Palestinian labeled a 'traitor' for condemning Oct 7 atrocities now lives in 'constant fear'

A Palestinian man who has been ostracized by his community for condemning the October 7 terror attacks spoke out about his experience in a new interview.

"I don’t live in a place that respects freedom of speech. What I did on October 7 — condemning it — has put me in a very dangerous position," the man, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Free Press' Bari Weiss in an interview published Thursday.

"I have been called a traitor multiple times by multiple people. Doing this interview, to be honest, I’m afraid. But I know that I had to do it," he continued. "I think everyone should speak up. Without speaking up, nobody can make a difference or create change. People only see hate from both sides. You don’t see someone who is standing up condemning what’s wrong. And by speaking today, it’s my chance to show there’s a different side to what’s going on."

The man described growing up in a small village in the West Bank with limited opportunities and resources. Most of his classmates either dropped out of school or worked manual labor in Israel. Growing up, he was taught to fear Jews, and had only met Israelis in "uniform" until the age of 27. However, his views started to change when he first learned about the Holocaust in a book as a teenager.

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"This is not something we were taught in school or something that was even mentioned. So after reading this book, it kind of changed my whole perspective, my whole idea about how I see the Jewish people," he told Weiss.

The man said he left home on a scholarship to study abroad over 12 years ago and eventually returned to study for his MBA at Tel Aviv University in Israel through a scholarship that helped Palestinian students find internships in Israeli tech companies.

The pursuit of his degree didn't come easy. He said he experienced housing discrimination in Israel as a Palestinian and was sometimes homeless or stayed at friends' houses. He endured a several hours-long commute every day from the West Bank because of the checkpoints into Israel.

Despite these hardships, his unstable housing situation allowed him to make many Jewish friends from various backgrounds. He even participated in Jewish celebrations and lived with an Israeli soldier at one point. 

"We were very different — how we think, our views — but we were friends, and I don’t believe that different views means that you cannot be friends with someone," he said.

While he called himself a proud Palestinian, on October 7 he was "ashamed" and horrified by the atrocities committed. He worried about his Israeli "second family" and their safety. 

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That same day, a social media post would upend his life. 

He posted a short statement online condemning Hamas' terrorism and asking for prayers for everyone affected by the attacks. But he quickly realized how dangerous it was to speak against the massacre as a Palestinian.

"My Israeli friends appreciated my post. They felt it was sincere. They felt that they had someone on their side. But on the other side, I started seeing the numbers of my connections and friends decrease. I couldn’t understand that reaction. I was very disturbed by it. Many people removed me and stopped talking to me. I reached out to ask, ‘Why did you delete me? What happened? Can we have a conversation?’" he said.

"And I remember one person told me, ‘You are a traitor.’ And after that, three other people called me a traitor. And in the West Bank and in Gaza, if you are labeled a traitor, it means you are in danger. It means you’ll be hanged or killed. And this is what I have been fearing ever since," he continued.

While he doesn't regret what he said, he ended up taking down the post for his own and his loved ones' safety.

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"Being called a traitor means your life, your family, your home are in danger. People are hanged or shot down without a trial, without interference from our supposed 'government.' And then after they’re hanged, they keep him there. As a warning, a message to others," he explained. 

"I felt scared from the way that people reacted to my post. And I also felt regret that I deleted it. I should have kept it up. I did nothing wrong. I condemned a terrorist group who was the main reason for the horrors, for the death, for many people losing their loved ones, their livelihood. Many Gazans were killed, buildings were destroyed, destruction on both sides. And there is only one side to blame. There’s one party to blame, which is Hamas."

He said his life has been radically changed since speaking out. Before October 7, he loved his life working in Israel and felt like he was making a difference, breaking down barriers between Israelis and Palestinians. 

"I used to feel safe where I am, but now it’s been nine months of constant fear, constant worries," he said.

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The man says he's looking for a job so he can leave the area. He felt compelled to speak out now to encourage others to condemn Hamas as well and the hatred they've stirred up.

"It will take so many years in order to overcome what happened. But I believe we still have hope. I still believe it’s possible for both sides to live side by side. We should not allow Hamas to succeed in destroying this hope," he said.