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It might be the question that hasn’t got an answer yet for many of the 1948 Arabs
Those Palestinians who weren’t transferred out when Israel established its states in 1948, and were left in such a complicated situation, challenging the hard life and questioning their Identity.
They have been trying so hard to get their rights as citizens but they have been always treated as second-class citizens, I can actually compare their case with the African Americans case before the civil rights movements.
Both of those 1948 Arabs and African Americans were the original residents, and after their lands were stolen, they became second—class citizens who fight for minority rights.
The case of the Israel’s Arab citizen who are counted for 20% of the whole population face difficulties to enjoy their rights the same as Jewish people, though they hold the Israeli ID, but they still don’t get equal funding for their schools and healthcare, they face impediments to their ability to buy property and limitation in where they can live, they suffer daily challenges to live a normal life, and over all the face the hardest problem, Questioning their IDENTITY!!! .
The participation of the Mira Awad in the Eurovision is the right example for this challenge.
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Mira Awad who was born in Remeh village in Galilee, Israel to an Arab Palestinian father and Bulgarian mother, studied at Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Ramat Hashorn and currently lives in Tel Aviv was selected to sing an Israeli song along with an Israeli singer in order to represent Israel in the Eurovision International competition which will be held on the 16th of May, 2009.
Regarding Mira’s behaviour, a number of Intellectuals and artists of the 1948 Arabs have dedicated an appeal to the Mira Awad, a Palestinian singer holding an Israeli ID asking her not to participate with the Israeli singer Ashinoam Nini to represent Israel in the Eurovision competition in Moscow.
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On the other hand a number of 1948 and Palestinians gathered in big opened group on Face book calling themselves (We don’t want Mira Awad representing Israel in Eurovision) in order to express their anger and frustrations towards her participation.
Those people even if they were 1948 Arabs but they still consider the participation of Mira Awad in such an international competition especially in the current situation serves the Israeli Propaganda and better the Israeli image in the foreign world.
In those peoples’ eyes, Mira is Palestinian even if she holds the Israeli ID, but she is ARABIC and PALESTINIAN.
