155. The War in Gaza: How 2 Friends, an Arab American and an Israeli American Found Common Ground Despite Their Different Views

“I wouldn’t go by Kawthar because I didn’t want people to know I was Arab American or I was different. I wanted to be as American as possible and felt like I always needed to say I was patriotic. It took almost a decade for me to get to a place where I was like, ‘No, I’m proud of my parents. I’m proud of what they did to bring me here,’” shares Kawthar Duncan, opening up about the internal struggle she faced growing up.

 

In this episode, Alejandra Siroka brings together Kawthar, an Arab American immigrant, and Noam Szoke, an Israeli American immigrant, to show how two people from different origins—and historically opposing backgrounds—found refuge in their friendship. 

 

What does it mean to connect with someone whose life experiences seem so different from your own? Kawthar and Noam share how they built a meaningful friendship through honesty, shared experiences of immigration, and the willingness to confront cultural stereotypes together. 

 

Their conversation reveals the discomfort of facing prejudice—whether Islamophobia or anti-Semitism—and the unexpected bond these discussions created. How do friendships like theirs offer hope in a divided world? As they reflect on their relationship, they offer a powerful example of how genuine dialogue can bridge even the deepest divides, and fosters understanding and connection across cultural barriers. 

 

This episode challenges us to consider the transformative power of friendship in overcoming differences and creating lasting empathy, even in the most challenging of circumstances.

 

Quotes

• “I’ve been fortunate to not experience any kind of overt anti-Semitism in my life. Kawthar has experienced Islamophobia, as it’s called, in hers that had a big impact on me.” (08:42 | Noam Szoke)
• “One of the things I remember very clearly my father told me that always impacted me was him saying, the Arabs are our cousins. And so, Kawthar and I started calling each other ‘cousin.’” (09:20 | Noam Szoke)
• “Post-9/11, it was just very different to be an immigrant and to be a refugee and now to be an American citizen here in a place that is home. It is home for me, but others don’t see me as a person that belongs here, and that I’ve harmed this country, the generalization of it.” (11:39 | Kawthar Duncan)
• “I wouldn’t go by Kawthar because I didn’t want people to know I was Arab American or I was different. I wanted to be as American as possible and felt like I always needed to say I was patriotic. It took almost a decade for me to get to a place where I was like, ‘No, I’m proud of my parents. I’m proud of what they did to bring me here.’” (13:08 | Kawthar Duncan)

 

Links

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