Israeli-Arab official denounces campaign against Arab dentists

The Higher Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel denounced a propaganda campaign waged by Israeli mass media against Arab dentists, Safa News Agency reported on Sunday.

In a press release, the Head of the Follow-Up Committee Mohamed Baraka said: “The Israeli propaganda machine was unleashed hysterically against Arab citizens, clearly using false information.”

Baraka referred to a report by the extremist right-wing Israeli TV Channel 20, highlighting a video of dozens of Arab dentists singing the Palestinian anthem at the end of an international conference in Colombia.

The Israeli TV said that instead of singing the Israeli anthem ‘Hatikvah,’ the Arab dentists sung the Palestinian anthem ‘Fedai,’ claiming that this calls for the destruction of Israel.

When the video was running, the broadcaster of the Israeli TV translated the words of the Palestinian anthem and accused the Arab dentists of having a hostile mindset against Israel.

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In his statement, Baraka said that many extremist and right-wing Israelis, including doctors and officials and even MPs, have called for revoking work permits from the Arab dentists or dismissing them from their jobs.

He condemned the campaign against the Association of the Arab Dentists and its president Fakhri Hassan, noting that they are all Arabs and “are not expected at any time to sing the Hatikvah.”