Israelis defend Arabs to protect Israel

[Scurrilous]

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"I'm fighting for the security of Israel and the future prosperity of the Jewish state by fighting for the human rights of Palestinians," said Jessica Montell, executive director of the internationally renowned and respected Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem.

What motivates some Israelis to fight for justice for the other side, in the face of hatred and derision from some quarters of Israeli society who regard them as "aiding and abetting" the enemy in a time of war?

"By ensuring that Israel respects the human rights of others, I believe I'm helping strengthen Jewish values of democracy and justice, and thereby helping Israel to survive by decreasing the amount of hatred and hostility which motivates violence against Israel," Montell told the Middle East Times.

Fifty percent of Israelis think we are traitors, explained Montell, a former native of California who immigrated to Israel in 1991 under its Jewish right of return law, while only 25 percent of Israelis respect the job Israeli human rights organizations are doing, and the rest are indifferent."

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