Where I live, Nazareth, the shops will not close early on the eve of Remembrance Day, there will be no ceremony and cars will not stop on the side at the siren.
But still, for me, Remembrance Day is the hardest day of the year.
On this day I think of the many friends I lost, friends of arms, who fell on the land of Lebanon.
In Bynet Jbeil, in the war in 2006, that damn war in which I myself was very badly wounded.
I think of the wounded comrades on the battlefield, who preferred that the paramedics take care of others first.
I think of my commander, Israeli hero Roy Klein, who for a short time before falling with inconceivable heroism, taught me the phrase "all Israelis are guarantors of each other."
It is said that the IDF is the biggest melting pot, and it is true. In Golani, when I volunteered to serve at the age of 18, I shaped my identity as an Arab and an Israeli, and received a lesson in life for Israeli society as a whole. To each other, our cultures, and no less importantly, together we protected all Israeli citizens, Jews and Arabs.
After all, we are all under the threat of terrorism, which can not really differentiate between us.
While I was fighting in Lebanon, Hezbollah missiles were also fired at my city, Nazareth, killing innocent civilians, as well as babies.
Hamas rockets at the Wall Guard also killed a father and daughter from Arab society.
Also in the latest chain of attacks, Sgt. Yazan Fallah, a member of the Druze community, and Sgt.
Although Israeli Arabs, apart from the Druze, do not receive a draft order - there are still thousands who have chosen to volunteer and serve the country.
I recently met novice fighters in the Bedouin IDF, and accompanied them on their beret campaign. I heard from them how connected they are, proud to wear the uniform and serve the country. It is true that we have extremists who oppose recruitment, including Arab leaders, Will lead us to a better life - they are the ones who choose integration and partnership.Even after Ayman Odeh's recent call for Israeli Arabs serving in the army and police to throw away their uniforms and weapons, there was not a single Arab who did, but on the contrary - many dozens of Israeli Arabs in the past and past The network with posts and photos, proud of being soldiers and police in the State of Israel.
I, an disabled Arab-Israeli citizen, together with my friends in the "Together Arabs for Each Other" organization, an Arab-Israeli association that advocates integration and partnership, will hold a ceremony in Arabic on Memorial Day in memory of the Arab IDF martyrs in Arara, where we will commemorate the IDF casualties. "From our society - a tradition that we started two years ago and that we continue in, and hope that each year we grow more and more.
We, the Israeli Arabs, are an integral part of Israeli society, and Remembrance Day should also be an integral part of us.
We should all remember the fallen, of all religions, who fell on the defense of the state and for all of us.
May their memory be blessed, may Allah have mercy on them.
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