Interview with Deaf Palestinian Tayyeb Badwe

Daily Moth (Alex): Hello! Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your background?

Tayyeb Badwe: Hello Alex. My name is Tayyeb. I’m from Palestine. There are three different groups of Palestinians. West Bank, Gaza, and those in the middle, which is me. I live in Kufur Qasim. It is in Israel. It became a part of Israel by law. But understand this, I didn’t move. I was always here. The border just moved. So I had to accept this and become a citizen of Israel. But I am still a full Palestinian and a proud one.

Daily Moth (Alex): I understand. You were born in that area and you’ve lived there for your whole life?

Tayyeb Badwe: Yes, and I still live here up to now.

Daily Moth (Alex): You’re not the only one, there are many Palestinians who live in Israel. So do you have dual citizenship?

Tayyeb Badwe: Yes. Israel has 8 million residents. Now it’s 9 million. Out of that, there are 2 million Palestinians in Israel. You could say we are dual citizens, but according to Israeli law, I don’t have a Palestinian passport.

Daily Moth (Alex): So your passport says you’re Israeli?

Tayyeb Badwe: Yes.

Daily Moth (Alex): I got it. So there’s a very serious war going on. It’s not the first time it’s happened as there is a long history. Right now it’s really intense because of the incidents on Saturday with the attacks in the south. Now there are aerial bombings. I want to focus on deaf civilians, families, children, women, or any deaf person in Gaza. Is this how you sign it?

Tayyeb Badwe: (Shows sign).

Daily Moth (Alex): Okay. Are you in touch with any deaf people in Gaza? Do you know how they are doing? Have some deaf people died or lost their homes? Do you know?

Tayyeb Badwe: I recently tried to contact people in the West Bank and in Gaza. It is hard to contact them because they have had no electricity for two days now. How do they provide updates? They have a WhatsApp group and also use Telegram to provide news and updates. It includes a sign language interpreter as well, who is based in Gaza. They also use social media but if they don’t have internet connectivity, I don’t know how they can provide updates. But how do they know about incoming bombs? Deaf people depend on hearing family members who live with them for alerts on when to evacuate. Or if a deaf person lives by themselves, they will get messages on their phones from hearing family members who keep tabs on them. But again, the internet access is very limited. Electricity and water is limited as well. I was told that they have 24 hours of no electricity, then they get 4 hours of electricity, and then it’s another 24 hours of nothing. So any information is very limited. If their phone batteries run out, how can they get calls? So deaf residents have to accept things, like it is fate. If a building collapses, then that’s it. Some check the windows or look around all the time.

Daily Moth (Alex): What is that sign?

Tayyeb Badwe: Windows.

Daily Moth (Alex): Oh, windows. Yeah.

Tayyeb Badwe: They have to look outside and try to stay updated. And related to deaths, how many have died? I just found out that a deaf person passed away. He was killed. I prefer the term, “killed.” His name was Ahmed Albeyari. I think that’s the spelling. It’s hard to get the name right because I’m translating from Arabic.

Daily Moth (Alex): He died from a bombing?

Tayyeb Badwe: Yes, he was hit by a bomb. But it’s not clear because it happened in Gaza. I’m trying to follow things there, but this is what seems to have happened.

Daily Moth (Alex): I just saw on the news that Israel has warned those living in north Gaza to evacuate right now because there may be a lot of bombing and possibly a military incursion. So where do deaf people there go? How?

Tayyeb Badwe: That’s a good question. Do they have safety? If I understand it correctly, they do not have (safety). It’s because buildings are easily destroyed. So they have to constantly move. They have to go from house to house to avoid the possibility of it collapsing. So they do not have any safety but they’re just looking for a place to rest for a bit. They’re trying to find a roof, a place to sleep, somewhere where it is not too cold or too hot. So do they have safety? No. Nothing at all. That’s how they survive, by moving.

Daily Moth (Alex): They just keep on moving. Wow. So there’s a lot of tension right now. Those in Israel are angry at Hamas for their killing. Palestinians are speaking out about the excessive bombings and military action against the innocent. It’s intense. You posted on Instagram that you felt like people looked at Palestinians as “less than human.” Can you explain more on why you feel that way?

Tayyeb Badwe: As a Palestinian living in Israel all this time, I’ve interacted with many Israelis. I’ve been in school here as well. I’ve tried to believe that we are equals. I believed that peace was possible. These were my original thoughts, but I feel like I’ve lost all hope, to be honest. Why? It’s about privilege. It’s like the Black and white people (racial) issues in USA. I feel like here, those with privilege are Jewish people. But this is only for Jewish people who are in Israel. So an example is… whenever I express an opinion about discriminatory laws, what always happens is when I stand up (with an opinion), I end up being surrounded by people who try to shut me up. Imagine this, being a minority. Palestinians are a minority in Israel. I’m not talking about the West Bank or other places. This is about being in Israel. I feel very intimidated and as if my spirit is broken. I can’t defend myself or express opinions. Every time I do, I’m pushed back.

I saw this quote, “A good Arab is a dead Arab.” It basically means they believe I should be a good dog or a dead Arab. That’s verbal violence. It is really hard for me to take it. I’m still experiencing this. In my recent video, I showed my true colors. This is what I face every day in Israel as a Palestinian. But understand this, I’m just one Palestinian right now in Israel who is speaking up. Other Palestinians are in fear. That’s what is happening. If they want to speak up, they’re verbally attacked. Some of them are threatened that their (government payments) will be cut off. They get misinformation and feel afraid and stay quiet. That’s how they have controlled us all this time. So that’s how I feel like I’m perceived as less than human.

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Daily Moth (Alex): How do Palestinian people view Hamas?

Tayyeb Badwe: That’s a question that many Israeli people asked me. Many international people have asked me this question as well. “What do you think of Hamas?” Wait a moment. I want to change this question. Because is that the real question here? No. For me, the question is… Try to imagine yourself as someone who is oppressed for many years. Your movements are limited. Your access to food and electricity is limited. Would you just accept this as what you have? Just accept this for many years? What would your response be? Also, ask yourself this: who has the power? Who is doing the oppressing? These questions are what I want to ask for you to think about. Think about that instead of asking me, “What do you think of Hamas? What is wrong and what is right?” I prefer to avoid answering that because I’m not in their place. I’m not a resident of Gaza. I can’t imagine how they feel every day with very limited internet access and electricity. It’s tough, so that question is wrong.

Daily Moth (Alex): I had conversations and I saw people in Israel who feel very scared because they saw how Hamas said they wanted to see Israel completely wiped out. They want to kill everyone. And when the border fence was breached, Hamas militants killed many. So Israeli people are thinking that if they do nothing, more will come and break into their homes and kill them, just like what happened in the south of Israel. So they are spooked. So that’s why they have to bomb (Gaza), as if they “don’t care.” They don’t want Hamas to come again, to push them away. So in that situation… How do you stop the killings, the back and forth? How can it be stopped?

Tayyeb Badwe: That is a difficult question. You have to look at the big picture of the cycle of violence. It repeats itself. It will always continue on both sides. But who has more power? Who can actually change things? That’s what my thoughts are. I won’t say anything about what happened. Yes, it was very sad. I’m also very sad for Gaza because the (Israelis) weren’t the only victims. There are many lists of people throughout history who have died and they haven’t been talked about enough. I think the question is very limiting so I feel uneasy. But for the cycle of violence, how do you break this? Who has the power? The Israeli government has the power. These things are difficult to change because it’s been over 75 years. A lot of things have happened and people won’t forget. So the question is, who will change? Not me. Not you. Not individuals. It’s about spreading awareness.

It’s not about Muslims and Jews. Because that’s what Western countries and Israel want you to focus and think about. But in reality, it’s about Palestinians and Israelis. That’s it. Because Palestinian people follow various religions. Some are Muslims, some are Jewish, and also some are Christians. We’ve gone through this for many years. But we are framed as being only Muslim. So that’s where Islamophobia comes from. It’s easy to label us into groups and call us “terrorists.” People assume that terrorists come from Islam so it’s easy to label them that way. But that’s not okay. So it means that thinking has to change. Palestinian, period. Not Muslim. Not Jewish. Nothing to do with any religion. This war is not about religion. For me, it’s always been about human rights. So that’s why the questions about who shot whom, to me, is only on the surface level. The root issues are the policies in place.

Daily Moth (Alex): Israel is now bombing Gaza and its military looks ready for an incursion. Do you feel like it is possible that Gaza will be gone? Wiped out? Do you think it could happen?

Tayyeb Badwe: Yes, I’ve thought about this in my head. If Gaza is wiped out, what would it be like? What happened during World War I and II? So I think it may be similar, that it could happen again. I’m not comparing the two, but it may feel the same. It’s easy to look at Palestine as “nothing” and scapegoat Hamas. I think we should put the blame on policies, on the governments as well. This includes the Israeli government. When I see the bombings, I feel like my heart has become hardened. I’m used to this feeling. I’ve seen many deaths and the news stories. It’s got to the point where I feel almost nothing. Numb. At this moment it’s how I feel. I can’t say anything. “I’m happy that you’re doing this!” Will this solve all the problems? No. Another problem will pop up. There will always be another group formed to find revenge.

Daily Moth (Alex): It’s constantly going on. My heart is with deaf people in Gaza. What can they do?

Tayyeb Badwe: Do you know that there are about 4,000 deaf people in Gaza? Many of them have lost homes. They don’t have any place to go. They just move to a neighboring building and find whoever still has a roof. So they are supporting each other and moving. This doesn’t only apply to deaf people, it’s the same for hearing people. They have to support each other and keep on moving.

Palestinians are humans. We’re not less than human.

Daily Moth (Alex): Obviously. We care about Palestinians.

Tayyeb Badwe: Yes. Thank you for interviewing. Thank you for all of your questions.

Daily Moth (Alex): Thank you. You’re brave to talk about this, especially being a Palestinian living in Israel.

Tayyeb Badwe: It’s not easy for me. It’s really not easy. Thank you again.

Daily Moth (Alex): Thank you.