Militant Islam Monitor > Satire > Rawan Osman: "Recovered Antisemite" & ‘Muslimah Messiah' "I Was Born To Defend Israel" - "Becoming Jewish Is Not My Dirty Secret"
Rawan Osman: "Recovered Antisemite" & ‘Muslimah Messiah' "I Was Born To Defend Israel" - "Becoming Jewish Is Not My Dirty Secret"
Syrian Lebanese W/ Hezbollah Ex & Family Expects Adoration & $ From Jews For Telling Them Why She Decided Not To Hate Them
July 4, 2026
WHAT GOOD IS BEING THE 'MUSLIMAH MESSIAH' IN ISRAEL WHEN YOU CANT EVEN GET A SECURITY CLEARANCE TO BECOME A JEW?
" I am not converted yet."
"The obstacle is not Judaism. The obstacle is security clearance."
"Because of my background, my application has been blocked or suspended. I am told that approval is highly unlikely."
"Recovered Antisemite" Rawan Osman on X https://x.com/RawaneOsmane/status/2055645524011659438
#####
"Why this Syrian-born activist says Israel is fighting for civilization"
"Rawan Osman believes she was born to defend the State of Israel"
"People like me come as a reminder to tell you we got this. We're fine," Osman said."
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r192o1k7zx#google_vignette 12/27/2025
########
AI
"Rawan Osman has not yet finalized her conversion to Judaism. While she began the process and has completed DNA testing, her formal application has faced major delays due to security clearance blockages resulting from her Syrian and Lebanese background. [1, 2, 3, 4]
########
MIM: Self proclaimed "Recovered Antisemite' the Syrian born, Lebanon raised German citizen Rawan Gabrielle Osman is running around Tel Aviv like the Roaming Gnome on speed in a Lebanese flag T-shirt while her Hezbollah family members (and ex husband?) are bombarding Israel with missiles and drones on a daily basis.
This self anointed "Arab Zayini$t' is obnoxiously shoving microphones into Jews' faces telling them to 'read my shirt' and answer the question on it which reads in Hebrew "Is There Going To Be Peace With Lebanon"? She shoved her mike into a dog's snout too!
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=26579337728401105&set=a.940287906066106 (Pics) https://x.com/RawaneOsmane/status/2049087405525815574 (video)
While a military operation continues in to weaken and disable Hezbollah, Israeli society continues to strive for peace with a Lebanon without terrorists.
https://x.com/RawaneOsmane/status/2049087405525815574 Video
########
MIM: Osman's view of herself as THE 'Muslimah Messiah' and harbinger of world peace is epitomized in this April 20, 2026 posting she made during the Israeli war of self defense in her 'heimat' of Lebanon against Hezbollah which includes her own family members!
After an IDF soldier (who might not even be Jewish) was accused of smashing a Jesus statue (idol) in Lebanon the "Recovered Antisemite" Muslimah & uber virtue signaler aka media whore joined the international media's Israel bashing fest and ranted "This kind of behavior belongs to ISIS and the Taliban -not the IDF " ...I hope one day that you'll understand the gravity of what you've done. And that you find the courage to apologize not only to the Lebanese, but to the Israelis as well."
MIM: Instead of thanking the IDF soldier for ridding HER Lebanese people from the tyranny of Hezbollah which includes her own family members,this ungrateful, entitled Muslimah TOURIST bases in Germany lamented that an Israeli soldier had ruined her "hundreds of hours" spent trying to convince 'the world' not to hate Israel! If Osman is really a 'peace activist' why doesn't she go to her Hezbollah jihadi family in Lebanon and convince them to stop taking part in attacks on Israel?
"You didn't just damage relations.
"It felt personal. Hundreds of hours I've spent showing the world Israel's humanity ,its complexity -
undermined in a single moment, by a single image. All I could think of was: why?"
Rawan Osman
April 20 ·
To the IDF soldier holding the sledgehammer and to the one holding the camera,
Why?
What were you thinking?
At a moment when something rare—almost unthinkable—was beginning to emerge…
For the first time in decades, Israeli and Lebanese representatives shook hands.
For the first time, voices in Lebanon found the courage to say: enough. Enough war. Enough hatred. Enough blood.
A fragile bridge was forming.
A bridge so that your mothers don't have to fear the next war in Lebanon.
So that Lebanese families don't have to live under Hezbollah's grip.
So that your children—and theirs—don't inherit another cycle of destruction.
And for the first time, many began to understand:
the real threat is not in Tel Aviv, but in Tehran.
That Hezbollah is not "resistance," but a force of ruin.
And then—this.
Why behave this way?
Why disgrace your uniform, your commanders, your country?
If I don't worship Buddha, I don't go to Thailand and smash a statue.
That kind of behavior belongs to ISIS and the Taliban—not the IDF.
You didn't just damage an object.
You damaged trust. You damaged credibility. You damaged something that took years—decades—to even begin to build.
I hope one day you understand the gravity of what you've done.
And that you find the courage to apologize—not only to the Lebanese, but to Israelis as well.
Because this didn't just hurt "relations."
It felt personal.
Hundreds of hours I've spent showing the world Israel's beauty, its humanity, its complexity—
undermined in a single moment, by a single image.
And all I could think was:
Why? למה…
#israel #lebanon
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=26579337728401105&set=a.940287906066106
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXWLmUcjOHs/
####
Lebanese-born activist Rowan Osman - on ALL CAPS
For much of her childhood in Lebanon, Rowan Osman saw Israel through the lens common across much of the region. Raised in a society where anti-Israel narratives were deeply ingrained, she admired Hezbollah and viewed the group as a force standing up to what she believed was Israeli occupation.
Today, the Syrian-born, Lebanon-raised activist has become one of Israel's most prominent international advocates, speaking out against antisemitism, challenging misinformation about the Jewish state and openly embracing a path toward conversion to Judaism. Speaking on All CAPS with host Nitsana Darshan-Leitner and panelists Sarai Givaty, Titi Ayanaw and India Naftali, Osman described a personal journey that led her from hostility toward Israel to becoming one of its fiercest defenders.
Link to full episode on our story
MIM: Rawan Osman reasons for her decision to 'con'vert to Judaism appears to be more of a justification aimed at convincing herself and Jews that she is is a sincere 'con'version candidate yet her own words reveal the opposite when she declares to Nitsana Darshan Leiter, head of Shurat Ha Din (The Letter Of The Law).
"Converting to Judaism is not my dirty secret," she says, adding, "there's nothing to be ashamed of. It's something I'm proud of and I'd like the Jews to understand that it is something you should be proud of. There's nothing wrong with you and everything wrong with the world."
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZAkwdNCKH8/
#####
MIM: Here are some of Osman's delusional and self obsessed Instagram postings.
Knowing both the Lebanese and the Israelis, I know that both people could be best friends if allowed to live in peace. It breaks my heart to see how hizbol@ took over the country and brainwashed so many to route for their own country's destruction #lebanon#لبنان_بيروت_جبل_لبنان_الشمال_البقاع_عكار #اسرائيل #israel
-
https://www.instagram.com/rawanosman2024/reel/C5f7RLEtc8g/ 50w
Best friends? When your government is murdering innocent people? No thanks
########
MIM: Here's Osman's disingenuous 'explanation' of Jihad for infidels on Instagram.
She also has a 'group' called "Arabs Ask"
MIM: The Instagram links to the 6 page 'jihad primer' on Instgram. (Screenshots upon request).
and
#####
Jihad is often misunderstood, with its meaning and significance distorted by extremist groups like Hamas. This carousel breaks down what Jihad truly represents in Islam, and how these concepts have been manipulated by extremists.
Let's challenge the narratives that fuel violence.
غالبًا ما يُساء فهم الجهاد، حيث يتم تشويه معناه ومغزاه من قبل الجماعات المتطرفة مثل حماس. توضح هذه
غالبًا ما يُساء فهم الجهاد، حيث يتم تشويه معناه ومغزاه من قبل الجماعات المتطرفة مثل حماس. توضح هذه الحلقة الدوارة ما يمثله الجهاد حقًا في الإسلام، وكيف تم التلاعب بهذه المفاهيم من قبل المتطرفين
دعونا نتحدى الروايات التي تغذي العنف
#ArabsAsk #Jihad #Islam#Awareness #UnderstandingIslam
17w See translation
https://www.instagram.com/arabs_ask/p/DC1G2qMtNG2/?img_index=1
MIM: Rawan Osman has posted that she considers Rabbi Shalom Schwartz the executive producer of the film about antisemitism which 'starred' HER to be her 'CON'version mentor and spiritual guide.He likely paid 'Jewess wannabe' Rawan Osman for her 'starring role' in it on behalf of the OpenDor Media company and is effectively her employer. They also travelled together to several countries for post screening discussions.Taking into account Osman's personal and business relationship with Rabbi Shalom Schwartz and the religious stipulations that a rabbi involved in a 'con'version must act as "a teacher,mentor and judge" it appears that this situation presents a 'conflict of interests' which would call into question the 'con'vert's sincerity in Osman's case and render a 'kosher' 'con'version impossible.
"In an Orthodox conversion, a rabbi acts as a teacher, mentor, and judge. The process is intensive, typically taking one to three years, as the candidate must demonstrate a sincere commitment to living a fully observant Jewish life (halakha)."
#########
"Shalom Schwartz and Rawan Osman are key figures behind the 2024 documentary Tragic Awakening, which explores the roots of antisemitism. Rawan Osman, a Syrian-Lebanese activist, shares her journey from supporting Hezbollah to advocating for peace and converting to Judaism. Shalom Schwartz is an Executive Producer and producer of the film."
Key Details on Rawan Osman & Shalom Schwartz:
- Rawan Osman's Transformation: Raised in a pro-Hezbollah environment in Lebanon, Osman shifted her worldview after moving to Europe, becoming a peace activist and Zionist who advocates for Israel. She is featured in Tragic Awakening discussing this journey.
- Shalom Schwartz's Role: Schwartz is a producer and Executive Producer of Tragic Awakening, a documentary that premiered in late 2024. He is associated with OpenDor Media and has participated in panel discussions regarding the film.
- Tragic Awakening (2024): The film, directed by Wayne Kopping, features Rawan Osman and is produced by Raphael Shore and Shalom Schwartz. It investigates the rise of antisemitism following the October 7, 2023, attacks.
- Collaboration: Both appear together in panel discussions for the documentary, alongside director Wayne Kopping and producer Raphael Shore, to discuss the film's themes of combating Jew-hatred.
Tragic Awakening also showcases Osman's visit to Auschwitz as part of her journey.
Tragic Awakening (2024) - IMDb
*Tragic Awakening* is a 2024 documentary that explores the origins of antisemitism, Jewish hatred, and the potential for transforming it into a positive force. ...
IMDb
Tragic Awakening
Rawan Osman
MIM: On April 23,2026 Wannabe Jewess and "Recovered Antisemite" Rawan Osman posted on X that she was not sure which edition of a Haggadah she should buy and related that she had called her 'con'version "mentor Rabbi Schlomo Schwartz" who also is the Executive Producer of the film about antisemitism she had 'starred' in and her 'employer' and asked him to advise her.
"Before Pessach I went to Pomerantz to buy my first Haggadah. The editions by Rabbi Sacks and Rav Kook were already sold out. I called my mentor, Rabbi Shalom Shwartz, and showed him the table full of options. He simply said: "You choose."
Out of everything, I picked the one by Shlomo Carlebach.
When I later posted a photo of the books I bought, Carlebach's name was front and center. Within minutes, my inbox filled with messages—people warning me about allegations against him, calling him a sexual predator. I paused. I wondered why Hanan Ben Ari would quote Carlebach on freedom in Hashiveinu. And I wondered why my mentor had let me walk straight into what felt like a minefield.
I considered deleting the post. Even returning the book.
We've seen this before. Many stopped listening to Michael Jackson after the accusations against him. Others refuse to engage with Roger Waters because of his antisemitism. So what comes first—talent or morality?
While I was thinking about all this, I remembered a moment from when I was nine.
I was in a strict French Catholic school. Discipline was everything—clean notebooks, perfect handwriting, precise spacing. One day, my teacher stopped at my desk and pointed out a small ink stain on my page. He walked on, then suddenly turned back and addressed the whole class:
"Human beings are strange. Rawan always does her work perfectly. But the only thing I noticed—the only thing I focused on—was the stain."
Before Pessach I went to Pomerantz to buy my first Haggadah. The editions by Rabbi Sacks and Rav Kook were already sold out. I called my mentor, Rabbi Shalom Shwartz, and showed him the table full of options. He simply said: "You choose."
Out of everything, I picked the one by Shlomo Carlebach.
When I later posted a photo of the books I bought, Carlebach's name was front and center. Within minutes, my inbox filled with messages—people warning me about allegations against him, calling him a sexual predator. I paused. I wondered why Hanan Ben Ari would quote Carlebach on freedom in Hashiveinu. And I wondered why my mentor had let me walk straight into what felt like a minefield.
I considered deleting the post. Even returning the book.
We've seen this before. Many stopped listening to Michael Jackson after the accusations against him. Others refuse to engage with Roger Waters because of his antisemitism. So what comes first—talent or morality?
While I was thinking about all this, I remembered a moment from when I was nine.
I was in a strict French Catholic school. Discipline was everything—clean notebooks, perfect handwriting, precise spacing. One day, my teacher stopped at my desk and pointed out a small ink stain on my page. He walked on, then suddenly turned back and addressed the whole class:
"Human beings are strange. Rawan always does her work perfectly. But the only thing I noticed—the only thing I focused on—was the stain."
He was right. When we described him, we didn't mention his kindness or dedication. We said: "the bald teacher with the mole on his forehead."
That day stayed with me. It taught me how instinctively we fixate on the flaw.
After a lot of reflection, I decided not to return Carlebach's book, and not to delete the post.
Not because I excuse him—I don't. Just as no talent excuses abuse, whether it's Michael Jackson or anyone else, it doesn't excuse Carlebach either.
I kept the book—and the post—as a reminder.
A reminder that someone can be revered, even spiritually elevated, and still cross red lines. A reminder that human beings have blind spots. That without constant self-awareness, we are all capable of moral failure.
In this sense, Carlebach represents more than an artist. He represents a spiritual figure whose failure carries even greater weight—a chilul Hashem. Not a stain on entertainment, but on something meant to elevate and heal.
Should he be canceled? Maybe.
But in my world, I choose something else: to remember.
To hold both truths at once—the good and the bad—and to never forget how easily darkness can enter even the brightest minds and hearts.
#judaism 4/23/26
#######
The greatest lesson I have learned since my life took an unexpected turn after October 7, since I became a public figure, is that transparency is the best defense. A few days ago, I spoke openly about the pain of receiving hatred from both sides. Not only from ideological enemies who were once friends or even family members, but sometimes also from allies, from people consumed by jealousy, resentment, or such radicalism that they want nothing to do with anyone outside the Jewish bubble. Most of the responses, however, focused on one thing: conversion. Many people welcomed me with kindness, invoking Ruth and telling me that the Jewish people have always made room for those whose souls found their way home. But I want to clarify something. I am not converted yet. Ironically, while so many people describe the agony the rabbinate in Israel puts them through, my own experience with rabbis has been the opposite. Every rabbi involved in my process so far has treated me with support, respect, and encouragement. The obstacle is not Judaism. The obstacle is security clearance. Because of my background, my application has been blocked or suspended. I am told that approval is highly unlikely. Yet my life is an open book. I have nothing to hide, and that is precisely where my confidence comes from. My record is squeaky clean, otherwise I would not have entered Israel more than twenty times since October 7. And frankly, if the security apparatus truly believed I was some master infiltrator who managed to fool everyone this entire time, they would recruit me rather than spend years scrutinizing my past. Since discovering Judaism, since realizing that I am Jewish, even before a DNA test confirmed what my soul already knew, the only thing I have chosen entirely for myself, the single thing I am giving myself despite all the criticism, hostility, and consequences attached to it, is my conversion. And I will do it. No matter how many obstacles are placed in my way, I will do it in Israel. Sometimes I feel as though I am paying the price for something much older than myself, as though I am rectifying a rupture that began generations ago, when my ancestors, once exiled to Babylon, abandoned Judaism because survival became easier that way. Maybe that is simply the meaning I draw from the immense frustration of knowing that my file is sitting in someone's drawer while my future hangs in limbo. But if there is one thing I know about myself, it is this: I do not give up. Not in this lifetime.
https://x.com/RawaneOsmane/status/2055645524011659438
#######
Rabbi Raphael Shore's new book and film address the root causes of antisemitism.
By Alan Rosenbaum November 17, 2024
For 17-year-old Raphael Shore, the "No Jews Allowed" sign that his friends hung on the door one Friday evening in 1978 at his high school hangout was a wake-up call that antisemitism was alive and well in his hometown of London, Ontario.
Recalling the incident that occurred more than 40 years ago, Shore described his Jewish upbringing and the shock of being the subject of an antisemitic slur. "We weren't religious, but we were Jewish. We were proud. We had a strong identity. We had managed to become part of the 'cool people' in high school, and we hung around with them every single weekend, all the time," he recounted.
And then all of a sudden, one weekend it was 'No Jews allowed.' The combination of being quite proud [about our Judaism], and then seeing that sign definitely had a profound impact on me."
Shocked by the encounter and inspired by his twin brother's newfound Jewish observance, Shore studied antisemitism at the University of Toronto, became an ordained rabbi, educator, and filmmaker, and today lives with his wife and children in Jerusalem.
Last month, Shore released the documentary film Tragic Awakening: A New Look at the Oldest Hatred, which explores the roots of antisemitism, along with his book titled Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Jew? Learning to Love the Lessons of Jew-Hatred. The film was produced in conjunction with the Aseret Movement, founded by Rabbi Shalom Schwartz.
In a recent interview with this writer, Shore said he began working on the book several years ago, based on ideas that had been percolating within him for the past 40 years. While the book was in its final stages of preparation, Shore decided to make a companion film.
The tragic attacks of Oct. 7, the ensuing Operation Swords of Iron, and the worldwide rise in antisemitism make the questions addressed in the film and the book especially relevant for this period.
The film
"Today, almost every Jew is asking the question 'Why?'" said Shore. "Why is there such hatred? Why is it once again in our generation – not just Oct. 7 – but the global reaction, the reaction on campuses? It was shocking to the Jewish world. This book and the film are coming in a very timely way to answer the question that's on people's minds."
The film anchors its message through Shore's extensive discussions with human rights activist Rawan Osman, who was born in Syria and raised in Lebanon. "I hated the Jews," she tells Shore early on in the film. "I was told that the Jews were evil, that they hate everybody, and would do anything to achieve their goals."
Osman eventually changed her negative views about Judaism and, over time, became a staunch supporter of Israel. After the Oct. 7 massacre, she visited Israel and the Gaza communities.
Footage of the events of that tragic day, video clips of anti-Israel protests, and comments from well-known activists and commentators such as Bari Weiss, Yossi Klein Halevi, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and former MK Michal Cotler-Wunsh are interspersed through the film, which runs just short of one hour.
"The Jews are blamed for all the ills of the world," Osman tells Shore. "Why? Where does this come from?"
He responds to her with several possible answers. The first possibility – that the Jews are hated because they are wicked and evil – is discarded almost immediately.
THE SECOND possibility is that Jews have been used as scapegoats for the ills of society throughout history, and there is nothing unique that makes them hated. Shore dismisses this possibility as well and instead embraces the idea that "they hate us because we are Jewish," tracing it to Adolf Hitler's worldview, which saw the Jews as a threat to his philosophy.
"Hitler believed that there was one great conflict that drove human history – survival of the fittest," says Shore. "Just as in the animal kingdom, where ruthlessness and power govern that realm, so too it would be for mankind."
In Hitler's view, continues Shore, the success of humanitarianism – love, equality, and democracy – would mean the end of humanity. In his warped viewpoint, the Jews were dangerous to human development and were a spiritual and moral threat to mankind.
Shore extends Hitler's point of view to antisemitism in general – that haters of the Jews have seen them as a threat to their ideology and philosophy. "Although Hitler could articulate it consciously, perhaps that same concern underlies antisemitism throughout history, even when people can't successfully articulate it – and that gives rise to all kinds of reasons," he explains.
They can't always put their finger on it, so they say it's because Jews have too much money. They come up with various excuses and scapegoats, but none of them are satisfactory. No answers are truly satisfactory. And then Hitler comes along and answers it for us."
It was this overarching hatred of the Jews and what they stood for, explains Shore, that made the destruction of the Jewish people the core mission of World War II for the Nazis.
Replying to Shore's explanation, Osman notes, "Hitler perceived the Jews as the conscience of humanity. Hitler's hatred of the Jews was more fear than it was hate. He wanted to kill the Jews because they were good."
The book
In his tome, Shore expands further on the impact of the Jewish people in history and why Hitler considered them to be a threat.
"Jewish philosophy and tradition would say that Adolf Hitler was right about the nature of man's struggle and the Jewish people's disruptive impact, but he was dead wrong morally."
Throughout history, writes Shore, Jews have always been disruptors and have always strived to invent and improve the world. "What so often characterizes Jews," he writes, "was a drive for more, or for a better or different way to do things, from the secrets of the universe to better economic and political systems for mankind."
The desire for change and improvement has manifested itself not only in religious matters but in all aspects of human endeavor. For thousands of years, he notes, the Jews may have been powerless militarily but possessed great strength in the world of ideas.
He points out that Jews have won 40% of all the Nobel Prizes in Economic Sciences, which includes 38 awards in the 56 years since that award's establishment. Israelis are the 13th-largest recipients of Nobel Prize awards, despite being only the 94th-largest country by population. Globally, 22% of all Nobel Prize winners have been Jewish since the awards began in 1901.
Examining antisemitism in this light, Shore explains in the film and in the book that the roots of antisemitism stem from Sinai. At Sinai, the Jewish people received the Ten Commandments and accepted the mission to bring morality, ethics, ethical monotheism, and light into the world. The Jews will be hated for it, and the world will protest and resist. That resistance, he says, is called antisemitism.
The goal of destroying Sinai," says Cotler-Wunsh in the film, "whether it was Hitler's or now, with the Hamas charter, and whether it was along the thousands of years of history before this, is the destruction of our shared humanity. That binds together Hamas with Hitler" and with all those who preceded them.
Who should watch or read these?
What is the target audience for Tragic Awakening and Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Jew? Shore says that it is intended for three main groups.
"First of all, for young Jews because I think they're the ones who are most vulnerable. Quoting Prof. Robert Wistrich (1945-2015), one of the world's leading scholars on antisemitism who headed the Vidal Sassoon International Center for Antisemitism at Hebrew University, Shore said, "Jews need to get an inner armor. They're facing antisemitism and global anti-Israel hatred. If they don't understand, if they don't have moral self-confidence, then they are probably just going to go straight to assimilation. "For me, this anti-Israel, antisemitism movement that's going on in the world is the greatest threat to the next generation of Jews, primarily in the Diaspora, and leads straight to assimilation," the author and filmmaker said. "That's my primary market."
The second intended audience for the book and the film is the Jewish establishment. Shore says that it has "gotten it wrong" on what antisemitism is about and what the Jewish people are about.
When you say that antisemitism has occurred "because the Jews are scapegoats, then there is nothing Jewish about it. It's just that we are in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's the conventional wisdom today, and it's superficial and wrong," he asserted. "I want to challenge that, and I want to get that conversation going because I think if we understand it, not only can we have that inner armor and moral self-confidence, but it can lead to a strengthening of the Jewish community in general."
Shore said that the third group for whom the film and book are intended is non-Jews because they "need to understand to get on the right side of history."
Tragic Awakening: A New Look at the Oldest Hatred premiered at the Miami Jewish Film Festival and has been screened at Jewish communities throughout the world. It has been shown in Israel and will be screened on December 25, the first night of Hanukkah, at the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem, in conjunction with the official book launch there.
Shore said that one of the common responses to his film by those who have not seen it is that it is just another depressing film about Oct. 7. Instead, he maintains, it tells a much deeper and inspiring positive story. "The purpose of the film is not just to deepen our understanding about antisemitism and the nature of antisemitism but to deepen our understanding of the nature of the Jewish people. It's a film about why the Jews [are so hated], but it's also more importantly about why be Jewish.
"We do have an obsession with antisemitism," he continued, "and it's understandable because it's such a serious problem. At the same time, we haven't told our positive story to the next generation as much as we should. So very often, and this goes back to our generation, it's been too much on the Holocaust and antisemitism.
"When your identity is based on that, it's not so positive. We've got to become better at telling our positive, inspiring story," he asserted.
https://m.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-829121
######
Former Hezbollah supporter embraces Israel and converts to Judaism
Jo Elizabeth | Published: March 2, 2025
Rawan Osman in Jerusalem's Old City (Photo courtesy)
Rawan Osman's hostility towards Israel was just part and parcel of growing up in Lebanon, but her views were uncomfortably challenged, and then ultimately took a 180-degree turn after a life-altering season in France.
Osman went to Strasbourg back in 2011 to gain business acumen, pursuing her dream to open a wine bar. It was there that she met Jewish people for the first time in her life and came face to face with the falsehoods in her own antisemitic beliefs.
She had been raised to believe Jews were the enemy, even monsters, and experienced a panic attack when realizing she'd accidentally ended up living in the Jewish quarter. However, her experiences in the weeks and months that followed led her to become an outspoken peace activist, challenging antisemitism in the Arab world.
Now based in Germany, she regularly goes back to Strasbourg. "There, I lived in the Jewish quarter and slowly realized that the Jews are normal people, that they are not 'enemies,'" Osman wrote on Instagram. "Every year, I celebrate my birthday there, to express my gratitude and to celebrate the city that opened my eyes."
In an interview with Ynet News, Osman relayed how she had been drip-fed views that demonized Israel. "I was a fan of Hezbollah. I believed the narrative the state wanted us to learn about Israel and the Jews," she shared. "I'd never spoken to a Jew until I moved to France."
Osman admits the transformation from Syrian-Lebanese antisemite to Israel-loving peace activist took a great deal of time. "It sounds as if it happened overnight, but that was a long journey," she said.
"Slowly, after years of reading about Israel and Jewish history, I became a proud Zionist activist. And after October 7, that event changed my life."
For many, Oct. 7, 2023, was a pivotal moment. For Osman, after a decade of advocating for the Jewish people, it triggered the decision to convert to Judaism.
"I still have many family members and friends in Lebanon and Syria. Most of them blocked me right after October 7 when I made a public statement condemning Hamas and supporting Israel," she said. "Many out of fear, but many just because they are antisemites, as I was until my mid-twenties."
After many years of learning about Israel, visiting Auschwitz, and gaining insight into the suffering of the Jewish people, she was staggered to see how the world responded to the horrific Hamas attack. She has been distraught to see how many Muslims still support the terror group.
"I don't understand how anyone can buy their narrative," she said. "I just read this morning – like many around the world, we don't want to believe the Bibas family was killed. They are monsters, and learning that the aggressor is your own side, not Israel, is a harsh realization. I'm trying desperately to get Arabs to understand that they are intensely brainwashed."
For Osman, there is no equivocating. "Every day, it becomes clearer that the enemy of the people in the region is not Israel, but the so-called 'Axis of Resistance' led by Iran or by the Iranian regime."
Wanting to make the distinction between the regime and the people of Iran, she added, "The Iranian people are awesome and they deserve better."
Now an unashamed and vocal Zionist, Osman has become a target of hate and regularly receives death threats. There is a criminal investigator in Germany to whom she can pass the threats on directly, but she doesn't always bother to report them. "As they say, 'A dog that barks rarely bites,'" she said. "Those who want to kill me won't inform me in advance."
She draws courage and strength from her conviction that she's doing the right thing. "I have to be careful where I'm invited to speak publicly. We have heavy security, but I truly believe I'm doing the right thing, so it doesn't bother me at all," she said.
Working with fellow peace activist, Rabbi Raphael Shore, author of 'Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Jews', Osman will star in his new documentary, 'Tragic Awakening' which explores the roots and reasons of antisemitism. Shore has his own theories about what drives the antisemitism we see skyrocketing today, saying, "There's something bothering them, bothering antisemites, including much of the Islamist world today about the Jewish people. And it's deep down and it's even progressive liberals today. It's bothering them about the Jews and they label it anything."
Some have suggested to Osman that her voice as a Lebanese Arab is more powerful than it might be if she converted to Judaism, but she takes Shore's stance that the best thing to do in the face of antisemitism is to be steadfastly Jewish.
"Converting to Judaism is not my dirty secret," she says, adding, "there's nothing to be ashamed of. It's something I'm proud of and I'd like the Jews to understand that it is something you should be proud of. There's nothing wrong with you and everything wrong with the world."
Osman believes, from her own experience, that personal encounters are the best remedy to bring peace, saying, "You might not be able to visit Lebanon or Syria yet, however, you are able to meet Syrians and Lebanese on neutral ground wherever fate chooses. When it happens, don't retreat out of despair or mistrust. Engage them and change their mind about Israel, like the shopkeeper in Strasbourg changed mine. All he had to do was to smile."
"Many Arab countries have anti-normalization laws and policies forbidding people-to-people contact," she says. "Arab citizens, including Lebanese, are afraid of communicating with Israelis because of these laws, even abroad when they are on holiday. But thanks to social media, the Jews can reclaim their space, reclaim their voices and communicate their narrative, exposing the lies told for very long in the Arab world."
https://allisrael.com/former-hezbollah-supporter-embraces-israel-and-converts-to-judaism
Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments, studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University, but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject, the God of Israel. As a writer, Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem, Israel.
########
6/6/2023👇
Holocaust Remembrance Counters the Axis of Resistance to Change in the Middle East
In my work, I've come to understand that Jews have contributed to Arab culture in a myriad of ways, only to be excluded and marginalized.
Rawan Osman
June 6, 2023
When I first moved to the Jewish quarter in Strasbourg, I had no idea Jews lived there. It may seem naive, but I assumed that part of the city simply received its name from history and Jews — like most Jewish neighborhoods in the Middle East — and no longer had an active presence in those areas.
Imagine my surprise — and sadly, horror — when I realized that I was living in the epicenter of Jewish life in the city.
My first encounter with a Jewish individual occurred as I entered a grocery store. When I saw a Jewish man enter, I immediately had a panic attack, dropped my groceries and fled.
In hindsight, I understand that reaction was not only misguided but bigoted. However, as a young woman whose parents were Lebanese and Syrian and who had family members belonging to Hezbollah, this is how I was conditioned to react to a Jew. I was told they were scary, dangerous and not to be trusted. And after going through three wars in Lebanon where the state told me Israel was the aggressor, my feelings not only felt justified; they were encouraged.
But when I gathered up the courage to go inside, and I locked eyes with the Jewish grocer, I saw nothing but kindness.
He bagged my groceries and made no mention of my outburst.
In my work, I've come to understand that Jews have contributed to Arab culture in a myriad of ways, only to be excluded and marginalized. The very idea that Jews are part of where I came from compelled me to uncover more.
I often think of that moment as I immerse myself in Jewish and Islamic studies, examining why these two groups harbor such visceral reactions toward each other. In my work, I've come to understand that Jews have contributed to Arab culture in a myriad of ways, only to be excluded and marginalized. The very idea that Jews are part of where I came from compelled me to uncover more.
Sharaka, a nongovernmental initiative that cultivates people-to-people relationships from Arab countries that reached normalization agreements with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords, has accompanied me on this journey of cross-cultural understanding.
Last year, I had the privilege of visiting Poland for March of the Living — a nearly three-mile march from the Auschwitz concentration camp to the Birkenau extermination camp on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Ironically, it was there, while touring the depths of human depravity, that I saw the beauty of humanity. I didn't find it in the horrific displays of abuse and torture, but instead I witnessed it when Jewish visitors at Auschwitz were moved by the presence of our Arab delegation.
At the same time, solidarity between Arabs and Jews must go beyond these touching moments.
With the rise of immigration to their continent, far more Europeans are turning to the far right and its political leaders, who are associated with extremism, violence and antisemitism. My home is now in Germany — as my ties with Jews and Israelis have made it impossible for me to move back to Lebanon — and I'm concerned what kind of Europe my son will see in the years to come.
Some 80 years ago, Jews were considered subhuman in Germany and paid a heavy price. It's shocking to know that one of the most educated countries in the world was home to the masterminds of one of the most brutal genocides in human history. The Nazis listened to the opera as Jews burned.
If Germany and the Jewish community can make peace, I firmly believe that Jews and Arabs can continue to do the same.
And yet, today Germany and Israel enjoy a positive relationship in which they cooperate on an array of initiatives, ranging from education to culture to security. If Germany and the Jewish community can make peace, I firmly believe that Jews and Arabs can continue to do the same.
Thankfully, with the Abraham Accords, that process is already underway as governments and Arabs and Israelis on the ground have begun to forge deep and meaningful relationships.
This year, I again joined Sharaka's delegation of Arab influencers at the March of the Living. Last year's delegation was a breakthrough. This year was an affirmation. I anticipate that more Muslims will visit Auschwitz on Holocaust Remembrance Day as the word spreads, forming a new alliance of tolerance that counters the axis of resistance to change in the Middle East.
Rawan Osman is a Syrian-Lebanese peace activist, currently writing a book about her perception of the Jewish people and Israel before and after leaving the Middle East. Formerly with the PeaceComms Institute, Osman is studying Jewish and Islamic studies at Heidelberg University in Germany.
MIM:Osman facilitated a Holocaust Education program for Muslims like Jewish funded SHARAKA trips to Auschwitz which are the equivalent of sending pedofiles to Disney World. There's no business like Shoah business.
RAWAN OSMAN (Germany)
Founder of ArabsAsk and Chairwoman of PostOctober7, Activist
Rawan Osman is a Syrian-Lebanese/German activist advocating for peace with Israel. She previously served on the executive committee at PeaceComms and as a speaker at SharakaNGO. Currently, she is studying Islamic and Jewish Studies at Heidelberg University and is the founder of ArabsAsk. Additionally, Osman serves as the Chairwoman of PostOctober7 e. V. In her role with PeaceComms, she documented cases of persecution of activists and political dissidents in the Arab World advocating for normalization with Israel. At Sharaka, she organized speaking tours promoting the Abraham Accords and facilitated the participation of professionals and academics in Arab countries in a Holocaust education program.https://traumainformedla.org/tila-podcast/our-storytellers/rawan-osman/
Speaker Bureau Members
TILA's Speakers Bureau is a transformative platform where the power of storytelling intersects with the pursuit of justice, inclusion, and healing. We honor the diverse lived experiences of activists and healers by amplifying their inspiring stories. Storytelling fosters connection, ignites compassion, and calls for solidarity. It is a call to embrace collective responsibility and build a stronger, more unified community.https://traumainformedla.org/speakers/
#######
Those who hate Israel have no idea what this country is — or who these people are. The first time I brought my son to Israel, he was shocked by almost everything. Young men and women his age — sometimes smaller than him — walking around with enormous guns. The noise. The familiarity. The way people drive, honk, argue, shout. And perhaps most confusing of all: the way strangers in Jerusalem would suddenly come up to me, crying, and hug me.
He would be startled and whisper, "Tell them not to touch you." He couldn't understand why people we had never met would embrace me like family. Now he's slowly beginning to understand. Random people who have never heard of me — and who have no idea Adam is my son — treat him with a warmth he still finds hard to believe.
In Germany, people are polite. Here, people are family. He doesn't speak Hebrew. One day, on his way to the gym, a siren went off. He asked a stranger where the nearest shelter was. The man didn't just point — he walked him there and ended up becoming his friend. Another day he went boxing with a group of Russian guys. We had been warned about how tough they were. They adopted him instantly and asked when he wanted to compete. Wherever I take him, people spoil him.
On his first visit, I made sure he saw every side of Israeli society. He spent time on a left-wing kibbutz. With a religious family with five children. With yeshiva students. With soldiers. At a Shabbaton with modern Orthodox friends. Around Shabbat tables with religious Jews, and with atheists. Young people, old people — every shade of Israeli life.
And then I asked my old mentor, Yossi Klein Halevi to take Adam out for lunch and answer his long list of questions. I have my own answers to many of those questions. But I don't have Yossi's patience — or his wisdom. Adam asked why security here can sometimes feel so intense. After narrowly missing three terror attacks — by a single day — at the Allenby Crossing, in Jerusalem, and in Jaffa, he no longer needed much explanation for why Israelis carry guns. And after speaking to Israeli Arabs, he began to understand how complex life here really is — and how simplistic and ignorant the slogans of Israel's haters often are. So thank you, Israel, for looking after my son.
The same son whom much of our extended family decided to punish because of my political choices — because of my support for Israel. Now he understands why Israel is worth this.
And more. Shabbat shalom #israel
https://x.com/RawaneOsmane/status/2029930215946834071?s=20
Printer-friendly version 
Email this item to a friend