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IRAN: Putting aside the bad behavior toward its women, Iran treats its Bahá’í citizens poorly. Iranian Bahá’í face arbitrary arrests and legal discrimination, state-driven hate speech and anti-Baha’i propaganda, education and economic discrimination, property confiscation and cemetery destruction, and escaping trends in general persecution. [shoutout to the Bahá’í International Community website]

They say “people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”. Some of Israel’s neighbors have got a lot to say about us. This week, we look at how some of them are treating the different groups which make up their populations. Spoiler: Not so nicely! #religiousfreedom #humanrights

Lastly, in apartheid countries, the discriminated group does not have representatives in the government. In Israel, Arabs hold important political office. Let’s look at the recent years of 2025-26. (MK means a member of the Knesset - Israeli parliament). Alphabetical by first name… Afif Abed: Druze MK representing Likud in the 25th Knesset. Aida Touma-Suleiman: Senior Hadash MK and one of the most prominent Arab women in Israeli politics. Hamad Amar: Senior Druze politician and one of the longest-serving Arab members of the Knesset. Iman Khatib-Yasin: One of Ra'am's most visible parliamentarians. Mansour Abbas: Chairman of Ra'am (United Arab List), MK - The most influential Arab coalition-oriented politician;continues to advocate pragmatic participation in Israeli politics. Yousef Atauna: Prominent Bedouin representative in Hadash-Ta'al. Walid Taha: Senior Ra'am MK and influential internal party figure.

In addition, Israel works hard to be inclusive. Today is our annual Pride Celebration in Tel Aviv. This is the 28th time this parade takes place and marks one of the largest LGBTQ events in the world. A bit of humor for your weekend pleasure

And when people speak of “Arabs” in Israel, to whom are they referring? The Arab Israeli sector is made up of… Muslim Arabs: ¾ of the sector, most are Sunni Muslims. Bedouins: about 1/10 of Israel's Muslim Arabs. Christian Arabs: the second largest group. Druze: some 100,000 Arabic-speakers living in 22 villages in northern Israel. Circassians: some 3,000 people, are Sunni Muslims. While maintaining a distinct ethnic identity, they participate in Israel's economic and national affairs without assimilating either into Jewish society or into the general Muslim community. Each of these groups has equal rights in Israel (some of them even serve in the army).

This was the top of the New York Times last night. The first thing every reader sees the moment they land on the homepage of the most influential news outlet on earth. All three stories about Israel. There is a famous communications scholar named Maxwell McCombs who developed what is now called the "agenda setting theory." His core finding is simple: The press is not very good at telling people what to think. It is extraordinarily good, however, at telling people what to think ABOUT. And what the New York Times has decided you should think about, every single day, multiple times a day, forever and always, is Israel. You cannot saturate the most influential newsroom in the English language with relentless coverage of one small country and then act surprised when the public becomes similarly hyper-fixated with it. The animosity we constantly see is the predictable output of editorial selection, repeated daily, until it becomes the background music of how people think about the Jewish state.

Apartheid Criterion #3: There are restrictions on where different groups can live, unequal access to land ownership, forced removals or population transfers, and/or creation of separate geographic areas with unequal rights. DOES NOT APPLY: Arab citizens have the right to live where they wish. They can own land. There are no forced removals or population transfers. Neither are there special geographic residential areas with unequal rights.

Apartheid Criterion #2: The laws, policies, or practices are designed, at least in part, to preserve the dominant group's control and the subordinate group's status. DOES NOT APPLY: Arab citizens run the political and administrative affairs of their own municipalities and advance Arab interests through their elected representatives in the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Turkey is threatening Israel with the conquest of Jerusalem. The former imperial power wants its colonial possessions back.

Apartheid Criterion #1: The population is divided into distinct groups, and those groups are treated differently under law or policy. DOES NOT APPLY: Arab citizens of Israel have the same legal rights and voting privileges as Jewish Israelis.

Apartheid is on our minds this week. The media regularly describes Israel as an apartheid country, citing a system of institutionalized segregation and discrimination designed to maintain the supremacy of one group over another. Is there any truth to this claim?

By the way, have you joined our community yet?

Are you ready to be a disinformation warrior? We’re looking for people who want to raise awareness, inspire others, and connect more Israelis and Jews to positive civic action. Contact us at: contact@hasbaraempower.org Tell us what drives you, what interests you, and how you’d like to take part. Together we’ll find the best way for you to make an impact.

But really, why does all this matter? It’s a “two for the price of one” gain. On an international level, we can raise a generation of civic-minded adults who can identify and take action against disinformation about Israel. On a national level, we can raise the quality of life by restoring trust in our public institutions and opening up lines of respectful, fact-based dialogues. #civicresponsibility

Are you involved with High School education? Ask us about our pilot program. We will start small with a single volunteer lecture to prove that it works. Expansion is based on real results: measured changes in behavior, positive feedback from students and staff. Our belief is “Data first. Scale second.”

Remember when "journalists" in Gaza staged a famine? We will never forget the ammount of blood libels that have been manufactured and spread against the Jewish people by mainstream media.

Each person can begin by themself, but where should we begin as a community? We suggest starting where it matters most: high schools. This group of students is poised to enter civic adulthood.

On This Day — June 1, 1967 In case anyone still doubts the genocidal intent of the Arab armies massed on Israel’s borders just days before the Six Day War, the Chairman of the PLO made it crystal clear. Ahmed Shukairy stated in a Friday sermon in Jerusalem: “This is a fight for the homeland – it is either us or the Israelis. There is no middle road. The Jews of Palestine will have to leave. We will facilitate their departure to their former homes. Any of the old Palestine Jewish population who survive may stay, but it is my impression that none of them will survive.” He added: “We shall destroy Israel and its inhabitants and as for the survivors — if there are any — the boats are ready to deport them.” This was the official leader of the PLO speaking before Israel had fired a single shot — while the Jewish state was still entirely inside the 1949 armistice lines (the so-called “67 borders”). No “occupation,” no “settlements,” no control over the "West Bank" (then Jordanian) or Gaza (Egyptian). The actual goal was simple: total destruction of the Jewish state and the extermination or expulsion of its Jews. Yet today, the same movement and its defenders still pretend the conflict began with the “occupation” that only existed after Israel survived yet another attempt at its annihilation.

Why are the Palestinians hiding their 1948 leaders?