Arab-Israeli IDF reservists combat anti-Israel falsehoods in Arabic

While the Israeli army is fighting against the terror group Hamas, Arab-Israeli IDF reservists are fighting on another important front: Confronting widespread anti-Israel fake news in Arabic.

Despite the signing of the historic Arab-Israeli Abraham Accords in 2020, there is still widespread public hostility towards Israel across the Middle East. Much of this hostility is fueled by false media reporting during times of conflict, such as the current war between Israel and Hamas.

Yahya Mahamid, 26, from the Arab city of Umm al-Fahm in Israel, is one of the native Arabic-speaking IDF reservists who is currently fighting the crucial "information war" against anti-Israel falsehoods in Arab media.

"Although I did my regular service as a soldier, I prefer to serve where I am most useful. If they had told me that I was more useful at the front, I would have gone there," Mahamid said. Previously serving in the 50th Battalion of the Nahal unit, Mahamid is currently serving in the IDF Spokesman’s Office because he is a native Arabic speaker.

As an Arab citizen of Israel, Mahamid understands the Arab world culture better than most IDF officials do. He stressed the importance of the public relations front, describing it as the 'iron dome' against cyber missiles.

"The IDF spokesman understands fake news and how to fight it. It's a nuclear weapon being used against our flag. We, the crew of the barges, protect Israel because we are an iron dome in the cyberworld," Mahamid said.

He explained that he grew up in an environment that was hostile towards Jews and he did not learn about the Holocaust or history, in general.

"I grew up with an education against the Jewish people. I did not learn about the Holocaust, and in history we were taught that everything began in 1948. After I finished school, when I went out into the world, I found that I had the wrong upbringing. That's why I started my advocacy campaign in Arabic. I wanted to share with as many people as possible that there is fake news here that they repeat over and over again," Mahamid stated.

Muhammad Kabiya is another Arab-Israeli citizen who was recently recruited as an Arab-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli military’s Northern Command. In a recent interview with BBC’s Arabic channel, Kabiya confronted the hostile host by stressing that Hamas started the current war through its massacre of countless Israeli civilians on Oct. 7.

"This is not the first time I have been interviewed by the BBC, and I always assume that it will not be easy and that the interviewer will not be pro-Israel," Kabiya said.

During the interview, Kabiya argued that the Hamas terror group violated the tenets of Islam by torturing and murdering women, children and elderly.

While the Arab media is a challenging field, Kabiya said that Israel’s most efficient weapon is to present documented facts.

"But against all his questions, I use my weapon - the facts. With them, we always win because the truth is on our side."

Meanwhile, Muslim Arab IDF soldiers are also combating Hamas terrorists on the military front.

Lt.-Col. M. is a senior IDF officer who heroically led a unit of Muslim Bedouin Israelis against Hamas terrorists when they invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7.