The actions of the IDF are frequently in the news, but nothing compares to being able to actually hear firsthand from IDF soldiers themselves. CAMERA on Campus brought Major Abdallah (whose full name cannot be revealed for security reasons) to speak to American audiences – and he brought a unique story.
Despite the fact that Major Abdallah is a senior officer in the IDF, the army of the Jewish State, he is not himself Jewish, but is Druze. There are over 100,000 Druze in Israel, and they have full rights, and are represented in all areas of Israeli life. Major Abdallah has played a major role in fighting the terror tunnels that threaten Israel, and that led to the 2014 Gaza War. At his event at the University of Alaska, hosted by CAMERA-supported group UAA Students United, he described how he has been in involved in the destruction of nineteen terror tunnels. (That event was covered by the campus newspaper at the university, The Northern Light)
Major Abdallah’s tour also featured an exciting milestone, when Major Abdallah spoke at University of South Florida, marking the first event for our new CAMERA-supported group, Bulls for Israel.
Major Abdallah spoke on numerous campuses across the country during his tour with CAMERA, and the message he conveys is a powerful one. In other countries in the Middle East, sectarian tensions mean that members of different religions or sects are fighting against each other. Hearing from a Druze member of the Jewish army is a powerful message about the tolerance and diversity of Israel, something that is a model for the whole Middle East.
Contributed by Aron White, CAMERA intern
