‘I felt humiliated’: Decorated Druze reservist called ‘Nukhba Terrorist’ at IDF ceremony

“I was humiliated in front of everyone,” says a Druze reservist suing an IAF commander after being compared to a terrorist during a military event.

A Druze reserve soldier filed a defamation lawsuit against a senior Israel Air Force officer, alleging he was publicly humiliated during a rank-awarding ceremony at Tel Nof Air Force Base, N12 News reported on Wednesday.

According to court filings, Master Sgt. (res.) Amal Atila, who served 212 days of reserve duty during Operation Iron Swords, claims the officer told him, “You look like a Nukhba terrorist,” while presenting his new rank in May 2024, N12 noted.

The comment was allegedly made in front of about 30 soldiers and drew laughter from those present.

“I was in shock. I felt the most humiliated in the world,” Atila told the Israeli outlet. “I lowered my head and was ashamed. At first, I thought I hadn’t heard correctly, but then I realized I had. Everyone was laughing.”

Atila, who works as a security guard in Gush Etzion, said the remark was especially painful considering his ongoing efforts to protect Israeli civilians.

“Calling me a Nukhba terrorist is absurd,” he said. “In my daily life, I protect this country. I love it wholeheartedly. I even have a tattoo of the Israeli flag on my arm.”

The reaction from his peers, Atila said, deepened the humiliation.

“All the friends who were there laughed. Everyone saw it, and no one said a word to him. Only a small handful reached out to me privately afterward,” he said to N12.

A decorated reservist, Atila has twice received the Outstanding Soldier of the Base award during his military service. Since the incident, he said, he has refused to wear his new rank.

‘It’s a really deep wound’

“So why do I look like a Nukhba terrorist to him?” he asked N12. “I haven’t been willing to wear that rank since. It’s a really deep wound.”

After confronting the officer about the comment, Atila said he was told it was “just a joke.”

“Other people said the same thing,” Atila said. “But how would they feel if they were the only Druze in the group and were singled out like that? Would they still think it was funny?”

While the officer later offered a private apology, Atila said it did not go far enough.

“After the ceremony, he came to me and apologized, but only in private, not in front of everyone,” he told N12. “Just as he mocked me in public, he should have apologized in public.”

During the war, Atila served as a fuel technician supporting IAF strikes in Iran and Lebanon.

“My job was critical. We want to win the war, not lose it. I was part of the effort. I refueled during all the strikes in Iran and Lebanon,” he said.

Through Shimon Haan Law Offices, Atila is seeking NIS 150,000 in damages for harm to his dignity and reputation.

Attorney Nimrod Haan, who represents Atila, called the incident one of the most degrading and offensive remarks ever directed at a loyal Druze soldier.

“This intolerable comparison to murderous terrorists strikes at the very heart of the partnership between the Druze community and the State of Israel,” Haan said. “The court must send a clear and unequivocal message that such statements will not be tolerated.”

Atila told N12 he expects the IDF to address the incident seriously and take steps to prevent similar cases in the future.