The Al Aqsa Mosque is not in danger as Israel does everything to protect it, says Arab Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad.
Haddad is the CEO of “Together – Vouch for Each Other,” an organization that aims to enhance the connection between the Arab sector and the rest of Israeli society.
“I have been hearing that Al Aqsa is in danger since I was born,” he tells Ellie Cohanim in this week’s episode of “Global Perspectives.” “This is a complete lie, Al Aqsa was never in danger, Israel is actually doing absolutely everything to protect it.”
Fighting crime in the Arab sector
Cohanim and Haddad discuss several pressing issues connected to the Arab sector, including the high level of violent crime within the community.
According to Haddad, Israel should focus on three elements to address the emergency.
“First of all, we need harsher punishments,” he says, pointing out that when criminals are caught, they often receive very light sentences.
“Second, we need a police unit that knows how to deal with crime in our society,” he suggests. “We need something like an elite unit who knows how to get the job done.”
The third element of the strategy is education, “because when we educate from age zero to handle conflicts with dialogue and not with violence, this is something that will eventually help with upcoming generations.”
Holocaust education
Speaking of education, Haddad also shares his experience of leading Arab Israeli youth on a visit to Auschwitz.
“It was something unbelievable,” he tells Cohanim. “This is the way to fight anti-Semitism and racism at the same time.”
