Jewish grocer, I saw nothing but kindness.

He bagged my groceries and made no mention of my outburst.

In my work, I’ve come to understand that Jews have contributed to Arab culture in a myriad of ways, only to be excluded and marginalized. The very idea that Jews are part of where I came from compelled me to uncover more.

I often think of that moment as I immerse myself in Jewish and Islamic studies, examining why these two groups harbor such visceral reactions toward each other. In my work, I’ve come to understand that Jews have contributed to Arab culture in a myriad of ways, only to be excluded and marginalized. The very idea that Jews are part of where I came from compelled me to uncover more.

Sharaka, a nongovernmental initiative that cultivates people-to-people relationships from Arab countries that reached normalization agreements with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords, has accompanied me on this journey of cross-cultural understanding.

Last year, I had the privilege of visiting Poland for March of the Living — a nearly three-mile march from the Auschwitz concentration camp to the Birkenau extermination camp on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Ironically, it was there, while touring the depths of human depravity, that I saw the beauty of humanity. I didn’t find it in the horrific displays of abuse and torture, but instead I witnessed it when Jewish visitors at Auschwitz were moved by the presence of our Arab delegation.

At the same time, solidarity between Arabs and Jews must go beyond these touching moments. With the rise of immigration to their continent, far more Europeans are turning to the far right and its political leaders, who are associated with extremism, violence and antisemitism. My home is now in Germany — as my ties with Jews and Israelis have made it impossible for me to move back to Lebanon — and I’m concerned what kind of Europe my son will see in the years to come.

Some 80 years ago, Jews were considered subhuman in Germany and paid a heavy price. It’s shocking to know that one of the most educated countries in the world was home to the masterminds of one of the most brutal genocides in human history. The Nazis listened to the opera as Jews burned.

If Germany and the Jewish community can make peace, I firmly believe that Jews and Arabs can continue to do the same.

And yet, today Germany and Israel enjoy a positive relationship in which they cooperate on an array of initiatives, ranging from education to culture to security. If Germany and the Jewish community can make peace, I firmly believe that Jews and Arabs can continue to do the same.

Thankfully, with the Abraham Accords, that process is already underway as governments and Arabs and Israelis on the ground have begun to forge deep and meaningful relationships. 

This year, I again joined Sharaka’s delegation of Arab influencers at the March of the Living. Last year’s delegation was a breakthrough. This year was an affirmation. I anticipate that more Muslims will visit Auschwitz on Holocaust Remembrance Day as the word spreads, forming a new alliance of tolerance that counters the axis of resistance to change in the Middle East.

Rawan Osman is a Syrian-Lebanese peace activist, currently writing a book about her perception of the Jewish people and Israel before and after leaving the Middle East. Formerly with the PeaceComms Institute, Osman is studying Jewish and Islamic studies at Heidelberg University in Germany.