Members of the “Squad” are undermining coexistence between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East, Israeli-Arab activist Yoseph Haddad told Fox News Digital.

“Representatives of the Squad are trying to harm the coexistence and partnership that exist in the region between Arabs and Jews,” Haddad said. “I think it was [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez herself who said she had no idea about the geopolitics of this region—she’s right. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib know exactly what’s going on here, but they decide to lie and twist the facts.”

Haddad, the CEO of Together Vouch for Each Other — an organization founded in 2018 by young Israeli Arabs to bridge cultural and religious divides — has emerged as a prominent voice in Israel’s public diplomacy efforts following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 massacre. 

Since the attack, Jewish communities across the United States and Europe have faced a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents, with pro-Hamas demonstrations appearing on college campuses as early as October 8.

“In real apartheid, like in South Africa, everything was segregated — transportation, hospitals, courts, sports, even walking on the sidewalks,” Haddad said. “But if you actually come to Israel and see life here, it’s the complete opposite — 180 degrees different.”

“Stop speaking from a place of emotion — that’s exactly what The Squad is doing,” he continued. “Start talking about facts. Then you’ll realize that anyone who concludes Israel is an apartheid state is an imbecile.”

Protestors gather at the gates of Columbia University, in support of student protesters who barricaded themselves in Hamilton Hall, despite orders from university officials to disband or face suspension, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, U.S., April 30, 2024. (REUTERS/David Dee Delgado)

He also mentioned a run-in he had with a protester, who he refers to as “the useful idiots.”

They have no clue … One time, I read the charter of Hamas to some pro-Palestinian useful idiot, I read it to them, and I said you agree to this, and they said no, no, no I didn’t know that. And I said yes, but this is what you are supporting, and he had the headband of Hamas on his head. You understand that this is what you are supporting.

“He literally took the band off after that. Such useful idiots like this you have a lot, not just in the United States, you can see it in Europe as well.”

Memorials at the site of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, Israel, on Monday, May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

When asked what he believes the Palestinians ultimately want, Haddad pointed to slogans often heard at anti-Israel and antisemitic protests, such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “There is only one solution: Intifada revolution.”

“The majority of Palestinians do not want to live side by side with Israel,” Haddad said. “So when people talk about a two-state solution and question Israel’s commitment, I say: Don’t ask the Israelis — ask the Palestinians. You’ll be shocked to find that many of them aren’t willing to accept it.”

Haddad pointed out that history can be approached in multiple ways — through religious texts like the Torah for Jews, the Bible for Christians and the Quran for Muslims. Even those who are atheists can look to history books for evidence of the deep-rooted connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel.

Haddad argued that the Torah explicitly mentions the presence of Jews in Israel, tracing their presence back thousands of years. He also highlighted the Biblical reference to the birthplace of Jesus in Jewish Bethlehem, challenging the notion that Palestinian Muslims have a historical claim to the land before the Jews.

Haddad noted that while Jerusalem is never mentioned in the Quran, the term “sons of Israel” appears more than 43 times. He also emphasized that the name “Palestine” was imposed by the Romans as a punishment for the Bar Kokhba revolt.

Students and others demonstrate during a protest outside the gates to the Columbia University main campus in New York City on April 21. (Reuters/Ryan Murphy)

Haddad highlighted that in 1947, Arabs had the opportunity to establish a Palestinian state through the U.N. Partition Plan, which the Jews accepted despite receiving less land and fewer resources. However, the Arabs rejected the plan and opted to wage war. When the Jews emerged victorious, 156,000 Arabs remained within what became Israel. Sharing his personal connection to this history, Haddad explained that his grandfather was one of those Arabs who stayed and eventually became part of the Arab Israeli identity.

“It’s either you accept the fact that Israel exists and is here to stay, or you continue with this cycle of bloodshed and death that we are trying to escape,” said Haddad. “But the ones who will suffer the most are you, the Palestinians, whether in the West Bank or Gaza.”

Several requests for comment sent to Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Omar were not returned.