Ismail Khaldi Speaks to UC Berkeley Students

On Thursday, Ismail Khaldi, the Israeli Consul to San Francisco, spoke to a turnout of about 50 UC Berkeley students concerning the unfair image of Israel portrayed in the media. Khaldi, a Bedouin who grew up as a shepherd in a small village in the Western Galilee of Israel, spoke about the importance of Israel as the only true democracy in the Middle East, unique in the region for the rights, educational opportunities, and religious toleration it affords its minorities. Proudly identifying himself as an Israeli, Khaldi cited personal experience, relating how, growing up with Jewish peers, he was always treated the same as everyone else. UC Berkeley students in attendance included leaders from various student groups on campus.