"Nonie Darwish: 'An Arab for Israel'"

Make sure you read this interview, which includes the following exchange:

Véronique Chemla: "When did you change your mind towards Israel and terrorism?"

Nonie Darwish: "I changed gradually and it was not easy after a long life of indoctrination into hate and anti-Semitism. As I started befriending Jewish people, I realized that many of them are very kind and just like everyone else. I started questioning why my culture was spreading lies and hate propaganda about Jews and the West. I discovered that if Islam demands jihad against non-Muslims, then non-Muslims had to be portrayed as bad or else jihad will end. I then read books about Jews and their history. I realized everything that Arab kids were taught about Jews were lies.
I also learned good things about Israeli people and government. About 14-15 years ago, my 43 year old brother was in Gaza. He collapsed after a stroke and was unconscious. All the Arabs around my brother agreed: "If you want him to live, take him to Hadassah hospital in Israel". That means that in times of trouble, Arabs trust Israelis. The Israeli doctors and nurses did a miracle. My mother and his wife joined my brother in Jerusalem during his treatment and they told me: "The Jewish people are very good and kind". That is when I saw a different side of Israel. Acts of good will and decency by Israel are never mentioned in the media. I felt that this is not giving justice to Israel."

Véronique Chemla: "9/11 was the event that changed you for ever..."

Nonie Darwish: "In August of 2001, my husband, children and I went to visit Egypt.
When I landed in Cairo, I was shocked to find that radical Islam has taken over. The majority of women chose to wear Islamic clothes. When I had left Egypt, nobody wore them. I said to myself: "Oh, my God! Did I land in Saudi Arabia or in Egypt?" I saw pollution and garbage in the Nile, high unemployment, and the usual poverty of Egypt. But Egyptian Newspapers only focused on Israel and America bashing. Mosques did the usual cursing of America, the West and Israel. I returned to the USA on September 10, 2001, at night. The next day, when I saw live on TV the second plane crashing into the Twin Towers, I knew right away: "That's the jihad I left behind".
When I learned later that the leader of the 19 terrorist was Mohamed Atta, from a middle-class family from Cairo, I was devastated. I called many friends in Egypt. They all said: "Don't you know this is a Jewish conspiracy?" I could not believe the level of denial. For how long are we, the Arab people, going to continue to accuse the Jewish people of everything we do wrong? The way my people treated the Jewish people is a tragedy and a disgrace. This must end. That was the day I decided to speak out and that was the day I totally changed towards Israel."